By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The legal battle over the Seattle Black Firefighters Association’s (SBFFA) historic property at 23rd Avenue and East Pike Street resumed in King County Superior Court last Friday, as plaintiffs pressed to reverse the controversial 2024 sale. While plaintiffs had hoped for an immediate ruling, Judge Wiggs announced she would take additional time to review the case and issue a written decision on Monday, May 12.
The hearing, held at the Kent Regional Justice Center, focused on a single issue: whether to rescind the October 2024 sale of the property, which plaintiffs allege was carried out in violation of a prior court order and without proper member approval.
“We were hopeful but still optimistic,” said Clarence Williams, retired firefighter and former SBFFA president. “We were hopeful that the decision was going to be rendered just this past Friday. But understanding the process a little bit more, she was actually hearing the oral arguments from all interested parties and once having heard all of the evidence from buyers, sellers, banks, and everybody, then she will take all of that information into consideration and by next Monday, the 12th, she will make a final decision.”
The lawsuit alleges that the board of directors used tactics to limit who was allowed to vote on whether or not the organization should sell the property that undermined a King County Superior Court ruling and authorized the sale of the property without a proper vote of all active and retired members.
At the center of the dispute is a January 2024 court ruling, which required that any decision to sell the property be approved by the full membership—both active and retired. Plaintiffs claim the current SBFFA leadership ignored that order and instead enacted new rules restricting participation in meetings and votes, effectively excluding retired members who helped acquire the property.
“You know, in the beginning when we first filed the lawsuit, we regretted having to do that, but it was the only way we could get the attention of the Seattle Black Firefighters Executive Board,” said Williams. “We were serious about them not selling the property because we were being ignored and not considered on anything that was going on. So, we decided that the only way we could have a voice was to bring it before a court to say that this should not be taking place.”
The property was listed for sale in July 2024 and sold for $680,000 in October, a price that plaintiffs argue is well below its market value. Alongside efforts to reverse the transaction, they are also requesting full transparency on how the proceeds are being held and how they will be used should the sale stand.
Yohannes Sium, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, described the courtroom process and the judge’s reasoning for delaying a decision.
“The single issue on Friday was whether to reverse the sale of the house,” said Sium. “And when she got on the bench, the first thing, one of the first things she said was she’s not going to rule today on this issue. The outcome at the very end was that she would issue a written ruling on whether to reverse the sale of the house on May 12th.”
The lawsuit alleges a series of actions by the SBFFA executive board that prompted legal action, including:
• Proceeding with the sale despite the January 2024 court ruling requiring a full membership vote;
• Enacting new rules that limited participation by past and present members;
• Denying voting rights to longtime members on the future of the organization’s most valuable asset.
While disappointed by the lack of an immediate decision, Sium acknowledged that judicial discretion varies.
“We were envisioning a ruling from the bench, like an oral ruling on Friday at the hearing, or at least some direction as to where the judge might rule, which way she was leaning, but we didn’t get that,” he said. “All judges are different, some don’t give you an indication on the bench, some do. She (Judge Wiggs) obviously told us she needs more time to fully analyze everything to render her decision.”
