The commissioners did not answer yesterday's question. Here is today's email:
Dear Commissioners,
There’s a growing perception that some residents are labeled "whiners and complainers," while favored groups get access, influence, and exceptions when it comes to enforcement and decision-making. What criteria do you use to decide who gets listened to, who gets investigated, who gets fined and enforced upon, and who gets cut loose—and how can the public be confident those decisions are fair?
Below is a criteria-based “good governance” reply a Clallam County commissioner could give—grounded in Washington constitutional due process and equal-treatment standards, and the County’s published enforcement pathways.
Dear Constituent,
The concern raised here is legitimate, and the comment thread reflects that clearly. When residents believe enforcement depends on who you are, who you know, or whether a case is deemed “worth the trouble,” trust in local government breaks down.
It is also true that county enforcement operates within real constraints. Probate law, HUD foreclosure timelines, constitutional due-process requirements, staffing, and liability all affect what actions can be taken, when, and how. Ignoring those constraints does not lead to better outcomes.
But complexity does not excuse silence or inconsistency.
As an individual commissioner, I do not decide enforcement outcomes in specific cases. That authority rests with staff acting under adopted law. However, the Board is responsible for ensuring that the system itself is fair, transparent, and understandable—especially when legal or practical limits exist.
No resident should be dismissed as a “whiner or complainer,” and no group should receive access or exceptions based on influence. In the United States and Washington State, government action must be impartial, non-arbitrary, grounded in objective standards, and subject to review (U.S. Const. amend. XIV; Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 1886). Washington law further requires county actions to follow due process and the consistent application of adopted authority (RCW 34.05; RCW 36.32.120).
What fair enforcement should look like
1. Who gets listened to: Everyone. Public comment, written testimony, and formal complaints all carry equal standing. Persistence or criticism is not disqualifying; repeated complaints often signal unresolved system problems.
2. Who gets investigated: Investigations should be triggered by documented complaints, observed conditions, and adopted code thresholds—not relationships or politics. Where legal constraints delay action, those constraints should be explained clearly and consistently.
3. Who gets enforced upon: Enforcement must follow adopted law and due process—notice, opportunity to comply, and clear escalation pathways—so enforcement is code-based, not person-based (Clallam County Code § 19.60).
4. Public-health nuisances: When conditions involve sanitation, rodents, hazardous waste, or fire risk, the County has a separate duty to act through its public-health authorities. Ownership complications may affect the method of enforcement, but they do not eliminate all tools (RCW 7.48.120; RCW 70.05.060).
What residents are reacting to is not simply outcomes—it is opacity. Departments pointing to one another, residents being told “no one has authority,” warnings about retaliation for filing complaints, and silence from leadership create a vacuum. In that vacuum, frustration grows.
Public confidence does not come from reassurance. It comes from visibility. The County should be able to show written enforcement criteria, complaint tracking and response timelines, and documented reasons when similar cases receive different treatment.
When constraints are real and explained openly, outrage diminishes. When authority exists and is applied consistently, trust returns.
That transparency is the standard the public is entitled to expect.
Sincerely,
Commissioner
Clallam County Board of Commissioners
References
Camara v. Municipal Court of City and County of San Francisco, 387 U.S. 523 (1967).
Thank you for explaining the legal framework and limits around enforcement. I understand that due process, ownership issues, and staffing constraints are real.
But as a constituent, that explanation still leaves a gap.
What I—and many others—are reacting to is not just outcomes, but the lack of visible action and accountability. We’re told different things by different departments, sometimes warned against filing complaints, and often left with the impression that enforcement depends on who is involved rather than what the rules say.
So my question is this: what are you going to do, as my elected representative, to fix the system-level problems you’ve just described? How will you ensure clarity, coordination, and fair treatment going forward—especially for residents who do follow the rules and keep speaking up?
I’m not asking you to bypass the law. I’m asking what steps you will take to make sure it is applied consistently and transparently.
You’re right to ask not just what the rules are, but what your elected representative will actually do about the failures you’re seeing.
As an individual commissioner, I cannot direct staff in a specific enforcement case or bypass due process. But I can—and will—act on governance, oversight, and transparency, which is where many of these breakdowns are occurring.
Here is what I will do:
• Demand clarity in writing. I will request that the County clearly publish which enforcement tools exist today, what triggers them, and what legal constraints apply—so residents are not told “no one has authority” without explanation.
• Push for coordination, not finger-pointing. When nuisances affect health or safety, I will press for documented coordination between Code Enforcement, Environmental Health, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County Attorney. The public should not have to guess which department is responsible.
• Seek transparency on complaints and responses. I will request aggregated reporting on complaints received, response times, enforcement actions taken, and reasons cases stall—so that similar cases are treated consistently.
• Protect residents who speak up. I will seek clear, on-the-record assurance that residents who file good-faith complaints are not subject to retaliation. If that assurance cannot be given plainly, that is a governance problem that must be addressed.
• Use public meetings to force clarity. When these issues are raised, I will ask direct questions in open session: What authority exists? What does not? Why? What is the next lawful step—and when will it be reassessed?
If the law truly prevents action in a given moment, I will say so honestly—and explain what would need to change to prevent the same outcome next time. Silence and deflection only deepen mistrust.
You are entitled to equal treatment, due process, and visible accountability. My responsibility is to make sure the system delivers that—or to say openly when it does not and why.
Knock knock, who’s there? Clallam County: we just wanted to make sure you have utilized all the county services .”Say”. I love what you’ve done with the sidewalk and alley.” Hope you’ll be real comfortable.
“No, you’re fine. Let the owners walk around you!””You know you could snake a hose over here from that lot and get water without all the lifting.”
Susan, that actually happened in Dungeness Meadows. The neighbor snaked his hose to the next lot (he had quit paying his water bill for years and the HOA who had private water rights let it go because Covid etc didn't allow them to cut off his water) but when they did he secretly snaked a hose) to the neighbors system. The neighbors didn't discovered the water stealing for a year or so. Anyways, it got ugly.
You think a neighbor stealing from neighbor is unusual, wait when the Tribes take over water rights! It's exactly what JST is going for, AND our Clallam County representatives agree with it. I'm as serious as a heart attack about keeping water management out of the hands of JST!
The water problem in Sequim is a mystery to me. Developers are told we have water through the year 2040. But we all hear no water, Cascadia trying to raise it 75 percent with no up grades or maintenance needed.
Cascadia is fully owned by NW Natural Gas. I read the annual report last year to see if they could justify such a leap. UTC in Olympia stopped them. They will be back!
Wow, I said this on the very site a year ago. He who owns the water has all the rights. People need to watch the old west country shows. Caused much grief as us white assholes moved west . Well not us as living today but a general us.
Many natives fought other natives over resources and put their enemies in slavery roles. See it wasn’t just whitey from the south.
Great work on the article. I'm pretty sure another reason for letting this garbage go on and on is the legal cost of an over burdened indigent representation budget already used up. I'll never understand how the commissioners refuse to tie together the effects of their harm reduction to the over population of the homeless in our county or even the lack of the one question they should be concerned with "where did you come from". It can be fixed but they must do away with Sanctuary status and Harm reduction, they refuse because that's the cash cow for Jamestown Sklallam Tribe Corporation. Mark will never burn that bridge!
Imagine a neighbor that puts their profit margin over the good of the community that surrounds them. It's sickening what we have allowed and the answers are ahead.
I can speak from recent experience. I have been stuck cleaning up cars and garbage that you show. I’ve spent thousands cleaning up my late husband’s drug addict kids junk cars, garbage that he hid on our property and yes code enforcement has been to my home and stated fines will happen if not taken care of. It has taken me about a year to get things back to the way they were. Same thing happen d when we let him live in our rental. He destroyed it so badly that we almost just torched it.
These public officials throw their weight around on us tax payers that it’s so frustrating
How about being told by code enforcement when you find out a neighbor built part of a garage unpermitted, septic system and woodshed on your timber property and you go in and ask questions. How can they approve a septic system without any one looking at property lines. I had our property surveyed and found this all out. County said if I file a complaint that code enforcement will file a compliant against me and I’d have to go to court against them. Is this fair to us tax payers, NO! These people need to go
Chris, thank you for sharing your experience. I had a similar situation with a neighbor. Their hand-drawn permit application clearly showed the location of existing survey markers, yet significant encroachments were still approved. In some cases, structures ended up roughly 35 feet from where they were represented on the permit because of a boundary buffer.
Given the mapping tools now available — such as Landslide and onX — it seems reasonable that a basic boundary verification should be required before final approval. A simple check could prevent these kinds of disputes and protect both property owners and the county from costly conflicts later on.
BEWARE OF ADVERSE POSSESSION (or “Squatter Rights) on private property. It almost happened to me! I never heard of such a thing. I only escaped an Adverse Possession claim of a big chunk of my property because of the small print in our HOA forbade it. Thank God I had legal standing and got a survey (extremely expensive process) and was able to use my right of "ejectment". The time limit starts when the unauthorised possessor encroaches on land. This could be way before you buy the property, and you've lost that property (that the seller tells you is theirs) even before the sale. Can't eject them just because you are a new owner. Buyer beware.
In general, a property owner has the right to recover possession of their property from unauthorised possessors through legal action such as ejectment. However, many legal systems courts recognize that once someone has occupied property without permission for a significant period of time (Wa is 10 years) without the property owner exercising their right to recover their property, not only is the original owner prevented from exercising their right to eject, but a new title to the property "springs up" in the adverse possessor. In effect, the adverse possessor becomes the property's new owner.
MK, What if the nuisance "squatters" are attracting rodents? It becomes a public health issue then.
WHOSE IN CHARGE OF OUR BOARD OF HEALTH? WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE?
Rodents, including squirrels, mice, and rats, may build their nests in cars, trucks, campers, and other vehicles. Rats and mice can be dangerous to public health. They can spread disease and damage property. Washington State Department of Health's Rodent website has information on rodent control at Rodent Control - Washington State Department of Health.
The PURPOSE of the Clallam County Board of Health is to supervise all matters pertaining to the preservation of the LIFE and HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE OF CLALLAM COUNTY AND TO COMPLY FULLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS of all applicable chapters of Title 70, Revised Code of Washington.
The Board of Health shall:
• Collect, analyze and disseminate to the community in a timely manner, through the Clallam County Health and Human Services Department, INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH CONDITIONS, risks and resources, and the availability of resources to address identified problems.
• Enact such rules, regulations and policies as are necessary to preserve, promote and improve the health and behavioral health status of Clallam County residents, and guide the ALLOCATION of appropriate and necessary public health RESOURCES.
• Assure that necessary, high quality, effective foundational public health services are available for the protection of the people of Clallam County, including THE CONROL AND PREVENTION OF ANY DANGEROUS, CONTAGIOUS OR INFECTIOUS DISEASE within the county.
• Provide for the prevention, control and ABATEMENT OF NUISANCES DETRIMENTAL TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
• Enforce, through the HEALTH OFFICER, the public health statutes of the state and county.
• Establish fee schedules for issuing and renewing licenses and permits, or for such other services, as are authorized by the law and rules of the State Board of Health.
• Assure that ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ADDRESS CLEAN WATER, septics, and clean air.
There are significant legal and code-related implications for failing to address a rodent infestation in Clallam County, though the specific rules change depending on whether you are an owner-occupant, a landlord, or a tenant.
1. Health and Nuisance Codes (All Residents)
Under Clallam County Code Title 41 (Board of Health) and Title 15 (Public Peace and Safety), a property condition that endangers public health is legally classified as a public nuisance.
* Enforcement: The County Health Officer has the authority to investigate conditions that may be a "nuisance detrimental to public health." This includes infestations that could spread disease or affect neighboring properties.
* Penalties: If a violation is found and ignored after a notice is issued, the county can assess administrative penalties. In Clallam County, these can range from $100 to $500 per day for each day the violation continues (CCC 41.20.270).
2. Landlord-Tenant Responsibilities
In Washington State (RCW 59.18), the law is very specific about who must pay for and manage pests:
* Landlord Duty: Landlords are required by law to provide a "reasonable program for the control of infestation" at the start of a tenancy and to maintain the property so it is fit for human habitation.
* The Single-Family Exception: In a single-family home, the landlord is generally responsible for pest control at the start of the lease, but the tenant may be responsible for ongoing control unless the infestation is caused by structural defects (like a hole in the roof or foundation).
* Multi-Unit Buildings: In apartments or duplexes, the landlord is almost always responsible for controlling rodents because pests can travel between units, making it hard to blame one specific tenant.
3. Reporting a Violation
If you are concerned about a property in your neighborhood or a rental home where the owner refuses to act:
* Clallam County Code Enforcement: You can report a suspected nuisance by calling (360) 565-2677. They typically start with an "educational" visit to the property owner before moving to fines.
* Environmental Health Services: For active health hazards, call (360) 417-2258.
I always wonder in these situations, WHY it was left to get this way in the first place? This is exactly what my neighbor says, and yet it is still there and maybe worse than before her renter dies. He started this. The owner didn't address it, then let stray people in the "help" her clean. What a joke. (joke is on the neighbors and their investment.)
Today’s poll is tough for me to decide. Property owners and all citizens are obviously not the commissioners first priority. I find it hard to comprehend how they separate themselves from the reality of what they promote. They say they are hindered from doing what is right by state law and yet refuse to enforce vagrancy and drug laws they have. They don’t have a problem going after people who contribute positively to our community, piling more fees, more taxes, and more restrictions on property owners.
I'm from a fourth-generation pioneer family here in Sequim. I grew up on my parents farm just down the road from this hot mess property you are reporting about.
I retired from the Kitsap County SO a few years ago and moved back to Sequim with my husband (also retired from LE). After the passing of my parents, we moved back to my childhood home. It's been a nightmare since dealing with not only the traffic issues, but actual criminal activity, coming from this property. I've completed three complaints with the CCSO to be told on one occasion by a sergeant (that I initiated the conversation with) "we are well aware of the criminal activity at that address and have been there multiple times." Very frustrating and absolutely leaves me feeling bewildered as to how law-abiding citizens are supposed to put up with this in their communities when they are left to defend it for themselves. I have confronted these individuals personally when their behavior was egregious in front of my home on more than one occasion. Is this the best approach? Absolutely not. This is where the problems start though... citizens who follow the law, work hard for what they have, pay their taxes for government programs, and get told there is nothing anyone can do to help you. If you're the one breaking the rules, squatting on property, living in a dump, driving recklessly at high speeds with vehicles that backfire like the neighborhood is under fire, and from what the sheriff's office has admitted, selling drugs from that property, apparently, they have a protection afforded to them I certainly don't have.
The Wild West is certainly a great article title but certainly could also be "The Twilight Zone." This is insanity from our elected officials because this starts from the top.
Sauni, I am very sorry to hear how deeply this property situation has affected you.
Given your background in law enforcement, and recognizing that HUD does not hold title until foreclosure is completed, I would value your perspective on what lawful actions CCSO or county code enforcement could take right now.
What enforcement tools, if any, could be used to address junk vehicles, unlawful RV occupancy, or other violations independent of property ownership? If the property were voluntarily vacated, would that create additional legal options for law enforcement or code enforcement to secure or remediate the site? Are there actions the surrounding community could take that would meaningfully strengthen enforcement or speed resolution?
The HUD issue and property ownership is a problem. However, county code enforcement 20.33, and county code 20.04.010 (2) could address this as a start. Also RCW 46.55.010 references "junk vehicles" the people residing on that property are violating this code, owners or not. A simple traffic stop from that property (a lot of these vehicles are not currently tabbed, and I have observed one without a plate even) could help start the process. It certainly doesn't appear the SO uses all its resources to address this residence or the driving violations coming from it. I will say, I know they have been to the property and have made arrests to then have these individuals return to it.
Also, you have 10 days to change your DL address in Washington state, 30 days on vehicle registration. Most people coming from this address, have been there well over these marks.
There is room to push back on these individuals if the SO is so inclined. I get they are busy, and traffic sometimes takes a backseat, however the number of complaints from this address should be a consideration.
I don't have to live directly next door to this, but I would sincerely hope we all can understand the frustration this would cause if they were your neighbor. They need help and should receive it. I'm personally tired of the finger pointing and lack of response, assistance, and downright respect for what's happening here.
With your experience in LE I would imagine that you are aware of how nuisance abatement works. Please work with the other person who has posted here, also apparently a neighbor, and speak up at the BOCCC meetings. You don't have to attend in-person, you can dial in remotely, write letters, etc.
The issue is each department has been pointing to the other, as to who has authority here. Then it's been stated, no one has authority because of HUD. Yes, I do agree this needs to go in front of the BOCCC, however with what I see from them I'm not encouraged.
Properties owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can be subject to nuisance abatement in Washington state, though federal ownership often requires local governments to coordinate with HUD rather than pursuing traditional summary abatement or liens.
-Authority and Process
*Local and State Laws: Washington state law (RCW 7.48.120) defines a nuisance as any act or omission that endangers public health, safety, or comfort. Cities and counties have the authority to abate such nuisances on property within their limits.
*Building Codes: The International Building Code, adopted by Washington, allows local authorities to regulate and abate dangerous or unsafe buildings.
*HUD Interaction: While HUD properties must generally comply with local health and safety standards, the federal government may have certain immunities from local liens or specific fines. Typically, local code enforcement must notify HUD or its designated management and marketing (M&M) contractor of the violation and request voluntary abatement.
-Specific Abatement Actions. In Washington, nuisance abatement can involve:
*Corrective Orders: Requiring the owner (including a federal agency) to repair, vacate, or demolish structures deemed unfit for habitation.
*Court Warrants: Only superior courts in Washington have the authority to issue warrants for the physical abatement (removal or destruction) of a nuisance.
*Chronic Nuisance Ordinances: If a property has repeated criminal activity (e.g., drug dealing, prostitution), local police can declare it a "chronic nuisance," which requires the owner to work with the city to eliminate the issues.
-Challenges with HUD Properties
*Lien Priorities: While cities can normally levy special assessments for abatement costs that become a lien on the property (RCW 35A.21.405), enforcing these against a federal entity like HUD can be complex due to federal law governing property taxes and liens.
*Notification: Local governments are required to provide notice to the property owner before taking abatement action. For HUD-owned homes, this notice must be directed to the correct HUD regional office or authorized contractor.
I think the mechanics of how a lien is filed are pretty straight forward. It is what happens to it going forward. I have not come across one county dept that didn’t hand me off to someone else. How does that work?
Maybe some run smooth as silk, but you know the excuses start with Covid, staff attrition, funding, etc . Covid is a favorite going into the sixth year. Excuses should come with pull dates.
Sadly, the "left coast" of WA state -- and the government of Clallam County -- are as blue as can be, which of course means "out of sight, out of mind" when it comes to the problems caused by those "poor, downtrodden vagrants" that are never held responsible for their actions, regardless of how detrimental they are to the vast majority of residents. Some areas of the state, notably the cities of Aberdeen, Auburn, Lakewood, Kennewick, Richland, and Spokane have recently begun to see the light, and have passed new laws and/or are beginning stricter enforcement to criminalize homelessness. Of course, other areas -- hello, King County -- complain that federal funding cuts make such actions difficult if not impossible. Clallam County is no different. Unless and until public pressure on county officials becomes so heavy to make changes, county commissioners will do nada. Aren't you tired of officials throwing up their hands and whining, "There's nothing I can do?"
Jake, I salute you for your continued exposure of this very serious issue. I also wonder when, a group like 4PA that does so much good in the community as a volunteer organization, should not receive some of that phony-baloney money grifted to the various NGOs that have, so far, solved nothing?
Thanks, Robert. My understanding is that 4PA intentionally relies on private funding so it can operate with flexibility and independence from government bureaucracy. That model is exactly what effective community problem-solving looks like.
4PA is an exemplary example of what citizens can accomplish when they take responsibility for their community — and it is the kind of effort local government should encourage and support, not exploit.
The best way the City and County could partner with 4PA would be to do their own job: adopt stronger trespass ordinances, enforce them consistently, and maintain public lands so cleanups are not constantly required in the same locations.
4PA should be a partner — not the City and County’s free sanitation service.
Clean it up. Keep it clean. These are OUR rivers and forests.
Jake agree on all fronts! If we could reduce the size of government back to where it only fulfilled core necessities and not all these “niceties”, and society once again allowed groups like 4PA and churches, etc., to replace the NGO grift, taxes could be lowered and working folks could lift their own bootstraps up. One can only hope …
Jake, do you know if fines have been collected on property that 4PA cleans? I’m asking bc it would only seem fair for the county to reimburse you. A lot by us was a dump lot. Owner sent in 14k to cover fines.
14k is the max they will charge, I find that is an insignificant number since it does nothing to improve the dump! Why should those fees/fines go to general fund? Or do they? Audit please. I need cleaning supplies. If the commissioners continue to make me puke, shouldn’t they shoulder some of sanitation duties!
I drive by that ridiculous eyesore in Sequim routinely (6992 Old Olympic Hwy, across from the Sky Ridge Golf Course) and it's interesting to get the backstory because I have noticed the changes going on over the last year or so. Of interesting note, the trailer that showed up dumped at the Sequim Prairie grange came from this property.
There's one tool that I would ask Sheriff King about, and that is using nuisance abatement to shut that operation down. It requires more than just the Sheriff's office so all critical departments, especially legal, need to be in sync. If the county learns that their nuisance abatement codes are deficient then they need to be amended.
*** AI ***
In Washington State, nuisance abatement is the legal process used to stop or remove a "nuisance"—defined broadly as any activity or condition that "annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others" (RCW 7.48.120).
The process can be initiated by local governments (cities or counties) or, in specific cases, by private individuals. Here is how the process generally works:
1. Types of Nuisances
* Public Nuisance: Affects an entire community or neighborhood (e.g., a "crack house," illegal dumping, or a dilapidated building).
* Private Nuisance: Specifically harms an individual's use or enjoyment of their own land (e.g., a neighbor’s intrusive noise or light).
* Chronic Nuisance: Many cities (like Seattle) have "Chronic Nuisance" ordinances for properties with repeated criminal activity (e.g., 3+ incidents in 60 days).
2. The Abatement Process
While specific steps vary by city (e.g., Tacoma vs. Spokane), the standard legal progression follows this path:
* Complaint & Investigation: A neighbor or official reports a violation. Code enforcement officers or police inspect the property to confirm the nuisance.
* Notice and Demand: The owner is sent a formal "Notice to Abate." This letter identifies the problem and gives a deadline (often 15–30 days) to fix it.
* Voluntary Compliance: Most jurisdictions prefer a "Voluntary Compliance Agreement" where the owner agrees to a timeline to clean up the property.
* Hearing & Order: If the owner fails to act, the city/county may hold a hearing (often before a Hearing Examiner). If the city wins, they obtain a Warrant of Abatement.
* Physical Abatement: If the owner still refuses, the city/county can legally enter the property, remove the junk, board up the building, or even demolish it.
3. Costs and Liens
Abatement is not free. Washington law (RCW 35A.21.405) allows local governments to recover their costs:
* Special Assessments: The city can charge the property owner for the cost of the cleanup, labor, and legal fees.
* Tax Liens: If the owner doesn't pay, the cost becomes a lien against the property. This lien is often "equal rank" with municipal taxes, meaning it must be paid before the property can be sold or refinanced.
4. Private Rights to Abate
Under RCW 7.48.230, a private person can "abate" a public nuisance if it is "specially injurious" to them. However, this is legally risky; you must do so "without committing a breach of the peace" and without doing "unnecessary injury." Most legal experts advise filing a civil lawsuit for an injunction rather than taking physical action yourself.
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In Washington State, the death of a homeowner does not stop a nuisance abatement action. Because a nuisance is legally tied to the property itself (an "in rem" action) rather than just the person, the city or county can continue the process even if the owner is deceased.
Here is how the law handles a deceased owner in a nuisance case:
1. Successive Liability (RCW 7.48.170)
Under Washington law, the responsibility to fix a nuisance "runs with the land." RCW 7.48.170 specifically states that every successive owner of a property who neglects to abate a continuing nuisance created by a former owner is liable in the same way as the person who first created it.
* The Estate: If the property is in probate, the Estate becomes the "owner." The city will serve notice to the Personal Representative (Executor) of the estate.
* The Heirs: If the property has already passed to heirs (even if the deed hasn't been officially updated yet), those heirs are now the responsible parties.
2. Notice Requirements
The city/county must still provide "Due Process." If the owner is dead, code enforcement will typically:
* Search for a Personal Representative or an administrator of the estate.
* Notify any identifiable mortgage holders (banks often step in to fix nuisances to protect their collateral).
* Post the notice physically on the property and publish it in local newspapers if heirs cannot be found.
3. The "Cost-Recovery" Lien
This is the most critical part for heirs or estates. If the city/county has to step in and clean up the property themselves:
* The Bill: They will send the bill to the estate.
* The Lien: If the estate doesn't pay, the city attaches a Super Lien to the property.
* Priority: Under RCW 35.21.955, up to $2,000 of that lien is of "equal rank" with state and county taxes. This means it often gets paid before other creditors or heirs get their share of the property's value when it is eventually sold.
4. Special Case: Abandoned/Blighted Property
If a property is vacant because the owner died and no heirs have stepped forward, the city/county can use RCW 35.80 (Unfit Dwellings). This allows them to declare the building "unfit for human habitation." They can then:
* Order it repaired or demolished.
* If no one responds, the city/county performs the demolition.
* The city/county then sells the land or the materials to recoup their costs.
Summary for your situation
If you are an heir or neighbor dealing with this:
* If you are an heir: You should contact the city/county immediately. It is much cheaper to clean the property yourself than to let the city/county do it and charge you their administrative rates, which are often significantly higher.
* If you are a neighbor: You can still report the property. The city/county will go through the "Notice to Abate" process by looking for the next of kin or the estate's legal representative.
The ownership limbo creates some issues. This part of your post stood out:
"If a property is vacant because the owner died and no heirs have stepped forward, the city/county can use RCW 35.80 (Unfit Dwellings). This allows them to declare the building "unfit for human habitation." They can then:
* Order it repaired or demolished.
* If no one responds, the city/county performs the demolition.
* The city/county then sells the land or the materials to recoup their costs."
If the occupants were "paid off" to vacate with a local fundraiser, could the county deem the property as "unfit" and take action even before the foreclosure process?
MK, seems Clallam County is in the dead zone of enforcing anything, anytime, or anywhere. Or it takes forever. Or so says some writer responses. Maybe more will add to this topic. It has peaked my curiosity.
Situations you described usually come down to two factors. Either no one has the knowledge/ability to core-up a nuisance abatement team, or there is too much work and not enough people to cover the need.
I agree. There are ways to solve the problem, but we voters need to remind our elected officials that they have responsibilities and accountability. Repeat terms of office are not guaranteed.
I drive by there everyday. Saw a young man getting arrested early one Sunday morning. Are these people related to the mess/dump that used to be on the corner of Old Olympic and Carlsborg?
They could be related to the same type of eyesore that is on Applegate off of W. Hendrickson. Same type of situation except the owner is still alive and allowing squatters to remain. Junk, trash, trailers and junked vehicles. And the county has done nothing!
I think we, who obey the law, should be able to ask for assistance in enforcing our existing laws. How can we trust our elected representatives if they overlook, and fail to enforce, our laws? For whom are our officials acting and protecting? We either have law or not.
Jake, you have very articulately laid out a problem with proposed manageable solutions that everyone can get behind. Thank you for being another voice of reason in an area drowning in indecisiveness. I will be there Tuesday cheering on everyone testifying on the RV Ordinance Hearing. You are 100% correct that we taxpayers pay the price for lawlessness, and it's unfair. We need someone like you as a County Commissioner to bring back that fairness to the taxpayers. I'm all in:
Thank you, Jake (and Jeff!), for keeping your finger on the pulse, and keeping the community informed and enlightened. Thank you 4PA for all of your hard work.
The county commissioners need to make clear whether they want Clallam County, and particularly Port Angeles and Sequim, to be successful and draw in tourists and healthy private businesses, or if they want to continue down the road like Portland, being a magnet for homeless, illegal aliens, and drug addicts.
I know the woman mentioned in the article and I see the crap show she lives next to. I have commented here before that I have the same situation. I have called so many times. One response I got from ordinance enforcement is, " take pictures, take pictures of the fires they burn so we can see what it is, then file a complaint and be prepared to go to court". What????? I have and I would , but they absolutely refuse to do anything. While I work my butt off to maintain my home and property and endure constant up fee's in taxes, the county will not do a thing. The lady who owns the place, says all the people staying there are "helpers". Police, sheriff and medical are there all the time. Swat stand off one night. It is a literal junk yard full of hazardous material and when they burn, it is TOXIC. No consideration for anyone. But like my dad used to say, If you don't have an investment is something, don't pay for it, don't work, why would you care? It is easy to tell me to "calm down" when county officials sit in their pretty little offices ordering me to pay more. I pay over 500 a MONTH in property tax. They took my agricultural exemption away on part of the acreage because I didn't sell hay. Can't sell hay while I fight the neighbor's increasingly aggressive field daisy's. Ridiculous. No consideration given for that either. So I pay to fix my field AND the neighbors, AND the road. I don't make the kind of money I need to continue to stay here much longer.
The homeless junkie tweaker addict camper problem in Sequim is pretty minor league compared to what the government turns a blind eye to in Port Angeles. I sympathize with those who want that HUD property that Jake mentions cleaned up but none of it is as bad as what our city council members perpetuate and encourage in PA.
Except the property owners next door have repeatedly complained to the County for years. And being a neighbor in the neighborhood, I have also complained as have many in this area and still nothing gets done!
Saying Sequim is "minor league" and doing nothing because it's not so bad now gives the homeless junkie tweaker addicts the idea they can do whatever they want, and they're right. The problems need to be stopped before they get worse or Sequim will soon look like PA.
The "chain gang" could clean up public properties and encampments that keep showing up. OUr area is becoming a cesspool of homelessness and open drug use with their discards. It seems like our commissioners do nothing to clean up our county.
I read somewhere the "chain gang" was "decommissioned" due to not enough county staff to supervise. It isn't like there aren't enough miscreants to work on these gangs given how many bookings the Clallam County jail keeps posting in FB.
True (at least, it was last year). Not enough correctional officers to supervise. Our county actually had to turn down a grant from the Dept. Of Ecology that would have paid for the clean up but we were too understaffed to take it.
I've always praised the the chain gang for cleaning up after some of our local citizens disrespect for the neighborhoods, they were the best bang for the buck in clallam county!!!
In looking at the poll numbers I find it very lopsided
Tribal fear mongering results. Why do we continue
to let them be the problem. I do not get why our energy is wasted on what WE can not change. Spend our energy and time on trying to elect Jake as a start and continue to support CCWD members
and direct our priorities to the positive endeavors ahead of us. The journey is just starting! First get
True, the JST Corporation is not the problem, it's the policies of our Commissioners that is the root cause, but that distinction might be tough to capture in a poll.
Because too many times our County Commissioners and City Council members have favored the Tribal Corps over their constituents. If fairness were applied in each decision, we would be a much more thriving community. I'm all in for Jake!
How, on any level, can anyone think, let alone allow, someone to build and occupy a "house camp" built underneath a bridge, suspended between the bridge girders? The second this was discovered it should have been flagged and immediately removed!
Could the encampments under bridges be causing deterioration of the land that is holding up those bridges? I would think the soil would be compromised with who knows what is going on in those encampments.
It is indeed the Individuals in management positions within the government that have been doing this perverted "interpretative dance" of their own laws, as there are great profits and power in "selective enforcement"~! I am sad to have to admit that you are correct and there will likely need to be a disaster like a fire or some sort of health emergency where people are injured and/or die, before these failed so-called "leaders" in government are forced to change their clearly sick and dangerous policies. We have noticed increasing numbers of troubled Individuals who have been gathering in and around the Port Angeles Country Aire store and going up & down the stairs on the hillside, so it is not surprising to learn of the growing "shanty town" construction there. We always have an ill-tempered guard dog in our vehicle, and we are always well equipped to defend ourselves, however we do not frequent the Country Aire store & vicinity because the first rule of self-defense is to NOT place yourself in potentially dangerous situations. These days, literally everywhere that we go in Port Angeles we see some Individuals who look as if they could become dangerous threats within the general population of good folks... We also fully understand that other than "The Clallam County Watchdog" and good folks "word of mouth" that there could easily be known extremely dangerous Individuals in our community and the police, and laughingly so-called "local media", would never say a word of warning about it~! This also is a VERY dangerous result of the failed "leaders" in government. Yes indeed, many times, over the years we here have commented on the fact that "we" (Americans) are all still living in "The Wild West" and pretty much anything goes with the kind of dangerously treasonous government that has existed ever since the old days of the historically termed "Wild West"~! Decades ago, there was some humor in such an observance, however nothing about it has been remotely funny for many years now... Humor first starts based upon a small modicum of truth, until it becomes all too true to be funny any longer~! It is not worth very much, but we would like to express our thanks to the good folks in the "4PA" group who make the effort to clean up our community in spite of the government that insists upon trashing it~! We don't buy the management of governments weak excuses of "compassion" because true compassion NEVER includes doing harm to the vast majority of folks in a community, so that the few deeply troubled are pampered and enabled to be dysfunctional~! That is very clearly an assault on our community and ALL within it in every conceivable way~! The first "trash" that we need to dispose of in Clallam County, is the very failed Individuals in government management positions, because they have violated their oaths and failed as our public servants~! Keep up the great work and we do hope that you and your commonsense reasoning can soon replace those who have so tragically failed in government leadership~!
My father was a PhD Historian Emiratis - distinguished University expert of The History of Western Civilization, so I have been studying world history all of my life. It was simply "self-defense" in my family ;-)) Ha! Anyway, I was born & raised during the terrible Viet Nam war. Having a powerful natural sense of Patriotism, by the time I was 8 years old I was already studying the ways that very young "privileged" boys had been "educated" throughout history by seriously accomplished mentors like Plato, Socrates, etc... This aberration that is called "the public educational system" is a sick joke, compared to the classical educational model that existed until a hundred years ago (give or take). So, I just studied the old masters and what they taught their youngest generations, because those were the pure & honorable lessons in REAL education for many thousands of years. I still have the standard embossed "government approved wallpaper', however I am also self-educated in the ancient classical ways. From the age of about 8 or 9 for 10 years my personal motivation was to have a US Military career, because in my Ignorant mind I was sick of that war in Viet Nam and believed that I could have helped to successfully end it. HA~! Well, "tricks are for kids", so as I got close to graduating high school as the platoon leader of our Marine Corps Jr. ROTC unit, I received the Congressional offer to be appointed to attend Annapolis (The US Naval Academy) that I had long worked for. The war in Viet Nam had already ended with no real (honest) explanation that was due the American public. As my father was actually engaged in The US Military Intelligence Service, I had by that time already realized that very corrupt politicians dominated America with less that honorable Intentions... I was already a dedicated American Constitutionalist but before I could even think about the offer, I rejected it because American Constitutionalists can't serve corrupt politicians, we ONLY serve America and Americans~! I know that my words could never be very well understood by folks, nor could my childhood or even my life experiences, however "my personal approach" is actually based upon a well-earned insight. Not Intelligence :) Having trained myself as a classic old-school "warrior" I am what could reasonably be called "hyper aware" of my surroundings, even without having to think much about it. For me it is simply second nature ;-) I only mention this because it is all the more complimentary to Jeff Tozzer, you, and all of the other great folks here on "The Watchdog" who make such great efforts to help and to improve our wonderful community~! If I can help in any way just let me know, otherwise I will continue to do my duty as best I can, hopefully without boring folks too much ;-) Have a great Sunday and get ready for a very interesting and historic year because much is headed our way that will surprise, shock, and ultimately, after the dust settles, please most Americans if things go well~! Oh, and it is my personal and professional "opinion" that things will turn out well, all in due time, as long as "we" (American Patriots) continue to do our most important duty~!
It is always good to hear from you! We can do a lot of good on our own as concerned folks, especially if we develop our own alternate organized systems (like 4PA, helping others who are struggling within our community, etc.), however you are 100% correct that we MUST FIRST purge the failed Individuals who are "squatting" entrenched in our government~! I just hope and pray that the folks of Clallam County soon come together to "eject" these failed government "leaders" ASAP. because we need to stop their destructive and dangerous shenanigans before they create an even bigger mess and get more folks injured & killed. At this point it is not important if these failed "leaders" are stupid, criminally insane, or committing treason Intentionally to do as much harm as possible. Removing them peacefully and lawfully should be out first and most preferred goal. I am haunted by the fact that we may not even yet realize what these failed public servants have REALLY planned and/or are capable of doing in the future, so I really don't know if we have any time to screw around trying to get them to do the right things to put our community on track for success. It is abundantly clear that they have no honorable intentions and they absolutely refuse to honor the will and wellbeing of the vast majority of folks here. Nothing good can come from that~! Anyway, my friend, second only to taking the garbage out of our government, we absolutely must learn how to identify these sick people who seek positions of power, or we will have a never-ending battle with the revolving door of scumbags that make their profitable mockery of our community and by extension our country~! As an American Constitutionalist I can't tell folks how to vote, however I believe that there are great folks like Jake Seegers, Mimi Marolee Smith, and others who have already demonstrated that they are likely to do a FAR better job in government management positions~! You have also shown great care and a willingness to work for a better community here! We just need to learn "enemy identification" skills, and NOT to listen to those who only say what they think everyone wants to hear, so they can inflict harm on folks~!
Patriot Michael, don’t know if you saw the hundreds of people out on the street, sign waving and protesting ICE and other things this last go around (last weekend?) or not? If not the Indivisible people are very active and plentiful…..I hear what everyone is saying, I see what everyone does so what is your take when this is what reality is? I agree with so much of what you comment about, also what Jake does too but there are hundreds who obviously do not.
You always contribute good things to The Watchdog!
I do hope that you are enjoying a beautiful mild Winter Day ;-)
Yes, I am aware that there were some sadly uninformed people who attended a "little organized fuss" recently. Ha~! I do wonder if there really were "hundreds" of people demonstrating their disfavor (actually really Ignorance but I feel generous today :) but let us put that into the common-sense perspective. The fact is that just in Clallam County alone, the last census found that there was about 80,000 people living here. Remember that is JUST Clallam County alone. So, let us look deeper into the truth... It has been disclosed for many years now that the criminals of humanity like George Soros and numerous others, including quite a few NGO's, that have been committing crimes and undermining America with their constant underhanded attacks upon America and Americans, have actually been paying quite a bit of money for a large number of "protestors and rioters" to attend these little orchestrated fusses. So, there are some VERY interesting questions about the motivations of these Looney Tunes characters. That said, just for the sake of argument, let us say that they are all really "unhappy campers". Hundreds??? Ha Ha Ha Ha! Ya, but tens of thousands here in Clallam County had better things to do with their time, than to bitch & moan about things that the small handful is obviously clueless about. I have seen these "types" numerous times and do they appear to be levelheaded Americans to you? or brainwashed fools who live & die by what the "fake news" media tells them to believe? Personally, I am an expert at profiling Individuals, and these "types" are FAR from capable of posing any threat to the vast majority of Americans, who by the way did actually vote for President Trump THREE times in a row. More truth is coming on that, but my typically conservative/analysis = numbers prove that President Trump had 70%+ of the vote in 2016, 75+ in 2020, and at least 75% of the vote in 2024. The REAL established experts who have been monitoring all national elections since 9/11 for national security concerns, have been revealing that their accounting of these same three elections proves an even greater win by President Trump, so since the US Military is THE absolute expert in this field, especially due to the fact that they have tracked the hidden watermarks that were ONLY on legitimate ballots, it would be likely that they are correct and President Trump won by an even greater margin... Are you sure that a few hundred loud mouthed obnoxious ill-informed complainers' matter? HA~! Not to me my friend. In fact, these grotesquely Ignorant people are definitely about to receive THE colossal "bitch slap" of their miserable pitiful lives, when they finally realize that they have been wrong all of their lives, played a HUGE role in destroying America, and in fact got many millions of Americans permanently injured and slaughtered because of their insane political madness... To my horror as a little child, I remember watching "The Permissive Society" being rolled out by the criminals of humanity and their insane lunatic socialists in the late 60's and early 70's, and how fast quite a few little spoiled brats became SO nasty in school and on the playground because their parents were letting them run amuck~! Ha! Now, these same little spoiled brats have continued to be worthless spoiled brats, and they are in their late 60's and younger~! Yes, my friend, I know exactly what "we" are all looking at when these uneducated retards are screaming about their phony "democracy" because America has NEVER been a democracy, we are a Republic and with a Republic everyone has Individual responsibilities.... The world is changing and these spoiled brats are no longer wanted or tolerated, so prepared for them to continue to devolve into extremely irresponsible childish fools as they will NEVER get their own way again! Often times "tuff love" means that some folks no longer get their own way or special treatment that no one else gets, and it is about time that these idiots grow up and learn about the country that they have been living in. The first thing that they need to learn, is the definitions of Individual freedom, Individual rights, and "shall NOT be infringed"~! Ha Ha Ha! Have a great day and just enjoy watching America correct its path, in large part because of the good efforts of good folks like you, and the crybabies will need to learn the lessons that they were never taught~!
Mike same to you, it is one of those days we are all here for so I hope you are enjoying. I’m with you man. All of this has been the fight of my life, ‘A Republic if you can keep it’. Life before Obama the take over was subtle over the 20 years or so prior to him. It is as though so much damage has been done the pendulum swinged so far left, never so much ever before in history. This is the result and for us to swing back to center the pendulum will have to swing far to the right. If it will ever go back to center is hard to say? Our lives have been probably the best in history, we really don’t know despair like our ancestors went through. I do know back then our nation, our whole nation pulled together, least the Civil War which is how division of a nation can be. People who are co dependents can’t see the light, abused stay with abusers, wrong is right, right is wrong. Yes our country is strong with Patriots across our nation. The problem children are mostly concentrated in the few coastal states & the most beautiful states but their cancer spreads and we are a country on life support. I’m only one vote so I have to give this all to God to show our nation the way.
This has indeed been an extremely difficult time in the young history of our American Republic~! It never should have been this way, but "we" (American Patriots) have been betrayed by a great many Individuals in and outside of government for a great many decades. The real & true history of America is absolutely horrific, but that said, it has always been the great Patriotic American folks who have built this country in spite of the evil greedy scumbags that have done SO much harm. The military style signaling that I have been monitoring for about 6 years now has constantly stated that America (and the world) will be allowed to come to the very edge of disaster, so that most will wake up enough to want to do the right things for a positive change in our direction~! GEEEEZE~! I never liked "The Plan" but I have to admit that it may be the only way to get through the thick heads of those who refuse to see the extreme dangers that we all face now. This makes life Hell on earth the more that an Individual is already "awake" and already knows about the serious nature of things. You probably know folks who are absolutely Ignorant about our reality, for one reason or another, who need to see a disaster before they will accept the fact that THEY need to wake up~! So, keep the faith my friend, because one way or another, we shall all get through this together and with God's help we shall build the better country and world that we should have had. Things will likely get pretty ugly, but for what it is worth I am confident that "we" (America) has already won most of this oldest of wars against humanity, and what we are seeing unfold now is mostly for the Ignorant masses and "useful idiots" to shock them into waking up~! Of course, that does not mean that we don't need to stay safe, out of harm's way, and well stocked up just in case there is a supply chain problem. The GREAT news really is that from what I have been able to piece together, very few today could possibly imagine how AMAZING the future will be once the dust settles~!!! No kidding~!!! In fact, if I could get through the thick heads of the "useful idiots" to explain what THEY are preventing from happening, I am sure that they would quit being such morons because the great country that is in the "waiting room" to be born is well beyond anything experienced in the historic record... The future won't be for everyone, and many will not make it because of the shock factor involved in this epic process, but "we" are doing our best to save as many people as possible... Be of Goodley cheer and keep the faith~!
Sincerely, Mike
P.S. The quickest, easiest, and best proof that absolutely great times are ahead and that things are FAR better than most know, is the fact that the long-suppressed Gold & Silver prices that have been very intentionally controlled by the REAL criminals of humanity have very clearly been terminated~! The criminals of humanity are in fact being destroyed by President Trump and the white hats (and us ;-) and the proof for all to see is in the current prices of Gold and Silver~!!! HA~! NO WAY would the real criminals of humanity allow the prices of Gold & Silver to reach these heights, unless they had lost their death grip control~! Not a chance~!
The HRHC is just down the alley from Country Aire open Tues and Fri. Camps on the bluff between Oak ad Cherry streets are a repeat issue. Underneath the zig-zag ramp 2nd angle from top is a common fentanyl smoking spot. 4PA frequently cleans up underneaththe zig-zag but the area is too hazardous for casual volunteers on that slope. Code complaints and letters to city council about camps and drug activity in that area of the bluff and the zig-zag mostly go ignored. Lights on ramp were vandalized so they left up damaged ones and installed ugly industrial street lights. It's sad how little the city cares for the area and county helps destroy it via the HRHC then the drug activity moves up to 3rd st health dept to crash for the weekend.
Yes, I am sure that you understand the "neighborhood migration" of the drug addicted there near the Country Aire market. Most average folks don't really pay much attention to their environment and therefore they have no clue what is really going on right in plain sight, especially if they don't think that it affects them. Most of these poor folks are just trying to get along well enough to survive day by day, at least until they become literally entirely incapable of helping themselves. For years now I have been monitoring the horrible spread of seriously hard drug addicted folks who are slowly killing themselves with the most dangerous kinds of drugs all across the US and it is VERY difficult to watch. I know that once upon a time, all of these drug addicted folks were small children who had dreams and hopes of a good life, but I really don't see much hope for them unless and until they decide that they want to work on making positive changes. I can see that most here on The Watchdog want to see these folks get help, but they can see that the government is doing just about the worst things to really help those who need it the most. I am concerned that if things continue to get worse, that some frustrated people in the community will take matters into their own hands and that is when atrocities happen. Unfortunately, the government is best equipped to help everyone concerned, but the city and county managers are dead set on making things worse. I really don't know how these failed servants of the general public live with themselves... Usually when these kinds of government failures happen, it is purposeful so that very corrupt and evil people can make more & more money by growing more & more dysfunctional government that has no real motivation to fix problems... There are times I wish I could get through to these drug addicted folks somehow, but many decades of trying to help others has not been very productive for me in these kinds of cases. It is nearly impossible to help anyone who does not want to change... Stay safe and try not to let all of the negative things to get you down, because there really is a great future on the horizon for those who can survive these difficult days~!
The commissioners did not answer yesterday's question. Here is today's email:
Dear Commissioners,
There’s a growing perception that some residents are labeled "whiners and complainers," while favored groups get access, influence, and exceptions when it comes to enforcement and decision-making. What criteria do you use to decide who gets listened to, who gets investigated, who gets fined and enforced upon, and who gets cut loose—and how can the public be confident those decisions are fair?
Below is a criteria-based “good governance” reply a Clallam County commissioner could give—grounded in Washington constitutional due process and equal-treatment standards, and the County’s published enforcement pathways.
Dear Constituent,
The concern raised here is legitimate, and the comment thread reflects that clearly. When residents believe enforcement depends on who you are, who you know, or whether a case is deemed “worth the trouble,” trust in local government breaks down.
It is also true that county enforcement operates within real constraints. Probate law, HUD foreclosure timelines, constitutional due-process requirements, staffing, and liability all affect what actions can be taken, when, and how. Ignoring those constraints does not lead to better outcomes.
But complexity does not excuse silence or inconsistency.
As an individual commissioner, I do not decide enforcement outcomes in specific cases. That authority rests with staff acting under adopted law. However, the Board is responsible for ensuring that the system itself is fair, transparent, and understandable—especially when legal or practical limits exist.
No resident should be dismissed as a “whiner or complainer,” and no group should receive access or exceptions based on influence. In the United States and Washington State, government action must be impartial, non-arbitrary, grounded in objective standards, and subject to review (U.S. Const. amend. XIV; Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 1886). Washington law further requires county actions to follow due process and the consistent application of adopted authority (RCW 34.05; RCW 36.32.120).
What fair enforcement should look like
1. Who gets listened to: Everyone. Public comment, written testimony, and formal complaints all carry equal standing. Persistence or criticism is not disqualifying; repeated complaints often signal unresolved system problems.
2. Who gets investigated: Investigations should be triggered by documented complaints, observed conditions, and adopted code thresholds—not relationships or politics. Where legal constraints delay action, those constraints should be explained clearly and consistently.
3. Who gets enforced upon: Enforcement must follow adopted law and due process—notice, opportunity to comply, and clear escalation pathways—so enforcement is code-based, not person-based (Clallam County Code § 19.60).
4. Public-health nuisances: When conditions involve sanitation, rodents, hazardous waste, or fire risk, the County has a separate duty to act through its public-health authorities. Ownership complications may affect the method of enforcement, but they do not eliminate all tools (RCW 7.48.120; RCW 70.05.060).
What residents are reacting to is not simply outcomes—it is opacity. Departments pointing to one another, residents being told “no one has authority,” warnings about retaliation for filing complaints, and silence from leadership create a vacuum. In that vacuum, frustration grows.
Public confidence does not come from reassurance. It comes from visibility. The County should be able to show written enforcement criteria, complaint tracking and response timelines, and documented reasons when similar cases receive different treatment.
When constraints are real and explained openly, outrage diminishes. When authority exists and is applied consistently, trust returns.
That transparency is the standard the public is entitled to expect.
Sincerely,
Commissioner
Clallam County Board of Commissioners
References
Camara v. Municipal Court of City and County of San Francisco, 387 U.S. 523 (1967).
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/387/523
Clallam County Code § 19.60. Junk vehicle public nuisance.
https://clallam.county.codes/CCC/19.60
Clallam County. (n.d.). Board of Health.
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/677/Board-of-Health
Revised Code of Washington § 7.48.120. Nuisance defined.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=7.48.120
Revised Code of Washington § 34.05. Administrative Procedure Act.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=34.05
Revised Code of Washington § 36.32.120. Powers and duties of county legislative authorities.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.32.120
Revised Code of Washington § 70.05.060. Local health officer—Powers and duties.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=70.05.060
U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv
Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356 (1886).
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/118/356
Dear Commissioner,
Thank you for explaining the legal framework and limits around enforcement. I understand that due process, ownership issues, and staffing constraints are real.
But as a constituent, that explanation still leaves a gap.
What I—and many others—are reacting to is not just outcomes, but the lack of visible action and accountability. We’re told different things by different departments, sometimes warned against filing complaints, and often left with the impression that enforcement depends on who is involved rather than what the rules say.
So my question is this: what are you going to do, as my elected representative, to fix the system-level problems you’ve just described? How will you ensure clarity, coordination, and fair treatment going forward—especially for residents who do follow the rules and keep speaking up?
I’m not asking you to bypass the law. I’m asking what steps you will take to make sure it is applied consistently and transparently.
Sincerely,
Constituent
Clallam County Resident
Dear Constituent,
You’re right to ask not just what the rules are, but what your elected representative will actually do about the failures you’re seeing.
As an individual commissioner, I cannot direct staff in a specific enforcement case or bypass due process. But I can—and will—act on governance, oversight, and transparency, which is where many of these breakdowns are occurring.
Here is what I will do:
• Demand clarity in writing. I will request that the County clearly publish which enforcement tools exist today, what triggers them, and what legal constraints apply—so residents are not told “no one has authority” without explanation.
• Push for coordination, not finger-pointing. When nuisances affect health or safety, I will press for documented coordination between Code Enforcement, Environmental Health, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County Attorney. The public should not have to guess which department is responsible.
• Seek transparency on complaints and responses. I will request aggregated reporting on complaints received, response times, enforcement actions taken, and reasons cases stall—so that similar cases are treated consistently.
• Protect residents who speak up. I will seek clear, on-the-record assurance that residents who file good-faith complaints are not subject to retaliation. If that assurance cannot be given plainly, that is a governance problem that must be addressed.
• Use public meetings to force clarity. When these issues are raised, I will ask direct questions in open session: What authority exists? What does not? Why? What is the next lawful step—and when will it be reassessed?
If the law truly prevents action in a given moment, I will say so honestly—and explain what would need to change to prevent the same outcome next time. Silence and deflection only deepen mistrust.
You are entitled to equal treatment, due process, and visible accountability. My responsibility is to make sure the system delivers that—or to say openly when it does not and why.
That is what representation requires.
— Commissioner, Clallam County
Knock knock, who’s there? Clallam County: we just wanted to make sure you have utilized all the county services .”Say”. I love what you’ve done with the sidewalk and alley.” Hope you’ll be real comfortable.
“No, you’re fine. Let the owners walk around you!””You know you could snake a hose over here from that lot and get water without all the lifting.”
Don’t forget to vote!
Susan, that actually happened in Dungeness Meadows. The neighbor snaked his hose to the next lot (he had quit paying his water bill for years and the HOA who had private water rights let it go because Covid etc didn't allow them to cut off his water) but when they did he secretly snaked a hose) to the neighbors system. The neighbors didn't discovered the water stealing for a year or so. Anyways, it got ugly.
You think a neighbor stealing from neighbor is unusual, wait when the Tribes take over water rights! It's exactly what JST is going for, AND our Clallam County representatives agree with it. I'm as serious as a heart attack about keeping water management out of the hands of JST!
Geez, it’s hard to make humor original in this county bc it’s already a living wreck with three jokers for leaders!
Well thanks for the heads up. I guess county wants to take Portlands title as being weirdest. Wont be much of a push.
The water problem in Sequim is a mystery to me. Developers are told we have water through the year 2040. But we all hear no water, Cascadia trying to raise it 75 percent with no up grades or maintenance needed.
Cascadia is fully owned by NW Natural Gas. I read the annual report last year to see if they could justify such a leap. UTC in Olympia stopped them. They will be back!
Wow, I said this on the very site a year ago. He who owns the water has all the rights. People need to watch the old west country shows. Caused much grief as us white assholes moved west . Well not us as living today but a general us.
Many natives fought other natives over resources and put their enemies in slavery roles. See it wasn’t just whitey from the south.
Yes we had a bold neighbor help himself to our outdoor faucets for the RV.
Then tell my daughter we said he could .
A conversation I am certain I would recall.
Good morning Jeff and Jake,
Great work on the article. I'm pretty sure another reason for letting this garbage go on and on is the legal cost of an over burdened indigent representation budget already used up. I'll never understand how the commissioners refuse to tie together the effects of their harm reduction to the over population of the homeless in our county or even the lack of the one question they should be concerned with "where did you come from". It can be fixed but they must do away with Sanctuary status and Harm reduction, they refuse because that's the cash cow for Jamestown Sklallam Tribe Corporation. Mark will never burn that bridge!
Imagine a neighbor that puts their profit margin over the good of the community that surrounds them. It's sickening what we have allowed and the answers are ahead.
Thank you Jake and Jeff!
Thanks, Glen. "It can be fixed." I agree, and we're going to fit it.
I can speak from recent experience. I have been stuck cleaning up cars and garbage that you show. I’ve spent thousands cleaning up my late husband’s drug addict kids junk cars, garbage that he hid on our property and yes code enforcement has been to my home and stated fines will happen if not taken care of. It has taken me about a year to get things back to the way they were. Same thing happen d when we let him live in our rental. He destroyed it so badly that we almost just torched it.
These public officials throw their weight around on us tax payers that it’s so frustrating
How about being told by code enforcement when you find out a neighbor built part of a garage unpermitted, septic system and woodshed on your timber property and you go in and ask questions. How can they approve a septic system without any one looking at property lines. I had our property surveyed and found this all out. County said if I file a complaint that code enforcement will file a compliant against me and I’d have to go to court against them. Is this fair to us tax payers, NO! These people need to go
Chris, thank you for sharing your experience. I had a similar situation with a neighbor. Their hand-drawn permit application clearly showed the location of existing survey markers, yet significant encroachments were still approved. In some cases, structures ended up roughly 35 feet from where they were represented on the permit because of a boundary buffer.
Given the mapping tools now available — such as Landslide and onX — it seems reasonable that a basic boundary verification should be required before final approval. A simple check could prevent these kinds of disputes and protect both property owners and the county from costly conflicts later on.
BEWARE OF ADVERSE POSSESSION (or “Squatter Rights) on private property. It almost happened to me! I never heard of such a thing. I only escaped an Adverse Possession claim of a big chunk of my property because of the small print in our HOA forbade it. Thank God I had legal standing and got a survey (extremely expensive process) and was able to use my right of "ejectment". The time limit starts when the unauthorised possessor encroaches on land. This could be way before you buy the property, and you've lost that property (that the seller tells you is theirs) even before the sale. Can't eject them just because you are a new owner. Buyer beware.
In general, a property owner has the right to recover possession of their property from unauthorised possessors through legal action such as ejectment. However, many legal systems courts recognize that once someone has occupied property without permission for a significant period of time (Wa is 10 years) without the property owner exercising their right to recover their property, not only is the original owner prevented from exercising their right to eject, but a new title to the property "springs up" in the adverse possessor. In effect, the adverse possessor becomes the property's new owner.
It's my understanding that fortunately nuisance abatement cares not about squatters.
MK, What if the nuisance "squatters" are attracting rodents? It becomes a public health issue then.
WHOSE IN CHARGE OF OUR BOARD OF HEALTH? WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE?
Rodents, including squirrels, mice, and rats, may build their nests in cars, trucks, campers, and other vehicles. Rats and mice can be dangerous to public health. They can spread disease and damage property. Washington State Department of Health's Rodent website has information on rodent control at Rodent Control - Washington State Department of Health.
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/1401/Rodents
Clallam County BOARD OF HEALTH MEMBERS include MARK OZIAS, RANDY JOHNSON and MIKE FRENCH. https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/677/Board-of-Health
The PURPOSE of the Clallam County Board of Health is to supervise all matters pertaining to the preservation of the LIFE and HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE OF CLALLAM COUNTY AND TO COMPLY FULLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS of all applicable chapters of Title 70, Revised Code of Washington.
The Board of Health shall:
• Collect, analyze and disseminate to the community in a timely manner, through the Clallam County Health and Human Services Department, INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH CONDITIONS, risks and resources, and the availability of resources to address identified problems.
• Enact such rules, regulations and policies as are necessary to preserve, promote and improve the health and behavioral health status of Clallam County residents, and guide the ALLOCATION of appropriate and necessary public health RESOURCES.
• Assure that necessary, high quality, effective foundational public health services are available for the protection of the people of Clallam County, including THE CONROL AND PREVENTION OF ANY DANGEROUS, CONTAGIOUS OR INFECTIOUS DISEASE within the county.
• Provide for the prevention, control and ABATEMENT OF NUISANCES DETRIMENTAL TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
• Enforce, through the HEALTH OFFICER, the public health statutes of the state and county.
• Establish fee schedules for issuing and renewing licenses and permits, or for such other services, as are authorized by the law and rules of the State Board of Health.
• Assure that ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ADDRESS CLEAN WATER, septics, and clean air.
Clallam County health does not seem to care either. I have tried that too
*** AI ***
There are significant legal and code-related implications for failing to address a rodent infestation in Clallam County, though the specific rules change depending on whether you are an owner-occupant, a landlord, or a tenant.
1. Health and Nuisance Codes (All Residents)
Under Clallam County Code Title 41 (Board of Health) and Title 15 (Public Peace and Safety), a property condition that endangers public health is legally classified as a public nuisance.
* Enforcement: The County Health Officer has the authority to investigate conditions that may be a "nuisance detrimental to public health." This includes infestations that could spread disease or affect neighboring properties.
* Penalties: If a violation is found and ignored after a notice is issued, the county can assess administrative penalties. In Clallam County, these can range from $100 to $500 per day for each day the violation continues (CCC 41.20.270).
2. Landlord-Tenant Responsibilities
In Washington State (RCW 59.18), the law is very specific about who must pay for and manage pests:
* Landlord Duty: Landlords are required by law to provide a "reasonable program for the control of infestation" at the start of a tenancy and to maintain the property so it is fit for human habitation.
* The Single-Family Exception: In a single-family home, the landlord is generally responsible for pest control at the start of the lease, but the tenant may be responsible for ongoing control unless the infestation is caused by structural defects (like a hole in the roof or foundation).
* Multi-Unit Buildings: In apartments or duplexes, the landlord is almost always responsible for controlling rodents because pests can travel between units, making it hard to blame one specific tenant.
3. Reporting a Violation
If you are concerned about a property in your neighborhood or a rental home where the owner refuses to act:
* Clallam County Code Enforcement: You can report a suspected nuisance by calling (360) 565-2677. They typically start with an "educational" visit to the property owner before moving to fines.
* Environmental Health Services: For active health hazards, call (360) 417-2258.
What about the taxes?
You're a productive contributor, something Commissioner French would commend in one breath, but not support in another?
I always wonder in these situations, WHY it was left to get this way in the first place? This is exactly what my neighbor says, and yet it is still there and maybe worse than before her renter dies. He started this. The owner didn't address it, then let stray people in the "help" her clean. What a joke. (joke is on the neighbors and their investment.)
MK, did an AI search. It's a good read. I wonder if there are more readers out there with similar problems? Is it bigger than we think?
Today’s poll is tough for me to decide. Property owners and all citizens are obviously not the commissioners first priority. I find it hard to comprehend how they separate themselves from the reality of what they promote. They say they are hindered from doing what is right by state law and yet refuse to enforce vagrancy and drug laws they have. They don’t have a problem going after people who contribute positively to our community, piling more fees, more taxes, and more restrictions on property owners.
I agree. How can we fix a problem when our elected officials refuse to act on behalf of their constituents? Where is our representation?
Answered in my lengthy post.
I'm from a fourth-generation pioneer family here in Sequim. I grew up on my parents farm just down the road from this hot mess property you are reporting about.
I retired from the Kitsap County SO a few years ago and moved back to Sequim with my husband (also retired from LE). After the passing of my parents, we moved back to my childhood home. It's been a nightmare since dealing with not only the traffic issues, but actual criminal activity, coming from this property. I've completed three complaints with the CCSO to be told on one occasion by a sergeant (that I initiated the conversation with) "we are well aware of the criminal activity at that address and have been there multiple times." Very frustrating and absolutely leaves me feeling bewildered as to how law-abiding citizens are supposed to put up with this in their communities when they are left to defend it for themselves. I have confronted these individuals personally when their behavior was egregious in front of my home on more than one occasion. Is this the best approach? Absolutely not. This is where the problems start though... citizens who follow the law, work hard for what they have, pay their taxes for government programs, and get told there is nothing anyone can do to help you. If you're the one breaking the rules, squatting on property, living in a dump, driving recklessly at high speeds with vehicles that backfire like the neighborhood is under fire, and from what the sheriff's office has admitted, selling drugs from that property, apparently, they have a protection afforded to them I certainly don't have.
The Wild West is certainly a great article title but certainly could also be "The Twilight Zone." This is insanity from our elected officials because this starts from the top.
Sauni, I am very sorry to hear how deeply this property situation has affected you.
Given your background in law enforcement, and recognizing that HUD does not hold title until foreclosure is completed, I would value your perspective on what lawful actions CCSO or county code enforcement could take right now.
What enforcement tools, if any, could be used to address junk vehicles, unlawful RV occupancy, or other violations independent of property ownership? If the property were voluntarily vacated, would that create additional legal options for law enforcement or code enforcement to secure or remediate the site? Are there actions the surrounding community could take that would meaningfully strengthen enforcement or speed resolution?
The HUD issue and property ownership is a problem. However, county code enforcement 20.33, and county code 20.04.010 (2) could address this as a start. Also RCW 46.55.010 references "junk vehicles" the people residing on that property are violating this code, owners or not. A simple traffic stop from that property (a lot of these vehicles are not currently tabbed, and I have observed one without a plate even) could help start the process. It certainly doesn't appear the SO uses all its resources to address this residence or the driving violations coming from it. I will say, I know they have been to the property and have made arrests to then have these individuals return to it.
Also, you have 10 days to change your DL address in Washington state, 30 days on vehicle registration. Most people coming from this address, have been there well over these marks.
There is room to push back on these individuals if the SO is so inclined. I get they are busy, and traffic sometimes takes a backseat, however the number of complaints from this address should be a consideration.
I don't have to live directly next door to this, but I would sincerely hope we all can understand the frustration this would cause if they were your neighbor. They need help and should receive it. I'm personally tired of the finger pointing and lack of response, assistance, and downright respect for what's happening here.
Thank you for these ideas, Sauni!
With your experience in LE I would imagine that you are aware of how nuisance abatement works. Please work with the other person who has posted here, also apparently a neighbor, and speak up at the BOCCC meetings. You don't have to attend in-person, you can dial in remotely, write letters, etc.
The issue is each department has been pointing to the other, as to who has authority here. Then it's been stated, no one has authority because of HUD. Yes, I do agree this needs to go in front of the BOCCC, however with what I see from them I'm not encouraged.
IF AI is correct:
Properties owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can be subject to nuisance abatement in Washington state, though federal ownership often requires local governments to coordinate with HUD rather than pursuing traditional summary abatement or liens.
-Authority and Process
*Local and State Laws: Washington state law (RCW 7.48.120) defines a nuisance as any act or omission that endangers public health, safety, or comfort. Cities and counties have the authority to abate such nuisances on property within their limits.
*Building Codes: The International Building Code, adopted by Washington, allows local authorities to regulate and abate dangerous or unsafe buildings.
*HUD Interaction: While HUD properties must generally comply with local health and safety standards, the federal government may have certain immunities from local liens or specific fines. Typically, local code enforcement must notify HUD or its designated management and marketing (M&M) contractor of the violation and request voluntary abatement.
-Specific Abatement Actions. In Washington, nuisance abatement can involve:
*Corrective Orders: Requiring the owner (including a federal agency) to repair, vacate, or demolish structures deemed unfit for habitation.
*Court Warrants: Only superior courts in Washington have the authority to issue warrants for the physical abatement (removal or destruction) of a nuisance.
*Chronic Nuisance Ordinances: If a property has repeated criminal activity (e.g., drug dealing, prostitution), local police can declare it a "chronic nuisance," which requires the owner to work with the city to eliminate the issues.
-Challenges with HUD Properties
*Lien Priorities: While cities can normally levy special assessments for abatement costs that become a lien on the property (RCW 35A.21.405), enforcing these against a federal entity like HUD can be complex due to federal law governing property taxes and liens.
*Notification: Local governments are required to provide notice to the property owner before taking abatement action. For HUD-owned homes, this notice must be directed to the correct HUD regional office or authorized contractor.
I think the mechanics of how a lien is filed are pretty straight forward. It is what happens to it going forward. I have not come across one county dept that didn’t hand me off to someone else. How does that work?
Maybe some run smooth as silk, but you know the excuses start with Covid, staff attrition, funding, etc . Covid is a favorite going into the sixth year. Excuses should come with pull dates.
I have never seen so much finger pointing as I did with my report of a dump lot.
The Sheriff’s Department is in charge of code enforcement. Which I bet is far down on the list.
Hey guys. While you are arresting druggies, snap a few photos and drop them at code enforcement aka; Sheriff Kings Desk.
Sadly, the "left coast" of WA state -- and the government of Clallam County -- are as blue as can be, which of course means "out of sight, out of mind" when it comes to the problems caused by those "poor, downtrodden vagrants" that are never held responsible for their actions, regardless of how detrimental they are to the vast majority of residents. Some areas of the state, notably the cities of Aberdeen, Auburn, Lakewood, Kennewick, Richland, and Spokane have recently begun to see the light, and have passed new laws and/or are beginning stricter enforcement to criminalize homelessness. Of course, other areas -- hello, King County -- complain that federal funding cuts make such actions difficult if not impossible. Clallam County is no different. Unless and until public pressure on county officials becomes so heavy to make changes, county commissioners will do nada. Aren't you tired of officials throwing up their hands and whining, "There's nothing I can do?"
Jake, I salute you for your continued exposure of this very serious issue. I also wonder when, a group like 4PA that does so much good in the community as a volunteer organization, should not receive some of that phony-baloney money grifted to the various NGOs that have, so far, solved nothing?
Thanks, Robert. My understanding is that 4PA intentionally relies on private funding so it can operate with flexibility and independence from government bureaucracy. That model is exactly what effective community problem-solving looks like.
4PA is an exemplary example of what citizens can accomplish when they take responsibility for their community — and it is the kind of effort local government should encourage and support, not exploit.
The best way the City and County could partner with 4PA would be to do their own job: adopt stronger trespass ordinances, enforce them consistently, and maintain public lands so cleanups are not constantly required in the same locations.
4PA should be a partner — not the City and County’s free sanitation service.
Clean it up. Keep it clean. These are OUR rivers and forests.
Jake agree on all fronts! If we could reduce the size of government back to where it only fulfilled core necessities and not all these “niceties”, and society once again allowed groups like 4PA and churches, etc., to replace the NGO grift, taxes could be lowered and working folks could lift their own bootstraps up. One can only hope …
Well said
Jake, do you know if fines have been collected on property that 4PA cleans? I’m asking bc it would only seem fair for the county to reimburse you. A lot by us was a dump lot. Owner sent in 14k to cover fines.
14k is the max they will charge, I find that is an insignificant number since it does nothing to improve the dump! Why should those fees/fines go to general fund? Or do they? Audit please. I need cleaning supplies. If the commissioners continue to make me puke, shouldn’t they shoulder some of sanitation duties!
Puking on Sunday🤮
Real nice, three little pigs!
The city and county do not seem eager to fine themselves…4PA cleans a lot of city and county property.
Kind of like the Gay Man in “Casablanca” … “I’ll gladly pay it .. to myself.” 😂
Excellent point !
I drive by that ridiculous eyesore in Sequim routinely (6992 Old Olympic Hwy, across from the Sky Ridge Golf Course) and it's interesting to get the backstory because I have noticed the changes going on over the last year or so. Of interesting note, the trailer that showed up dumped at the Sequim Prairie grange came from this property.
There's one tool that I would ask Sheriff King about, and that is using nuisance abatement to shut that operation down. It requires more than just the Sheriff's office so all critical departments, especially legal, need to be in sync. If the county learns that their nuisance abatement codes are deficient then they need to be amended.
*** AI ***
In Washington State, nuisance abatement is the legal process used to stop or remove a "nuisance"—defined broadly as any activity or condition that "annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others" (RCW 7.48.120).
The process can be initiated by local governments (cities or counties) or, in specific cases, by private individuals. Here is how the process generally works:
1. Types of Nuisances
* Public Nuisance: Affects an entire community or neighborhood (e.g., a "crack house," illegal dumping, or a dilapidated building).
* Private Nuisance: Specifically harms an individual's use or enjoyment of their own land (e.g., a neighbor’s intrusive noise or light).
* Chronic Nuisance: Many cities (like Seattle) have "Chronic Nuisance" ordinances for properties with repeated criminal activity (e.g., 3+ incidents in 60 days).
2. The Abatement Process
While specific steps vary by city (e.g., Tacoma vs. Spokane), the standard legal progression follows this path:
* Complaint & Investigation: A neighbor or official reports a violation. Code enforcement officers or police inspect the property to confirm the nuisance.
* Notice and Demand: The owner is sent a formal "Notice to Abate." This letter identifies the problem and gives a deadline (often 15–30 days) to fix it.
* Voluntary Compliance: Most jurisdictions prefer a "Voluntary Compliance Agreement" where the owner agrees to a timeline to clean up the property.
* Hearing & Order: If the owner fails to act, the city/county may hold a hearing (often before a Hearing Examiner). If the city wins, they obtain a Warrant of Abatement.
* Physical Abatement: If the owner still refuses, the city/county can legally enter the property, remove the junk, board up the building, or even demolish it.
3. Costs and Liens
Abatement is not free. Washington law (RCW 35A.21.405) allows local governments to recover their costs:
* Special Assessments: The city can charge the property owner for the cost of the cleanup, labor, and legal fees.
* Tax Liens: If the owner doesn't pay, the cost becomes a lien against the property. This lien is often "equal rank" with municipal taxes, meaning it must be paid before the property can be sold or refinanced.
4. Private Rights to Abate
Under RCW 7.48.230, a private person can "abate" a public nuisance if it is "specially injurious" to them. However, this is legally risky; you must do so "without committing a breach of the peace" and without doing "unnecessary injury." Most legal experts advise filing a civil lawsuit for an injunction rather than taking physical action yourself.
.
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In Washington State, the death of a homeowner does not stop a nuisance abatement action. Because a nuisance is legally tied to the property itself (an "in rem" action) rather than just the person, the city or county can continue the process even if the owner is deceased.
Here is how the law handles a deceased owner in a nuisance case:
1. Successive Liability (RCW 7.48.170)
Under Washington law, the responsibility to fix a nuisance "runs with the land." RCW 7.48.170 specifically states that every successive owner of a property who neglects to abate a continuing nuisance created by a former owner is liable in the same way as the person who first created it.
* The Estate: If the property is in probate, the Estate becomes the "owner." The city will serve notice to the Personal Representative (Executor) of the estate.
* The Heirs: If the property has already passed to heirs (even if the deed hasn't been officially updated yet), those heirs are now the responsible parties.
2. Notice Requirements
The city/county must still provide "Due Process." If the owner is dead, code enforcement will typically:
* Search for a Personal Representative or an administrator of the estate.
* Notify any identifiable mortgage holders (banks often step in to fix nuisances to protect their collateral).
* Post the notice physically on the property and publish it in local newspapers if heirs cannot be found.
3. The "Cost-Recovery" Lien
This is the most critical part for heirs or estates. If the city/county has to step in and clean up the property themselves:
* The Bill: They will send the bill to the estate.
* The Lien: If the estate doesn't pay, the city attaches a Super Lien to the property.
* Priority: Under RCW 35.21.955, up to $2,000 of that lien is of "equal rank" with state and county taxes. This means it often gets paid before other creditors or heirs get their share of the property's value when it is eventually sold.
4. Special Case: Abandoned/Blighted Property
If a property is vacant because the owner died and no heirs have stepped forward, the city/county can use RCW 35.80 (Unfit Dwellings). This allows them to declare the building "unfit for human habitation." They can then:
* Order it repaired or demolished.
* If no one responds, the city/county performs the demolition.
* The city/county then sells the land or the materials to recoup their costs.
Summary for your situation
If you are an heir or neighbor dealing with this:
* If you are an heir: You should contact the city/county immediately. It is much cheaper to clean the property yourself than to let the city/county do it and charge you their administrative rates, which are often significantly higher.
* If you are a neighbor: You can still report the property. The city/county will go through the "Notice to Abate" process by looking for the next of kin or the estate's legal representative.
Thanks, MK.
The ownership limbo creates some issues. This part of your post stood out:
"If a property is vacant because the owner died and no heirs have stepped forward, the city/county can use RCW 35.80 (Unfit Dwellings). This allows them to declare the building "unfit for human habitation." They can then:
* Order it repaired or demolished.
* If no one responds, the city/county performs the demolition.
* The city/county then sells the land or the materials to recoup their costs."
If the occupants were "paid off" to vacate with a local fundraiser, could the county deem the property as "unfit" and take action even before the foreclosure process?
I don't know the answer, but I understood nuisance abatement to essentially be able to operate no matter the status of an owner, or inhabitants.
MK, seems Clallam County is in the dead zone of enforcing anything, anytime, or anywhere. Or it takes forever. Or so says some writer responses. Maybe more will add to this topic. It has peaked my curiosity.
Situations you described usually come down to two factors. Either no one has the knowledge/ability to core-up a nuisance abatement team, or there is too much work and not enough people to cover the need.
That’s how it should be. Hoping to share our experience on Tuesday AM.
I agree. There are ways to solve the problem, but we voters need to remind our elected officials that they have responsibilities and accountability. Repeat terms of office are not guaranteed.
Repeat terms not guaranteed also not wanted. Step away from city hall, easy now.
Great information MK.
I drive by there everyday. Saw a young man getting arrested early one Sunday morning. Are these people related to the mess/dump that used to be on the corner of Old Olympic and Carlsborg?
They could be related to the same type of eyesore that is on Applegate off of W. Hendrickson. Same type of situation except the owner is still alive and allowing squatters to remain. Junk, trash, trailers and junked vehicles. And the county has done nothing!
Yes I think they are all
“MESS HEADS”.
There is a pun in there somewhere.
That I don't know.
I think we, who obey the law, should be able to ask for assistance in enforcing our existing laws. How can we trust our elected representatives if they overlook, and fail to enforce, our laws? For whom are our officials acting and protecting? We either have law or not.
Jake, you have very articulately laid out a problem with proposed manageable solutions that everyone can get behind. Thank you for being another voice of reason in an area drowning in indecisiveness. I will be there Tuesday cheering on everyone testifying on the RV Ordinance Hearing. You are 100% correct that we taxpayers pay the price for lawlessness, and it's unfair. We need someone like you as a County Commissioner to bring back that fairness to the taxpayers. I'm all in:
JAKE SEEGERS 2026!!
Looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday, Denise!
Thank you, Jake (and Jeff!), for keeping your finger on the pulse, and keeping the community informed and enlightened. Thank you 4PA for all of your hard work.
The county commissioners need to make clear whether they want Clallam County, and particularly Port Angeles and Sequim, to be successful and draw in tourists and healthy private businesses, or if they want to continue down the road like Portland, being a magnet for homeless, illegal aliens, and drug addicts.
It’s a deliberate choice.
Portland is a good warning parallel, Sally.
I know the woman mentioned in the article and I see the crap show she lives next to. I have commented here before that I have the same situation. I have called so many times. One response I got from ordinance enforcement is, " take pictures, take pictures of the fires they burn so we can see what it is, then file a complaint and be prepared to go to court". What????? I have and I would , but they absolutely refuse to do anything. While I work my butt off to maintain my home and property and endure constant up fee's in taxes, the county will not do a thing. The lady who owns the place, says all the people staying there are "helpers". Police, sheriff and medical are there all the time. Swat stand off one night. It is a literal junk yard full of hazardous material and when they burn, it is TOXIC. No consideration for anyone. But like my dad used to say, If you don't have an investment is something, don't pay for it, don't work, why would you care? It is easy to tell me to "calm down" when county officials sit in their pretty little offices ordering me to pay more. I pay over 500 a MONTH in property tax. They took my agricultural exemption away on part of the acreage because I didn't sell hay. Can't sell hay while I fight the neighbor's increasingly aggressive field daisy's. Ridiculous. No consideration given for that either. So I pay to fix my field AND the neighbors, AND the road. I don't make the kind of money I need to continue to stay here much longer.
The homeless junkie tweaker addict camper problem in Sequim is pretty minor league compared to what the government turns a blind eye to in Port Angeles. I sympathize with those who want that HUD property that Jake mentions cleaned up but none of it is as bad as what our city council members perpetuate and encourage in PA.
Except the property owners next door have repeatedly complained to the County for years. And being a neighbor in the neighborhood, I have also complained as have many in this area and still nothing gets done!
Yep! Agree... if our leadership lived close by, it would most likely be taken care of by now. There is always a way.
Just like nozis and the family neighbor gravel pit!
Well, all deserve attention and are an encroachment on the citizens who have to tolerate it.
Saying Sequim is "minor league" and doing nothing because it's not so bad now gives the homeless junkie tweaker addicts the idea they can do whatever they want, and they're right. The problems need to be stopped before they get worse or Sequim will soon look like PA.
The "chain gang" could clean up public properties and encampments that keep showing up. OUr area is becoming a cesspool of homelessness and open drug use with their discards. It seems like our commissioners do nothing to clean up our county.
Love this idea, Karen. Let's bring back the "chain gang". I'm pretty sure the Sheriff's office and Jail would back it.
I read somewhere the "chain gang" was "decommissioned" due to not enough county staff to supervise. It isn't like there aren't enough miscreants to work on these gangs given how many bookings the Clallam County jail keeps posting in FB.
True (at least, it was last year). Not enough correctional officers to supervise. Our county actually had to turn down a grant from the Dept. Of Ecology that would have paid for the clean up but we were too understaffed to take it.
Oh, no. That's possibly a community volunteer function if spun differently.
I've always praised the the chain gang for cleaning up after some of our local citizens disrespect for the neighborhoods, they were the best bang for the buck in clallam county!!!
Thank you Jake and Jeff!
In looking at the poll numbers I find it very lopsided
Tribal fear mongering results. Why do we continue
to let them be the problem. I do not get why our energy is wasted on what WE can not change. Spend our energy and time on trying to elect Jake as a start and continue to support CCWD members
and direct our priorities to the positive endeavors ahead of us. The journey is just starting! First get
behind Jake and it will be a GIANT step toward
our goal of change. Better days ahead.
True, the JST Corporation is not the problem, it's the policies of our Commissioners that is the root cause, but that distinction might be tough to capture in a poll.
100% behind Jake.
Well said
Thanks, Jed. "Better days ahead."❤️
Because too many times our County Commissioners and City Council members have favored the Tribal Corps over their constituents. If fairness were applied in each decision, we would be a much more thriving community. I'm all in for Jake!
Thanks, Denise(:
That is what I said. It is not the Tribe it is our leaders. Jake will help start the transition and get our county back
How, on any level, can anyone think, let alone allow, someone to build and occupy a "house camp" built underneath a bridge, suspended between the bridge girders? The second this was discovered it should have been flagged and immediately removed!
Good question, Ed. I agree with your answer.
absolutely
Could the encampments under bridges be causing deterioration of the land that is holding up those bridges? I would think the soil would be compromised with who knows what is going on in those encampments.
Excellent article Patriot Jake Seegers~!
It is indeed the Individuals in management positions within the government that have been doing this perverted "interpretative dance" of their own laws, as there are great profits and power in "selective enforcement"~! I am sad to have to admit that you are correct and there will likely need to be a disaster like a fire or some sort of health emergency where people are injured and/or die, before these failed so-called "leaders" in government are forced to change their clearly sick and dangerous policies. We have noticed increasing numbers of troubled Individuals who have been gathering in and around the Port Angeles Country Aire store and going up & down the stairs on the hillside, so it is not surprising to learn of the growing "shanty town" construction there. We always have an ill-tempered guard dog in our vehicle, and we are always well equipped to defend ourselves, however we do not frequent the Country Aire store & vicinity because the first rule of self-defense is to NOT place yourself in potentially dangerous situations. These days, literally everywhere that we go in Port Angeles we see some Individuals who look as if they could become dangerous threats within the general population of good folks... We also fully understand that other than "The Clallam County Watchdog" and good folks "word of mouth" that there could easily be known extremely dangerous Individuals in our community and the police, and laughingly so-called "local media", would never say a word of warning about it~! This also is a VERY dangerous result of the failed "leaders" in government. Yes indeed, many times, over the years we here have commented on the fact that "we" (Americans) are all still living in "The Wild West" and pretty much anything goes with the kind of dangerously treasonous government that has existed ever since the old days of the historically termed "Wild West"~! Decades ago, there was some humor in such an observance, however nothing about it has been remotely funny for many years now... Humor first starts based upon a small modicum of truth, until it becomes all too true to be funny any longer~! It is not worth very much, but we would like to express our thanks to the good folks in the "4PA" group who make the effort to clean up our community in spite of the government that insists upon trashing it~! We don't buy the management of governments weak excuses of "compassion" because true compassion NEVER includes doing harm to the vast majority of folks in a community, so that the few deeply troubled are pampered and enabled to be dysfunctional~! That is very clearly an assault on our community and ALL within it in every conceivable way~! The first "trash" that we need to dispose of in Clallam County, is the very failed Individuals in government management positions, because they have violated their oaths and failed as our public servants~! Keep up the great work and we do hope that you and your commonsense reasoning can soon replace those who have so tragically failed in government leadership~!
Sincerely, Mike
Thank you for sharing your personal approaches in navigating our community safely. Such extremes should not be required.
Your kind words for 4PA are well-deserved. I cannot imagine what our county, city and port-owned land would look like without them.
Good morning Jake~!
My father was a PhD Historian Emiratis - distinguished University expert of The History of Western Civilization, so I have been studying world history all of my life. It was simply "self-defense" in my family ;-)) Ha! Anyway, I was born & raised during the terrible Viet Nam war. Having a powerful natural sense of Patriotism, by the time I was 8 years old I was already studying the ways that very young "privileged" boys had been "educated" throughout history by seriously accomplished mentors like Plato, Socrates, etc... This aberration that is called "the public educational system" is a sick joke, compared to the classical educational model that existed until a hundred years ago (give or take). So, I just studied the old masters and what they taught their youngest generations, because those were the pure & honorable lessons in REAL education for many thousands of years. I still have the standard embossed "government approved wallpaper', however I am also self-educated in the ancient classical ways. From the age of about 8 or 9 for 10 years my personal motivation was to have a US Military career, because in my Ignorant mind I was sick of that war in Viet Nam and believed that I could have helped to successfully end it. HA~! Well, "tricks are for kids", so as I got close to graduating high school as the platoon leader of our Marine Corps Jr. ROTC unit, I received the Congressional offer to be appointed to attend Annapolis (The US Naval Academy) that I had long worked for. The war in Viet Nam had already ended with no real (honest) explanation that was due the American public. As my father was actually engaged in The US Military Intelligence Service, I had by that time already realized that very corrupt politicians dominated America with less that honorable Intentions... I was already a dedicated American Constitutionalist but before I could even think about the offer, I rejected it because American Constitutionalists can't serve corrupt politicians, we ONLY serve America and Americans~! I know that my words could never be very well understood by folks, nor could my childhood or even my life experiences, however "my personal approach" is actually based upon a well-earned insight. Not Intelligence :) Having trained myself as a classic old-school "warrior" I am what could reasonably be called "hyper aware" of my surroundings, even without having to think much about it. For me it is simply second nature ;-) I only mention this because it is all the more complimentary to Jeff Tozzer, you, and all of the other great folks here on "The Watchdog" who make such great efforts to help and to improve our wonderful community~! If I can help in any way just let me know, otherwise I will continue to do my duty as best I can, hopefully without boring folks too much ;-) Have a great Sunday and get ready for a very interesting and historic year because much is headed our way that will surprise, shock, and ultimately, after the dust settles, please most Americans if things go well~! Oh, and it is my personal and professional "opinion" that things will turn out well, all in due time, as long as "we" (American Patriots) continue to do our most important duty~!
Sincerely, Mike
Yeah Mike, lets dump the trash that pollutes the Clallam County Board of Commissioners and other government and non-government "positions".
Good Sunday morning Patriot Eric Fehrmann~!
It is always good to hear from you! We can do a lot of good on our own as concerned folks, especially if we develop our own alternate organized systems (like 4PA, helping others who are struggling within our community, etc.), however you are 100% correct that we MUST FIRST purge the failed Individuals who are "squatting" entrenched in our government~! I just hope and pray that the folks of Clallam County soon come together to "eject" these failed government "leaders" ASAP. because we need to stop their destructive and dangerous shenanigans before they create an even bigger mess and get more folks injured & killed. At this point it is not important if these failed "leaders" are stupid, criminally insane, or committing treason Intentionally to do as much harm as possible. Removing them peacefully and lawfully should be out first and most preferred goal. I am haunted by the fact that we may not even yet realize what these failed public servants have REALLY planned and/or are capable of doing in the future, so I really don't know if we have any time to screw around trying to get them to do the right things to put our community on track for success. It is abundantly clear that they have no honorable intentions and they absolutely refuse to honor the will and wellbeing of the vast majority of folks here. Nothing good can come from that~! Anyway, my friend, second only to taking the garbage out of our government, we absolutely must learn how to identify these sick people who seek positions of power, or we will have a never-ending battle with the revolving door of scumbags that make their profitable mockery of our community and by extension our country~! As an American Constitutionalist I can't tell folks how to vote, however I believe that there are great folks like Jake Seegers, Mimi Marolee Smith, and others who have already demonstrated that they are likely to do a FAR better job in government management positions~! You have also shown great care and a willingness to work for a better community here! We just need to learn "enemy identification" skills, and NOT to listen to those who only say what they think everyone wants to hear, so they can inflict harm on folks~!
Keep up the great work and stay safe~!
Sincerely, Mike
Patriot Michael, don’t know if you saw the hundreds of people out on the street, sign waving and protesting ICE and other things this last go around (last weekend?) or not? If not the Indivisible people are very active and plentiful…..I hear what everyone is saying, I see what everyone does so what is your take when this is what reality is? I agree with so much of what you comment about, also what Jake does too but there are hundreds who obviously do not.
Anyone else feel free to comment.
Good afternoon Patriot 4 reasonable development~!
You always contribute good things to The Watchdog!
I do hope that you are enjoying a beautiful mild Winter Day ;-)
Yes, I am aware that there were some sadly uninformed people who attended a "little organized fuss" recently. Ha~! I do wonder if there really were "hundreds" of people demonstrating their disfavor (actually really Ignorance but I feel generous today :) but let us put that into the common-sense perspective. The fact is that just in Clallam County alone, the last census found that there was about 80,000 people living here. Remember that is JUST Clallam County alone. So, let us look deeper into the truth... It has been disclosed for many years now that the criminals of humanity like George Soros and numerous others, including quite a few NGO's, that have been committing crimes and undermining America with their constant underhanded attacks upon America and Americans, have actually been paying quite a bit of money for a large number of "protestors and rioters" to attend these little orchestrated fusses. So, there are some VERY interesting questions about the motivations of these Looney Tunes characters. That said, just for the sake of argument, let us say that they are all really "unhappy campers". Hundreds??? Ha Ha Ha Ha! Ya, but tens of thousands here in Clallam County had better things to do with their time, than to bitch & moan about things that the small handful is obviously clueless about. I have seen these "types" numerous times and do they appear to be levelheaded Americans to you? or brainwashed fools who live & die by what the "fake news" media tells them to believe? Personally, I am an expert at profiling Individuals, and these "types" are FAR from capable of posing any threat to the vast majority of Americans, who by the way did actually vote for President Trump THREE times in a row. More truth is coming on that, but my typically conservative/analysis = numbers prove that President Trump had 70%+ of the vote in 2016, 75+ in 2020, and at least 75% of the vote in 2024. The REAL established experts who have been monitoring all national elections since 9/11 for national security concerns, have been revealing that their accounting of these same three elections proves an even greater win by President Trump, so since the US Military is THE absolute expert in this field, especially due to the fact that they have tracked the hidden watermarks that were ONLY on legitimate ballots, it would be likely that they are correct and President Trump won by an even greater margin... Are you sure that a few hundred loud mouthed obnoxious ill-informed complainers' matter? HA~! Not to me my friend. In fact, these grotesquely Ignorant people are definitely about to receive THE colossal "bitch slap" of their miserable pitiful lives, when they finally realize that they have been wrong all of their lives, played a HUGE role in destroying America, and in fact got many millions of Americans permanently injured and slaughtered because of their insane political madness... To my horror as a little child, I remember watching "The Permissive Society" being rolled out by the criminals of humanity and their insane lunatic socialists in the late 60's and early 70's, and how fast quite a few little spoiled brats became SO nasty in school and on the playground because their parents were letting them run amuck~! Ha! Now, these same little spoiled brats have continued to be worthless spoiled brats, and they are in their late 60's and younger~! Yes, my friend, I know exactly what "we" are all looking at when these uneducated retards are screaming about their phony "democracy" because America has NEVER been a democracy, we are a Republic and with a Republic everyone has Individual responsibilities.... The world is changing and these spoiled brats are no longer wanted or tolerated, so prepared for them to continue to devolve into extremely irresponsible childish fools as they will NEVER get their own way again! Often times "tuff love" means that some folks no longer get their own way or special treatment that no one else gets, and it is about time that these idiots grow up and learn about the country that they have been living in. The first thing that they need to learn, is the definitions of Individual freedom, Individual rights, and "shall NOT be infringed"~! Ha Ha Ha! Have a great day and just enjoy watching America correct its path, in large part because of the good efforts of good folks like you, and the crybabies will need to learn the lessons that they were never taught~!
Sincerely, Mike
Mike same to you, it is one of those days we are all here for so I hope you are enjoying. I’m with you man. All of this has been the fight of my life, ‘A Republic if you can keep it’. Life before Obama the take over was subtle over the 20 years or so prior to him. It is as though so much damage has been done the pendulum swinged so far left, never so much ever before in history. This is the result and for us to swing back to center the pendulum will have to swing far to the right. If it will ever go back to center is hard to say? Our lives have been probably the best in history, we really don’t know despair like our ancestors went through. I do know back then our nation, our whole nation pulled together, least the Civil War which is how division of a nation can be. People who are co dependents can’t see the light, abused stay with abusers, wrong is right, right is wrong. Yes our country is strong with Patriots across our nation. The problem children are mostly concentrated in the few coastal states & the most beautiful states but their cancer spreads and we are a country on life support. I’m only one vote so I have to give this all to God to show our nation the way.
OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE.
Take care my friend.
Yes, my friend~!
This has indeed been an extremely difficult time in the young history of our American Republic~! It never should have been this way, but "we" (American Patriots) have been betrayed by a great many Individuals in and outside of government for a great many decades. The real & true history of America is absolutely horrific, but that said, it has always been the great Patriotic American folks who have built this country in spite of the evil greedy scumbags that have done SO much harm. The military style signaling that I have been monitoring for about 6 years now has constantly stated that America (and the world) will be allowed to come to the very edge of disaster, so that most will wake up enough to want to do the right things for a positive change in our direction~! GEEEEZE~! I never liked "The Plan" but I have to admit that it may be the only way to get through the thick heads of those who refuse to see the extreme dangers that we all face now. This makes life Hell on earth the more that an Individual is already "awake" and already knows about the serious nature of things. You probably know folks who are absolutely Ignorant about our reality, for one reason or another, who need to see a disaster before they will accept the fact that THEY need to wake up~! So, keep the faith my friend, because one way or another, we shall all get through this together and with God's help we shall build the better country and world that we should have had. Things will likely get pretty ugly, but for what it is worth I am confident that "we" (America) has already won most of this oldest of wars against humanity, and what we are seeing unfold now is mostly for the Ignorant masses and "useful idiots" to shock them into waking up~! Of course, that does not mean that we don't need to stay safe, out of harm's way, and well stocked up just in case there is a supply chain problem. The GREAT news really is that from what I have been able to piece together, very few today could possibly imagine how AMAZING the future will be once the dust settles~!!! No kidding~!!! In fact, if I could get through the thick heads of the "useful idiots" to explain what THEY are preventing from happening, I am sure that they would quit being such morons because the great country that is in the "waiting room" to be born is well beyond anything experienced in the historic record... The future won't be for everyone, and many will not make it because of the shock factor involved in this epic process, but "we" are doing our best to save as many people as possible... Be of Goodley cheer and keep the faith~!
Sincerely, Mike
P.S. The quickest, easiest, and best proof that absolutely great times are ahead and that things are FAR better than most know, is the fact that the long-suppressed Gold & Silver prices that have been very intentionally controlled by the REAL criminals of humanity have very clearly been terminated~! The criminals of humanity are in fact being destroyed by President Trump and the white hats (and us ;-) and the proof for all to see is in the current prices of Gold and Silver~!!! HA~! NO WAY would the real criminals of humanity allow the prices of Gold & Silver to reach these heights, unless they had lost their death grip control~! Not a chance~!
Cheers~!
The HRHC is just down the alley from Country Aire open Tues and Fri. Camps on the bluff between Oak ad Cherry streets are a repeat issue. Underneath the zig-zag ramp 2nd angle from top is a common fentanyl smoking spot. 4PA frequently cleans up underneaththe zig-zag but the area is too hazardous for casual volunteers on that slope. Code complaints and letters to city council about camps and drug activity in that area of the bluff and the zig-zag mostly go ignored. Lights on ramp were vandalized so they left up damaged ones and installed ugly industrial street lights. It's sad how little the city cares for the area and county helps destroy it via the HRHC then the drug activity moves up to 3rd st health dept to crash for the weekend.
Good evening, Patriot Susie Blake~!
Yes, I am sure that you understand the "neighborhood migration" of the drug addicted there near the Country Aire market. Most average folks don't really pay much attention to their environment and therefore they have no clue what is really going on right in plain sight, especially if they don't think that it affects them. Most of these poor folks are just trying to get along well enough to survive day by day, at least until they become literally entirely incapable of helping themselves. For years now I have been monitoring the horrible spread of seriously hard drug addicted folks who are slowly killing themselves with the most dangerous kinds of drugs all across the US and it is VERY difficult to watch. I know that once upon a time, all of these drug addicted folks were small children who had dreams and hopes of a good life, but I really don't see much hope for them unless and until they decide that they want to work on making positive changes. I can see that most here on The Watchdog want to see these folks get help, but they can see that the government is doing just about the worst things to really help those who need it the most. I am concerned that if things continue to get worse, that some frustrated people in the community will take matters into their own hands and that is when atrocities happen. Unfortunately, the government is best equipped to help everyone concerned, but the city and county managers are dead set on making things worse. I really don't know how these failed servants of the general public live with themselves... Usually when these kinds of government failures happen, it is purposeful so that very corrupt and evil people can make more & more money by growing more & more dysfunctional government that has no real motivation to fix problems... There are times I wish I could get through to these drug addicted folks somehow, but many decades of trying to help others has not been very productive for me in these kinds of cases. It is nearly impossible to help anyone who does not want to change... Stay safe and try not to let all of the negative things to get you down, because there really is a great future on the horizon for those who can survive these difficult days~!
Sincerely, Mike