Seattle landlords lose eviction policy lawsuit against the city
The Seattle law that gives apartment residents a pandemic-related defense against eviction was upheld Wednesday, along with the city's wintertime eviction ban.
The Rental Housing Association of Washington (RHAWA), which filed the suit in September, would have been skunked had the King County Superior Court Judge, Johanna Bender, upheld part of a third ordinance that sought to prohibit landlords from collecting interest accrued on nonpayment of rent.
In a statement, City Council President M. Lorena González hailed Bender's decision, saying it means families will be in "a better position to recover economically as our economy begins to improve."
Sean Martin, executive director of RHAWA , which sued alongside four owners of rental housing, said the association will review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal. He said the laws are among several the city has approved in recent years that threaten the businesses of small landlords, or housing providers, as the association calls them.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/02/25/landlords-lose-eviction-policy-suit.html