Olga Nada Tepes v. Island County Treasurer

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedNovember 13, 2017
Docket74942-1
StatusUnpublished

This text of Olga Nada Tepes v. Island County Treasurer (Olga Nada Tepes v. Island County Treasurer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Olga Nada Tepes v. Island County Treasurer, (Wash. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

IL F. AH-E STA]E. OF IV, 2N7 t:OV 13 ;11: 27

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

ISLAND COUNTY, a political subdivision of the State of Washington, DIVISION ONE

Respondent, No. 74942-1-1

v.

COSMIC LIGHT CREATIONS; COSMIC LIGHT CREATIONS c/o UNPUBLISHED OPINION OLGA NADA TEPES, also known of record as NADA OLGA TEPES; THE DIRECTORS OF COSMIC LIGHT CREATIONS, AN INACTIVE CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE SHAREHOLDERS; OLGA NADA TEPES, also known of record as NADA OLGA TEPES,

Appellant,

ADMIRAL'S COVE BEACH CLUB; ADMIRAL'S COVE WATER DISTRICT; ELLEN L. BACHMAN; BON AIR COMMNITY CLUB, INC.; JEAN BOND; BUENA VISTA COMMUNITY CLUB; ALLEN JOSEPH CALDWELL; DEBORAH T. CAMPBELL; JAMES J. CAMPBELL; CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A. c/o SUTTELL AND HAMMER, P.S.; C1TIFINANCIAL, INC.; CLINTON WATER DISTRICT; DEER LAKE HAVEN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION c/o WHIDBEY WATER SERVICES; HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF HELEN C. DIANICH; HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF JOHN DIANICH; No. 74942-1-1/2

ALAN S. DONALDSON and MYRA A. ) DONALDSON; EQUITY TRUST ) COMPANY FB0 SCOTT STRODEL ) IRA; BRETT FENSTERMAKER, ) ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE ) OF WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS; ) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, INC. do ) JASON WOEHLER; KIMBERLY ) FREDERICK; ROBERT A. ) FREDERICK; LAWRENCE R. ) GABELEIN, also know of record as ) LARRY R. GABELEIN and LARRY ) GABELEIN; LARRY R. GABELEIN and ) JANE DOE GABELEIN; HEIRS AND ) DEVISEES OF LILLIAN K. GABELEIN, ) who also appears of record as LILIJEN ) GABELEIN; ARTIST GELBERT; GOSS ) LAKE PARK COMMUNITY CLUB; ) MYTRON 0. GRIMM and MARY L. ) GRIMM; HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF ) JACK R. HALE; JACKLYN C. HALE; ) HARBOR SANDS BEACH ) ASSOCIATION; HARRIS CUSTER ) ESTATES WATER ASSOCIATION; ) RICHARD H. HINKSON; TRACY W. ) HINKSON; HORIZON BANK do ) WASHINGTON FEDERAL BANK; ) HUDGINS ENTERPRISES I, LLC; ) INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; ) RICHARD TERRY JACOBSON; ) RICHARD TERRY JACOBSON, ) TRUSTEE OF THE TERRY JACOBSON) TRUST; CHARLES L. JONES; JUNIPER BEACH CO-OP WATER ASSOCIATION; JUNIPER BEACH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION; JUNIPER BEACH WATER DISTRICT; SALLY KOSH-HEAGREN OR SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE LP TRUST DATED JULY 28, 2006; UNKNOWN SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE OF THE LP TRUST DATED JULY 28, 2006; BARBARA S. KUHNER,TRUSTEE FOR THE BARBARA S. KUHNER TRUST; LAGOON POINT COMMUNITY

2 No. 74942-1-1/3

ASSOCIATION; LAGOON POINT WATER DISTRICT; JONATHAN H. LEAVITT and RANDI LEAVITT; LONG POINT MANOR WATER COMPANY; BRIAN LOPRIORE; LOST LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION; MARILYN MAIN; NICHOLAS P. MALTA and RUTH MALTA; NICHOLAS P. MALTA c/o WANDA MALTA; HECTOR MCARTHUR AND LEDA MCARTHUR; ESTATE OF DENNIS MENTZOS; HEIRS OF DENNIS MENTZOS; MICHELLE MENTZOS; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND CREDITORS IN THE ESTATE OF DENNIS MENTZOS; MIDWAY TRADERS VILLAGE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; ) MEMBERS OF THE MIDWAY ) TRADER'S VILLAGE LLC; MEMBERS ) OF THE MIDWAY TRADER'S VILLAGE) LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ) SEATREE PROPERTIES LLC; MUTINY) VIEW MANOR COMMUNITY CLUB, ) INC.; GORDON NELSON and VIVIAN ) E. NELSON; NEW UTSALADY WATER) SYSTEM; CITY OF OAK HARBOR; PATRICK B. O'NEILL; DONALD P. OSBORNE;0-ZI YA COMMUNITY CLUB; LAURA PARKS and TOM PARKS(TOM PARKS also known of record as TOMMY PARKS); PARKSIDE WATER ASSOCIATION; ANN MARIE PEMBER; POINELL SHORES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION; PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES, LLC c/o MACHOL & JOHANNES, LLC; PREFERRED INVESTMENTS, INC.; UNKNOWN SHAREHOLDERS OF PREFERRED INVESTMENTS, INC.; PREFERRED INVESTMENTS, INC., do KIRSTI J. JENSEN; PTERODACTLY ENTERPRISES, do DEANE MINOR, ATTORNEY; HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF PATSY L.

3 No. 74942-1-1/4

REYNOLDS; HEIRS AND DEVISEES ) OF WILLIAM J. REYNOLDS; ALICE G. ) RICE; ROLLING HILLS-GLENCAIRN ) COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC.; ) WILLIAM C. ROWLANDS; MICHAEL ) SANDERSON; DANNY JOE SANTA; ) SARATOGA BEACH OWNERS ) ASSOCIATION; JOANNE M. SAYSON;) SEATREE PROPERTIES, LLC; ) SIERRA COUNTRY CLUB c/o KING ) WATER; SKAGIT COUNTY BAIL ) BONDS; STATE OF WASHINGTON ) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND ) HEALTH SERVICES; DENNIS B. ) TREUT; VISTAIRE WATER SYSTEM; ) WASHINGTON STATE EMPLOYEES ) RETIREMENT BOARD; WASHINGTON) TRUST BANK; WEST BEACH OFF- ) SITE DRAIN FIELD SYSTEM; ) WHIDBEY WEST WATER ) ASSOCIATION; ELIZABETH J. ) WILLIAMS; JUDITH WINTER; JUDITH ) WINTER, UNKNOWN SPOUSE IF ) MARRIED ON DECEMBER 31, 1990; ) GENEVA WOODRUFF; SHELLEY LYN ) WRIGHT; and also all other persons or ) parties unknown claiming any right, ) title, or ownership interest or lien in or ) to the real property described in the ) notice of Application for Judgment ) Foreclosing Tax Liens and Summons, ) ) Defendants. ) FILED: November 13, 2017 )

DWYER, J. — Acting pro se, Olga Nada Tepes appeals a judgment and

order of sale foreclosing on a tax lien on real property located in Island County.

Although Tepes' arguments are difficult to follow in the manner she presents

them, it is reasonably clear that she contends that the property foreclosed upon

was exempt from taxation. She also appears to claim that the statutes No. 74942-1-1/5

authorizing the assessment and collection of property taxes are unconstitutionally

vague and challenges the trial court's jurisdiction. We affirm.

In August 2015, Island County initiated a property tax lien foreclosure

proceeding. The proceeding involved numerous parcels of property, including

real property designated as "Item No. 46" in a certificate of delinquency filed by

the Island County Treasurer. The certificate of delinquency listed both the

appellant, Olga Nada Tepes,1 and an entity, Cosmic Light Creations, as the

property owners and lien or interest holders. The certificate of delinquency

identified approximately $4,400 in unpaid property taxes assessed in 2012,

interest, and costs.2 The County notified Tepes of the foreclosure action by

publication and by certified mail.

In September 2015, Tepes filed several documents in apparent response

to the County's complaint. These documents included a "Declaration of Denial of

Due Process by Olga Nada Tepes" and an "Affidavit of Status of Olga Nada

Tepes: Private Citizen of the United States: American Inhabitant." Tepes

asserted a variety of confusing and often internally inconsistent arguments as to

why the property tax provisions set forth in Title 84 RCW did not apply to her or

to the property identified as Item No. 46.

1 The appellant has identified herself using various names and titles throughout this litigation. A copy in the record of the appellant's Certificate of Naturalization identifies her as "Nada Olga Tepes." We refer to the appellant as "Olga Nada Tepes," the name she has most commonly used in the course of this litigation. 2 Although property taxes were also delinquent for 2013 and 2014, the certificate of delinquency included only delinquent amounts for 2012.

5 No. 74942-1-1/6

On November 9, 2015, the court entered a default judgment against all

property owners, including Tepes, who were listed in the certificate of

delinquency and failed to exercise their right of redemption. After a summary

proceeding hearing under RCW 84.64.080(1) on November 16, the court entered

findings and a separate judgment and order of sale.

Just before the scheduled sale date of December 8, 2015, Tepes filed

additional documents, including a "Notice of Constitutional Challenge to Statute,"

and a "Memorandum in law on Property Tax." Around the same time, Tepes

informed the County that she was not notified of the November 16 hearing. The

County also became aware that notice of that hearing was not sent to the

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Olga Nada Tepes v. Island County Treasurer, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/olga-nada-tepes-v-island-county-treasurer-washctapp-2017.