Black Fire Fighters Await Judge's Decision on Historic House Sale
The plaintiffs’ attorney Yohannes Sium outside the SBFFA house at a press conference on December 23, 2024. (Photo: Susan Fried)
By Mead Gill
Members of the Seattle Black Firefighters Association (SBFFA) gathered at the King County Superior Court House in Kent today hoping for a ruling on the Association's house they say was illegally sold.
King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs scheduled another hearing on Friday, January 13, at 3:30 p.m., where she will announce her ruling orally publicly in open court.
Yohannes Sium, the plaintiffs’ attorney, argued that the defendant’s act of selling the house was a gross violation of the Court’s judgment, claiming the Defendants failed to comply with the non-profit statute when they illegally sold the SBFFA House on October 31, 2024. Sium pointed to the lack of a board resolution, written notice specifying the price and details of the proposed sale, and membership meeting notes that proved a majority of the actual members voted to sell the house, which are all required to comply with the judgment and the non-profit statute.
“There are no details, there are no documents, there is no declaration,” Sium said and reiterated throughout the 45-minute hearing. He claimed members of the SBFFA, which include his clients, have statutory rights to accounting, books, and corporate documents like meeting minutes, resolutions, and a right to vote on relevant issues, none of which were provided to the plaintiffs or the court in response to the motions.
The defendant’s attorney, Matthew Macklin, argued that the hearing centered around a disagreement of facts, alleging that there are documented votes and notices to sell the property, but the privacy of the SBFFA should be of utmost importance, which is why he hasn’t provided any documents or details in his response to the plaintiffs’ motion for contempt and to compel records.
According to Sium, membership rights were initially violated in January 2022 when the defendants attempted to sell the house without a vote or notice to the members in violation of key provisions of the non-profit statute and the SBFFA bylaws. The court deemed this action defendant's attempts to sell the house in January of 2022 illegal in a December 26, 2023, judicial opinion/judgment. This was based on the court’s interpretation of the non-profit statute and the SBFFA bylaws. The court went a step further and decided the defendants could no longer illegally deprive the plaintiffs and all other retired black firefighters of their membership rights in SBFFA and they must receive notice and be allowed to vote on any future sale of the SBFFA House. The Plaintiffs allege the same violations of the statute were repeated in October 2024 when the house was sold to investor Camila Borges despite none of the processes outlined in the judgment and statute having been taken.
In response, Macklin argued that the judge misinterpreted the bylaws and the statute, so he appealed her decision. That appeal is pending in Division 1 of the Appellate Court. Last week, the Washington State Attorney General intervened by filing legal papers in the appellate case because the case will likely make new law. The defendants claim that the right to SBFFA membership is contingent upon retired members paying dues from the day they retired through the present, despite them only receiving full membership rights after the December 26, 2023 judgment. The Plaintiffs and retired members argue that they should only pay dues from the date their membership rights were restored. They also argue that the defendants rejected their dues before and after the lawsuit was filed as a pre-text to deprive them of their membership rights and to sell the SBFFA House without letting them have a say.
Judge Wiggs summarized the case as an issue over the process of selling the property, not necessarily whether the SBFFA can sell the house when a majority of members are in favor of the sale.. However, the property holds emotional and historical value outside the courthouse.
“To sell two lots in a house on 23rd and Pike for $680,000 is insane. It’s outrageous and insane," Eddie Rye, a community supporter of the SBFFA, said. Rye was proud to be wearing his SBFFA jacket in the courtroom, a jacket he had owned for 52 years.
Eddie Rye speaks at the rally on December 23, 2024 wearing his original SBFFA jacket. (Photo: Susan Fried)
Rye was among a large crowd of former Black firefighters and community members supporting Plaintiffs Erwin Chappel, Cardell Thompson, and Clarence Williams. The plaintiffs’ side of the courtroom was packed to the point where many supporters were forced to sit on the defendant’s side of the room, which remained nearly empty.
“I think most open-minded people can look at the facts of what they know and say that it doesn’t seem right for the situation to have occurred the way that it did,” Williams said. He expressed confidence in the Superior Court’s verdict next week.
The black firefighters seek community support as they pursue legal action to reclaim their historic house. They encourage you to get involved in the following ways:
Attend the Court Hearing: on January 13, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. at the Maleng Regional Justice Center 401 4th Ave N, Kent, WA 98032 Courtroom for the Honorable Joseph Wigg-Martin. If you cannot attend in person, you may be able to attend via Zoom although space is limited https://kingcounty.zoom.us/j/84368482733?pwd=fanKLyvYzPyacce5CtCdsrDtngyCCB.1
Support the Legal Fund: Contribute to the SBFFA's GoFundMe campaign to assist with legal expenses. https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-historic-sbffa-house
Spread Awareness: Share information about this issue on social media and within your community. Use the hashtag #SaveSBFFAHouse to amplify the message.
Contact Elected Officials: Reach out to your local representatives and the Attorney General's office Brionna Aho brionna.aho@atg.wa.gov at (360) 753-2727 to express your concerns and advocate to save the SBFFA House.
