William C. Severson

• Cascade Bank v. Snohomish County *

  Negotiated settlement with substantial assessment reductions for large residential real estate development

• Crystal Chalets & Silver Skis Condominiums v. Pierce County *

  Achieved substantial assessment reductions for condominiums located on tax exempt land

• Women's University Club v. King County Assessor*

  Negotiated settlement that substantially reduced clubhouse value to reflect historic property designation

• Stimson Lane v. Benton County Assessor*

  Successful tax appeal that removed the taxpayer's wine barrels from the tax rolls and obtained three years of refunds

• Pet Partners v. State of Washington, Dept. of Revenue*

  Successfully challenged tax exemption denial for nonprofit client's administrative offices

• AllianceOne Receivables Mgmt, Inc. v. Daniels Consulting Co.*

  Associated to develop successful challenge to "program cost recovery charge" imposed on private vendor by Washington Dept. of General Administration

• Carrillo, et al. v. City of Ocean Shores*

  Successful class action challenge to water and sewer availability charges. Obtained substantial refunds for property owners

• The Boeing Company v. Gelman*

  Successful challenge to Bd. of Tax Appeal's unlawful decision-making process

• Covell v. City of Seattle (Washington Supreme Court)*

  Represented Seattle property owners in class action challenge to constitutionality of Seattle's "Street Utility Charge" on residential housing. Court ruled charge unconstitutional and ordered refunds

• Harbour Village Apartments v. City of Mukilteo*

  Successful class action challenge to constitutionality of Mukilteo's apartment tax. Court ruled the tax unconstitutional and ordered refunds

• United States Tobacco v. Department of Revenue*

  Challenge to Department of Revenue's measure of tobacco excise tax on smokeless tobacco products

• Inter Island Telephone Co. v. San Juan County*

  Successfully obtained equalization relief for local public utility, the first such ratio equalization relief granted in Washington in several decades. Valuation reductions ranged from 22% to 34%

• Samis Land Co. v. City of Soap Lake (2001)*

  Represented amicus curiae property owners in supporting successful challenge to illegal municipal water and sewer fees

• Leonard v. City of Spokane (1995)*

  Successfully represented amici curiae PEMCO Insurance Co., Washington Education Association and Seattle Federation of Community Councils in challenge to Tax Increment Financing law (TIF). Court agreed that TIF was an unconstitutional diversion of state school funds

• Belas v. Kiga.*

  Represented the Washington Association of County Officials challenging the "value averaging" feature of Referendum 47. The Washington Supreme Court ruled that "value averaging" violated the tax uniformity clause of the state constitution

• King County v. King County Water Districts*

  Represented Rental Housing Association of Washington as amicus curiae in brief submitted to Washington Supreme Court

• City of Snoqualmie v. Dow Constantine*

  Prime author of amicus brief on behalf of Muckleshoot Indian Tribe

* Denotes experience at a previous firm