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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1891 | 1 |
| 1892 | 3 |
| 1893 | 5 |
| 1894 | 1 |
| 1895 | 8 |
19 stories matching debtor
- A Law to Protect Debtors — or Scare Off Every Lender?
Washington's legislature passed the 'judgment deficiency bill' to shield mortgage debtors from ruinous foreclosures. The Portland Oregonian read it as a recipe for a credit freeze, and begged the governor to veto it.
- Legislature Moves to Protect Debtors from Foreclosure
A new bill seeks to allow judgment debtors to retain possession and profits of their property during the legal redemption period.
- The Constitutional Right to Not Be Imprisoned for Debt
When local merchants tried to jail a man for unpaid loans to prevent him from leaving town, a Seattle judge put the state’s progressive constitution to the test.
- The Governor Vetoes Debt Relief, and the Paper Cheers
A bill meant to soften deficiency judgments after foreclosure is killed — on the theory that frightened capital would simply stop lending, hurting the very debtors it was meant to save.
- The New Law That Broke the Bankers: How Tacoma’s Debtors Turned the Tables on Northern Pacific
A recent amendment to territorial attachment laws has forced high-ranking executives of the Northern Pacific Railway to appear in court personally, sparking panic among creditors who can no longer hide behind corporate shields.
- The Governor Vetoes Debtor Relief—and Warns It Would Speed Foreclosures
Gov. McGraw kills a bill meant to shield struggling debtors, arguing it cannot apply to existing contracts and may trigger the mortgage sales it was supposed to prevent.
- The Fight Over Who Gets Paid First
Seattle merchants scramble to block legislation that would favor out-of-state creditors over local ones during bankruptcies.
- A Judgment Against the Man in the Moon: Tacoma's $2 Million Water Bond Fight
Judge Stallcup tried to invalidate $2,130,000 in water bonds. The water company's lawyer shrugged—and warned that bondholders would haul the city into court if interest went unpaid.
- Political Power at the Door of the Grand Jury
Prominent political and financial figures are called to testify regarding suspicious city treasury loans.
- The O'Brien Merchant Who Chased Down a Debt
A local merchant hunts down a customer attempting to flee to Nebraska to avoid paying his debts.
- City Treasurer Decamps as Embezzlement Scandal Rocks Seattle
City Treasurer Adolph Krug has fled the city after an audit revealed a $20,000 deficit in his accounts.
- A Vengeful Pursuit of a Debtor
A woman travels from Denver to Washington to confront the man who allegedly swindled her out of her life savings, only to be thrown in jail.
- The Fee Fight at the Courthouse
A legal battle over court costs reaches the superior court as the Clerk faces a mandate to lower his prices.
- State Offers Grace Period for Struggling Farmers
Facing the severe economic depression of 1893, the State Land Commission announces it will relax collection policies on land contracts to prevent mass foreclosures.
- The Boom Before the Bust: Seattle’s 1892 Financial Confidence
As the city shakes off the 'dull period' of reckless credit, local bankers and businessmen find newfound optimism in a stable marketplace.
- The Treasurer’s Tab: Taxpayers Pay with Promises
A Whatcom County official faces heat for allowing local elites to pay their taxes with IOUs, sparking a public naming-and-shaming campaign.
- Seattle's Chinese New Year: Fireworks, Debt Settling, and a Tartar Emperor
Local Chinese merchants celebrate the new year with fireworks and a week of festivities, while manager Woo Gen voices his opposition to the ruling Tartar dynasty.
- Three Banks, One Creamery, and a Race Against the Clock
Seattle and Tacoma banks claw over the last assets of an insolvent creamery, ending with a sheriff's sprint to the wharf before an injunction could land.
- Eastern Washington Lawmakers Want Cheaper Freight and a Break on Taxes
Fresh from wheat country, representative-elect Moses Bull and Senator J. L. Roberts laid out their Olympia agenda: grain inspection, lower railroad rates, softer tax penalties, and leaner county government.