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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Vested Rights

Vested Rights and the Hirst Decision

Vested Rights and the Hirst Decision

This is the fifth post of a five-part series discussing the Washington Supreme Court’s decision in Whatcom County v. Hirst. This post explores whether one can have a vested right to use a permit-exempt well as the water source for development (subdivision or building permit).

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Washington Supreme Court Issues Significant Vesting Decision

Washington Supreme Court Issues Significant Vesting Decision

On December 29, the Washington Supreme Court issued Snohomish County, et al. v. Pollution Control Hearings Bd., a significant decision interpreting the statutory vested rights doctrine. This blog posts gives an overview of this decision and discusses its effect on local governments.

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What are “Land Use Control Ordinances” for Purposes of Subdivision Application Vesting?

What are “Land Use Control Ordinances” for Purposes of Subdivision Application Vesting?

What are "land use control ordinances" in the context of vesting for subdivision and short subdivision applications? The phrase is not defined by statute, but court decisions provide some insight.

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Court Decision Clarifies Vested Rights Doctrine as Entirely Statutory

In Potala Village Kirkland, LLC v. City of Kirkland (August 25, 2014), Division I of the state court of appeals issued a significant decision regarding the vested rights doctrine. The court held that the doctrine is entirely statutory, with the statutory doctrine replacing, rather than supplementing, the common law (court-made) vested rights doctrine. In the first sentence of its...

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