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69 stories matching liabil
- The Fight Over Corporate Liability
Prominent businessmen gather at the courthouse to debate if shareholders should be personally liable for corporate debts.
- Eight Dead, and the Steamboat Owners Owe Only $3,500
A federal judge in Seattle limits the Annie Faxon's liability after a Snake River boiler explosion, extending an old maritime rule to inland steamboats.
- City and County Spar Over Smallpox Care Costs
A simmering dispute between the Seattle City Council and King County over who should pay to treat the city's sick and indigent.
- The Bridge to Nowhere
A liability lawsuit reveals that the City of Seattle refuses to take responsibility for the Grant Street Bridge, claiming it sits on state tide lands.
- A Failed Seattle Bank’s Frozen Fortune
Receiver C. M. Sheafe told the court that the Washington Savings Bank’s notes and bonds might eventually pay, but its real estate was unsellable in the hard times of 1894.
- Is Puget Sound an Inland Sea?
A landmark federal court ruling determines that Puget Sound is open sea, preventing shipowners from claiming 'inland' liability protections.
- Seattle's Labor Movement Sets Sights on Olympia
Local trade unions form a legislative committee to fight for an eight-hour day, employer liability, and anti-Pinkerton laws.
- The $300,000 Legal Battle Over Seattle’s Streets
A landmark court decision challenges the city's liability for street grade warrants, threatening to set a precedent for every municipality in the state.
- Disaster on the Seattle Waterfront
A wharf collapses under the weight of cargo, sparking a bitter dispute over liability and salvage rights.
- The Bankruptcies of 1878: A Wave of 'Fraudulent' Insolvency?
As financial panic grips the Pacific Coast, Seattle editors decry a suspicious surge in businesses filing for bankruptcy before new laws take effect.
- Klondike Hero's Company Folds, Creditors Left Short
A Seattle commission firm fails, and its famous president T.S. Lippy claims no moral obligation to creditors who trusted his name.
- The Seattle Bond That Broke the Rules
A legal dispute over a $15,000 appeal bond reveals the messy, high-stakes nature of early Seattle commerce and the scrutiny of contract law.
- The Unpaid Wages of Seattle's Mill Workers
Employees at a local mill face financial desperation after being notified that their promised wages for two weeks of labor cannot be paid.
- The Tax Bill Seattle Couldn't Defend
Kate Evans wins a default judgment over an illegal Twelfth Street grade assessment, exposing a $75,000 civic liability as the abandoned improvement heads back to the Supreme Court.
- The Supreme Court Rules on Street Grading Liability
The Washington State Supreme Court clarifies the statute of limitations for damage claims against the City of Seattle.
- The Wharfinger's Narrow Escape
A jury rules that a dock owner isn't a common carrier, leaving an injured woman without recourse.
- The Human Cost of Railroad Expansion
A laborer files a massive suit against his contractor after an injury on the Great Northern line costs him his leg.
- Ballard Mill Fire Sparks Legal Battle with Great Northern Railway
Insurance companies have filed suit against the Great Northern Railway, alleging a passing locomotive started a massive fire that destroyed the Fleming-Ayerst mill.
- The Internal Feud at a Ballard Lumber Mill
A sawmill partnership in Ballard faces a forced liquidation as the company president sues his partner for mismanagement and mounting debts.
- The Sudden Collapse of the Farmers' Bank
Seattle's financial community was left in shock as a major institution shuttered its doors, leaving depositors and creditors in the lurch.
- The Madison Street Midnight Escape
A Seattle grocer skips town in the dead of night, leaving behind a shop full of unpaid bills and curious neighbors.
- The Great Land Grant Tax Dodging Scheme
Railroad companies are holding onto millions of acres of public land without filing for patents to avoid taxes, placing the burden of government costs on local settlers.
- The Treasurer's Escaped Liability
A landmark state supreme court decision saves King County bondsmen from paying for a massive treasury shortage.
- The Treasurer's Bond Begins to Crumble
Two surety names vanish from John W. Maple's $400,000 bond, and more may follow as King County waits for its prosecutor.
- Pushing for the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Senator Squire gains support for the proposed canal connecting the lakes to Puget Sound, despite legislative hurdles.