Matheson v. City of Hoquiam (2012)
Decided: September 25, 2012 · Docket: 41181-4-II.
Facts and holding
Hoquiam/DNR removed and demolished the Northern Retriever as a nuisance. The court upheld police-power abatement and personal cost liability, distinguishing federal maritime in-rem enforcement. It did not decide purchaser lien discharge; no maritime lien was asserted in the superior-court custody proceeding. The court expressly declined to decide the alternative forfeiture/dead-ship theories. Full 16-page opinion, Justia-hosted court PDF.
Currentness and limits
The historical notice reproduced in footnote 3 is not a current appeal template.
Current RCW 79.100.120 supplies the hearing route and local-procedure exception;
2026 c. 8 separately amends the vessel definitions. Neither changes this decision
into an all-lenders-cleared auction holding. Comprehensive later treatment remains
needs_verification; publisher good-law badges are not adopted.
Full current chapter;
full enacted 2026 c. 8.
The full opinion was read through ordinary web-reader access. Separate direct 403 and official-URL error-shell attempts are preserved as distinct failed captures.
Applies in →
Legal information, not legal advice. Verify current law and subsequent treatment before relying on this decision.