SSB 5031 -
By Committee on Judiciary
NOT CONSIDERED
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature enacts this act to overrule
the Washington supreme court decision in Vern J. Oja and Assoc. v.
Washington Park Towers, Inc., 89 Wn.2d 72, 569 P.2d 1141 (1977), which
held that claims for damage to real property resulting from
construction activities on adjacent property do not accrue until the
construction project on the adjacent property is complete.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 4.16 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, actions
for damage to real property resulting from construction, alteration, or
repair on an adjacent property, whether alleging negligence, strict
liability, trespass, or any other cause of action, must be commenced
within three years after the property owner first discovered or
reasonably should have discovered the damage.
(2) Actions for such damage that (a) is known or reasonably should
have been known as of the effective date of this section and (b) is
caused by a construction, alteration, or repair project that is not
complete as of the effective date of this section must be commenced
within three years of the effective date of this section.
(3) Nothing in this section may be construed as extending the
period for bringing a claim beyond the periods provided in RCW
4.16.300, 4.16.310, and 4.16.320."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: Retains the entirety of the underlying bill and adds a provision regarding actions for damage that is (1) known or reasonably should have been known as of the effective date of this section and (2) caused by a construction, alteration, or repair project that is not complete as of the effective date of this section, specifying that any such action must be commenced within three years of the effective date of this section.