Kinnon Williams will be presenting at the 2021 Fall Conference of the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys (WSAMA).
In Washington state, RCW 35.21.100 allows the acceptance of property by ordinance. However, acceptance may also be presumed. While this alone should give a city attorney pause, for fear of unknowingly having a piece of property foisted upon the city, even when a property is accepted without a clear process for acceptance the city may not know what is being accepted.
Is the property subject to unpaid utility liens? Are there encroachments on the property undisclosed by a title report? Or, the worse-case scenario: is the property contaminated?
Whether the problem is hazardous, an encroaching fence or subject to liens, accepting a property without completing an investigation or following an acceptance process established by ordinance or policy can result in years of problems resulting in the waste of time and resources. That is when you find out that free isn’t always free.
For more information and to register, visit the WSAMA Fall Conference website.
