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Shelton council approves settlement, bars police from enforcing landlord-tenant evictions without court order
Summary
The Shelton City Council approved Resolution 1371-0225 authorizing a settlement in Ingalls v. City of Shelton; the agreement, paid by the city's insurer, includes a consent term that the city will not participate in residential landlord-tenant enforcement without a court order.
The Shelton City Council on March 4 approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign a settlement agreement in Ingalls v. City of Shelton, a civil-rights lawsuit filed in October 2024 by the Northwest Justice Project on behalf of a former transitional-housing tenant.
City Manager Mark Ziegler told the council the city's insurer, the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA), assigned counsel and will cover the monetary settlement and the city’s legal costs. "More so after this case was filed, we anticipate that our attorney fees will be about $3,000," Ziegler said. He described the settlement’s operative term as a consent condition that "the city would not participate in any violations or enforcement of residential landlord tenant act without a court order."
The council moved and seconded approval of Resolution 1371-0225 and voted to adopt it during the meeting. Deputy Mayor Sherman presided while the mayor was absent. The city manager said the settlement and related fees are being handled through WCIA and that the agreement is intended to end the ongoing litigation so the city can move forward.
The lawsuit, as presented to the council, stems from a police response to a transitional housing unit in Shelton; the Northwest Justice Project sued alleging a violation of residential landlord-tenant law. The council packet materials and the city manager’s remarks identified WCIA as the insurer handling defense and settlement costs. Ziegler said some attorney bills remain outstanding but that the monetary settlement will be covered by WCIA.
The council did not receive public comment on the settlement at the meeting. The council approved the resolution by voice vote; the motion carried.
The settlement does not change statutory text; it records how the city will apply existing landlord-tenant enforcement practice in the future, specifically that the city will not enforce landlord-tenant matters without a court order. The council did not discuss additional operational directives or staffing changes tied to the agreement at the March 4 meeting.
