By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Anticipation ran high as members and supporters of the Seattle Black Fire Fighters gathered at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, awaiting their scheduled court appearance before King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs-Martin. The hearing was set to address the fate of the Seattle Black Fire Fighters Assocation’s (SBFFA) historic property in Seattle’s Central District, the focus of a three-year legal battle over a sale the court concluded was illegal. The hearing has been rescheduled to March 7, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
On January 31, 2025, Judge Wiggs-Martin ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, holding the defendants in contempt of court orders and issuing financial sanctions. The judge initially postponed the decision to rescind the illegal sale, to February 25 to give the buyer, Camila Borges, and the finance company, Toorak Capital Partners Inc., an opportunity to be heard.
Yesterday’s proceedings were expected to address reversing the sale and restoring ownership of the property to SBFFA. However, on the morning of the hearing, the Defense attorney, Matthew Macklin, emailed the clerk and claimed he could not attend via Zoom because of unreliable electricity caused by the power outages and could not attend in person because he was sick and contagious. The Plaintiffs objected to a continuance, alleged it was just another delay tactic in a long lay of delay tactic and that if Macklin could send an email he could log into Zoom. The Judge granted the continuance minutes before the afternoon hearing as dozens of supporters and spectactors waited at the court doors.
“The judge’s clerk said the judge is going to court-order rescheduling the hearing, and we also filed a motion to hold all the money in a constructive trust,” said Yohannes Sium, attorney for the plaintiffs. “That motion was supposed to be heard ten days ago. I asked the clerk to make sure the judge decides on that soon because we do not want the money to disappear.”
Sium emphasized that delays and continuances are standard legal strategies but stressed that his clients must remain focused and prepared for whatever decision may come next.
“The president of SBFFA, Douglas Johson, has resigned. He has disappeared from the scene. The Treasurer resigned and terminated his membership in the SBFFA earlier this months once he discovered he was in contempt of court.” Sium said. “Sium raised concerns of alarming statement from Macklin confirming he took over $210,000 in commission concluded the illegal sale which was contingent upon a proper sale. Macklin has now claimed he will not refund that money to the SBFFA even if the court reverses the illegal sale.”
Despite the December 2023 King County Superior Court judgment finding the proposed 2022 was illegal, the SBFFA executive board allegedly proceeded with a similarly illegal transaction in October 2024 without notifying or obtaining approval from the association’s full membership. The court found that retired SBFFA members, who paid 100% of the cost for the property and paid off the mortgage, were illegally deprived of their voting rights and membership rights in the SBFFA by the Defendants.
“When we get the property back—not if, but when—we are going to develop this corner,” said Sium. “There are so many funding resources to develop that block and continue that legacy. It can be frustrating, and it can take time, but this is going to end up being a blessing in disguise.”
For now, retired SBFFA members, including Clarence Williams, a former Seattle firefighter and past SBFFA President, remain hopeful that the property will ultimately return to those who fought for its legacy.
“Today the courts decided that they needed to delay the hearings for a myriad of different reasons, and we were anticipating a victory coming out today—that we could begin to start our second phase as to what we are going to do with the property,” Williams said. “We still have confidence, and we still have hope as we find out today what the next court date will be, and whatever that court date is, we feel like we will again win.”
“We had great support from members coming out in anticipation of this victory. We’ll have the same thing the next time a date is set,” Williams added.
