Opinion ID: 2613343
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Payment of Fee Was Voluntary

Text: Trimen claims that it paid the fees under duress. The Court of Appeals recently stated that within the context of RCW 82.02.020, the word voluntary means precisely that the developer has the choice of either (1) paying for those reasonably necessary costs which are directly attributable to the developer's project or (2) losing preliminary plat approval. The fact that the developer's choices may not be between perfect options does not render the agreement involuntary under the statute. (Italics ours.) Cobb v. Snohomish Cy., 64 Wn. App. 451, 457-58, 829 P.2d 169 (1991), review denied, 119 Wn.2d 1012 (1992). See also Comment, 59 Wash. L. Rev. at 297-98. In Cobb, the petitioners challenged a Snohomish County code which requires that developers share in the cost of improving road systems impacted by proposed land development projects. Under the code, developers may have to agree to contribute to certain road improvements in order to gain project approval. Cobb, at 453. The Cobb court upheld the facial validity of the code's mitigation scheme. Cobb, at 458-59. Cf. Ivy Club Investors Ltd. Partnership v. Kennewick, 40 Wn. App. 524, 529, 699 P.2d 782 (park fee was not voluntary where Kennewick's approval of a condominium conversion was strictly conditioned upon payment of the fee), review denied, 104 Wn.2d 1006 (1985). [5] Although there may be some debate as to whether a decision between paying a fee or forgoing plat approval is voluntary, such a decision was not before Trimen. In Cobb, Judge Agid declared that in order to be voluntary, an agreement must at least present the parties with a viable choice. Cobb, at 464 (Agid, J., concurring in part, dissenting in part). King County presented Trimen with a viable choice  dedicate or reserve land for open space, or pay a fee in lieu of dedication. Trimen negotiated a reduced fee in lieu of dedication for both developments. King County accepted the reduced fees and Trimen paid the fees without protest. Given the record before us, we conclude that Trimen voluntarily paid the fee in lieu of dedication or reservation of land.