The imposition of $615,000 in penalties on a Seattle landlord for housing code violations has been affirmed by the Washington Court of Appeals, Division One. The central question in the appeal by Hugh and Martha Sisley was whether judges in two separate trials in Seattle Municipal Court (SMC) properly levied penalties exceeding $75,000, which is the limit for civil claims in Washington’s district courts. A King County Superior Court judge had found no issue with the nature of the housing code violations but said SMC could not impose fees over $75,000.
