Thurston County auditor expands outreach to remove racially restrictive covenants after statewide research finds more than 1,600 affected parcels

Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall told the Board of County Commissioners on April 29 that the auditor’s office has expanded an outreach program that helps property owners remove racially restrictive covenants from recorded land records.

"Racially restrictive covenants are a really painful legacy, of discrimination, and they really shaped housing," Hall said, describing why the county offered doorstep help and free filing services to clear titles.

The program began with an initial review that identified roughly 300 parcels in 2020, Auditor staff member Emmett O'Connell told commissioners. He said the auditor’s office later provided the county’s full recorded-document archive to researchers at the University of Washington, who used automated methods to identify additional covenants. "They've identified that we have at least 1,600 more restricted properties in 35 subdivisions in Thurston County," O'Connell said.

Why it matters: recorded racially restrictive covenants are no longer legally enforceable, but they remain in many title records and can carry a legacy effect for property owners and communities. The auditor framed the outreach as a step toward healing and cleaner chain-of-title records for future buyers.

What the county is doing: Hall said the auditor’s office provided free assistance for owners who want to file modification forms that remove restrictive language. O'Connell described several local partners that helped lower barriers: Olympia Federal Savings provided free notary services; Windermere/Berkshire Hathaway affiliates offered free e-notary services; and the Thurston County Bar Association recruited volunteer lawyers to help with recorded-document questions.

The auditor credited the state legislature for making filing modifications free: "Thanks to the state legislature, filing a modification is completely free," O'Connell said. The office also said it received a national award for its outreach effort.

Scope and next steps: Hall said the University of Washington’s research shows the initial outreach covered only a fraction of affected records and that the auditor’s office will continue the program. The office plans follow-up identification and assistance; specific funding sources and timelines were not specified during the presentation.

Speakers and public record: Hall and O'Connell identified the parcels and described the outreach process in the commissioners' public meeting. The presentation included references to the University of Washington analysis and to a state legislative change that removed filing fees for modifications, but no new county ordinance or formal rule change was adopted at the meeting.

Community context: The auditor urged continued public awareness and offered continuing assistance to property owners seeking to remove historic restrictive language from deeds and covenants.

Ending: Commissioners presented the proclamation items and did not adopt any separate ordinance or binding action on the matter at this session; the auditor said the outreach work will continue and noted the county will rely on the University of Washington’s data for future outreach.