Opinion ID: 1162670
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Basis for Section 1983 Complaint.

Text: [14-16] 42 U.S.C.  1983 is a remedial statute; it does not create any new substantive rights. Its function is to allow an avenue of redress to persons injured by the actions of government which violate federal constitutional rights. Section 1983 has been used often as a means of redress when government land use regulation infringes upon federal constitutional or statutory rights through violations of the taking clause or of due process. See Bley, Use of the Civil Rights Acts To Recover Money Damages for the Overregulation of Land, 14 Urb. Law. 223, 225 n. 12 (1982). 42 U.S.C.  1983 states in pertinent part: Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, or any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress. The main elements of a section 1983 action which a plaintiff must demonstrate to state a cause of action are: (1) a person has deprived the plaintiff of a federal constitutional or statutory right, and (2) that person acted under color of state law. Wood v. Ostrander, 879 F.2d 583, 587 (9th Cir.1989); Brower v. Wells, 103 Wn.2d 96, 104-05, 690 P.2d 1144 (1984). A municipality may be a person for purposes of section 1983. Monell v. Department of Social Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 56 L.Ed.2d 611, 98 S.Ct. 2018 (1978). [17] A municipality may be subject to suit under section 1983 of the federal civil rights statutes when that municipality acts through an ordinance. R/L Assocs., Inc. v. Seattle, 113 Wn.2d 402, 780 P.2d 838 (1989). In addition, a municipality may be liable on a section 1983 civil rights claim when a city employee violates a federally protected right while executing a policy or ordinance officially adopted and implemented by city officials. Learned v. Bellevue, 860 F.2d 928 (9th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1079 (1989). The plaintiffs in this case sued the City of Seattle, which may be recognized as a person under section 1983, as well as bringing action against several city employees in both their official and individual capacities. The Robinsons alleged a violation of their federal constitutional rights was committed by the City and its employees acting pursuant to an ordinance (the HPO); and a municipality may be subject to section 1983 liability when it acts through an ordinance. R/L Assocs., at 411-12. We reject the City's contention that this court in R/L Assocs. held as a matter of law that Seattle's enforcement of the HPO could not give rise to a civil rights claim. As the Robinsons point out, this court simply did not consider that issue on appeal: While R/L pleaded a section 1983 claim, it made no allegation of irrational, or arbitrary or capricious conduct on the part of the City in its denial of R/L's demolition license. Moreover, this issue was not presented to or considered by the trial court, and will not be considered on appeal. R/L Assocs., Inc. v. Seattle , at 412. The city action at issue in R/L Assocs. was the imposition of the HPO's tenant relocation assistance requirement upon the landowner prior to the time that particular provision of the HPO was declared facially invalid by the King County Superior Court. The Robinsons submit that by contrast, in their case they do plead arbitrary and capricious conduct, and that this case involves the enforcement of HPO provisions even after the time of the superior court decree ruling the provisions invalid. According to the Robinsons, the strongest evidence of irrationality in city action is the enforcement of the HPO after trial courts had held it invalid and enjoined further enforcement; e.g., in one instance, a trial court ruling was followed by a press conference to the effect that the City would continue enforcement of the HPO against all but the successful plaintiffs in the action. See R/L Assocs., at 411. The City did continue enforcement of the HPO's various provisions after trial court declarations of invalidity. In San Telmo Assocs. v. Seattle, 108 Wn.2d 20, 735 P.2d 673 (1987), this court affirmed a superior court ruling of invalidity, holding the HPO invalid as an unauthorized tax or fee on the development of land prohibited by RCW 82.02.020. San Telmo, at 23-24. Later, this court in R/L Assocs. held the tenant relocation assistance provisions of the HPO also invalid. R/L Assocs., at 411. This court went further, upholding the contempt ruling of the Superior Court entered against the City's officers for their continued enforcement of the tenant relocation assistance provisions after the provisions were ruled invalid. R/L Assocs., at 411. In our opinion, we expressly rejected an argument by the City that a Superior Court's ruling of invalidity was binding on the City only as against the plaintiff to the action: [T]he City's argument would lead to the absurd conclusion that it is free to enforce the provisions of a facially invalid ordinance against the citizens of Seattle until and unless each aggrieved party brings its own action challenging the ordinance. This would lead to multiple and unnecessary litigation upon an issue in which the City has clearly been denied authority to proceed. R/L Assocs., at 411. We went on to instruct the City further: The City observes that an injunction does not determine the rights and interests of persons who are not joined as parties. We agree. However, the City overlooks the fact that it is a party, and CR 65(d) provides that an order granting an injunction is binding upon the parties to the action and their officers and agents. R/L Assocs., at 411. Finally, in affirming the order of contempt, we observed: The City's decision to continue to enforce the HPO was deliberate. Two days after issuance of the injunction in this case, the City issued a news release that the city attorney had advised the Department of Construction and Land Use to continue to enforce the tenant relocation requirements. The release stated that the City had been enjoined from enforcing this provision in one case. The courts need not tolerate this intentional violation of a valid judgment that prohibited the City from enforcing those provisions. R/L Assocs., at 411.