Post v. CITY OF TACOMA, DEPT. OF PUB. WORKS

165 P.3d 37
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedAugust 21, 2007
Docket34808-0-II
StatusPublished

This text of 165 P.3d 37 (Post v. CITY OF TACOMA, DEPT. OF PUB. WORKS) 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
Post v. CITY OF TACOMA, DEPT. OF PUB. WORKS, 165 P.3d 37 (Wash. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

165 P.3d 37 (2007)

Paul POST, Appellant,
v.
CITY OF TACOMA; DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, BUILDING & LAND USE SERVICES DIVISION; Risk Management Alternatives, Inc.; and Charles Solverson, Respondents.

No. 34808-0-II.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2.

August 14, 2007.
As Amended August 21, 2007.

*38 Everett Allen Holum, Everett Holum PS, Tacoma, WA, for Appellant.

Joanne Henry, Sloan Bobrick Oldfield & Helsdon PS, University Place, WA, Debra Ellen Casparian, Tacoma City Attorney's Office, Tacoma, WA, for Respondents.

PENOYAR, J.

¶ 1 Paul Post owns numerous properties in Tacoma that the City has designated as substandard or derelict. Beginning in 1999, the City assessed fines for several of these properties under Tacoma's Minimum Building and Structures Code. By 2005, Post owed the City and its collection agency nearly $400,000 in fines. Post sued, claiming that the fines were excessive, unconstitutional, and outside the City's statutory authority. The trial court granted summary judgment to the City, finding that (1) the City's actions were not abusive and excessive; (2) the ordinance did not effect an unconstitutional taking; (3) the daily fines did not constitute an unconstitutional deprivation of civil rights; (4) the penalties imposed did not exceed the City's statutory authority; (5) TMC 2.01.060 does not violate constitutional protections against double jeopardy; and (6) Post failed to comply with the Land Use Petition Act's (LUPA) procedural requirements. Post appeals, assigning error to each of the trial court's findings. Post's claim is barred by his failure to comply with LUPA's procedural requirements, and we need not address his other arguments. We affirm.

*39 FACTS

I. Tacoma Minimum Building and Structures Code Enforcement Scheme

¶ 2 Chapter 2.01 Tacoma Municipal Code sets out the minimum standards for properties within City limits. TMC 2.01.030. Under the rules in this chapter, structures with specified problems accumulate points depending on the type of violation. TMC 2.01.060(B). Once a property has accumulated 50 points, it is classified as substandard. TMC 2.01.060(C); (D)(4)(a). If the building is substandard and has more serious problems, such as a lack of adequate ventilation, cracked foundation, inadequate electrical wiring or plumbing, or hazardous mechanical equipment, it will be classified as derelict. TMC 2.01.060(E)(1).

¶ 3 When a property has been evaluated and classified as substandard, Tacoma's code requires that the owner be notified of the violations and the appropriate actions to mitigate those violations. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(a). At that point, the owner has 30 days to respond to the letter and negotiate a schedule for correcting the violations. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(a). If the owner does not respond, the City will assess penalties ("intended to be only for remedial purposes") and send another letter notifying the owner of those penalties. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(b). Again, the owner is given 30 days to respond and negotiate a schedule to correct the violations. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(b). If the owner fails to respond, a second penalty is assessed and a third letter is sent to the owner. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(c). At this point, the owner has 14 days to respond and negotiate a schedule to correct the violations. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(c). Additional civil penalties may be assessed if the owner still fails to respond, and the City will send another letter to the owner describing those penalties. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(d). The owner has 7 days to respond to this fourth letter, and if again the owner fails to respond, the City will assess a civil penalty for every calendar day the owner does not respond. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(d)-(f). When the owner fails to respond and penalties accumulate in excess of $1,000, the City will file a complaint with the Pierce County Auditor, to be attached to the property's title. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(f). A copy of the complaint is sent to the property owner and all tenants. TMC 2.01.060(D)(4)(f). "Once an enforcement action is undertaken, it shall be continued until all outstanding violations have been corrected." TMC 2.01.060(D)(5).

¶ 4 An owner may request administrative review of a notice of violation or civil penalty by filing a written request within 30 days of the notification date. TMC 2.01.060(D)(6)(b). The Building Official will review the information provided and determine whether a violation occurred, and he will accordingly affirm, vacate, suspend, or modify the notice of violation or penalty assessed. TMC 2.01.060(D)(6)(c). Either party may file an appeal with the Hearing Examiner within 30 days of receiving the Building Official's decision. TMC 2.01.060(D)(7). The Hearing Examiner will set a hearing and issue findings of fact and conclusions of law. TMC 2.01.060(D)(7).

¶ 5 The procedure for derelict buildings is slightly different. TMC 2.01.060(E). Derelict buildings are not to be occupied for any purpose until the owner has made repairs that eliminate the violations. TMC 2.01.060(E)(2). The owner must secure the building within 10 days of receiving the notice of violation. TMC 2.01.060(E)(3)(a). Additionally, the owner will receive only one notice of violation before civil penalties are assessed. TMC 2.01.060(E)(3)(b). The procedure for appeals to the Building Official and Hearing Examiner is the same as those for substandard buildings. TMC 2.01.060(E)(5)-(6).

II. Post's Violations and Procedural History

¶ 6 Post owns approximately 41 properties in Pierce County, with an assessed value of over $5.2 million. Since 1999, the City of Tacoma has had nuisance, substandard, and derelict building cases on as many as 24 of Post's properties. The City sent notices of violation for 22 properties in violation of the minimum standard, describing the violations and advising Post how to seek administrative review. Post did not respond to six of the initial notices, but agreed to a work schedule *40 for the others. Post failed to comply with the schedules, and the City first issued penalties on the substandard properties in the amount of $125 per property.

¶ 7 Post failed to timely appeal (in superior court) the notices of violation or the first penalty assessment for all properties except one.[1] The City points out that Post appealed on one property, but both the Hearing Examiner and the superior court affirmed the City's penalties. Post did not appeal the superior court ruling.

¶ 8 The City continued to inspect the properties and assess fines for those properties not in compliance. The City did not issue any new violations; all penalties imposed were directly related to the original violations.

¶ 9 The City imposed second, third, and fourth penalties according to TMC 2.01.060, and it then imposed penalties on consecutive work days. The City ultimately imposed penalties between $2,125 and $79,000 per property, depending on the extent of the violations.

¶ 10 By July 2005, Post owed the City $117,500 in penalties and $265,000 to the City's collection agency, and he still had 17 open cases against him. According to an affidavit from the City's collection agency, Post agreed to pay $50,000 monthly installments in September 2004, but he failed to follow through, and instead paid only a total of $140,000.[2]

¶ 11 Post sued the City in Pierce County Superior Court in March 2005.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Orwick v. City of Seattle
692 P.2d 793 (Washington Supreme Court, 1984)
James v. County of Kitsap
115 P.3d 286 (Washington Supreme Court, 2005)
City of Spokane v. County of Spokane
146 P.3d 893 (Washington Supreme Court, 2006)
Richards v. City of Pullman
142 P.3d 1121 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2006)
Denaxas v. Sandstone Court of Bellevue
63 P.3d 125 (Washington Supreme Court, 2003)
Denaxas v. Sandstone Court of Bellevue, L.L.C.
63 P.3d 125 (Washington Supreme Court, 2003)
James v. Kitsap County
154 Wash. 2d 574 (Washington Supreme Court, 2005)
City of Spokane v. Spokane County
158 Wash. 2d 661 (Washington Supreme Court, 2006)
Richards v. City of Pullman
134 Wash. App. 876 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2006)
Post v. City of Tacoma
165 P.3d 37 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
165 P.3d 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/post-v-city-of-tacoma-dept-of-pub-works-washctapp-2007.