A Carnation homeowner has filed a federal lawsuit against King County officials, claiming the county has no legal authority to collect property taxes on her land because it originated from a federal land grant.
In her suit filed in Seattle federal court Monday, March 9, Linda Cook named King County Assessor John Wilson, Department of Assessments Director Jeff Darrow, and King County as defendants.
Cook alleges that the county improperly imposed property taxes on land she owns on 268th Ave NE in Carnation. According to the complaint, the property traces its ownership back to a federal land patent issued under acts of Congress in the late 1800s.
Cook argues that because the land originated from a federal grant, local governments cannot legally impose an ad valorem property tax on it. The lawsuit frames the dispute as a constitutional question involving the Supremacy Clause and federal land grant statutes.
According to the filing, Cook has received annual tax assessments and billing statements from King County since acquiring the property, which she says violate rights tied to the original federal grant.
The complaint accuses Wilson and Darrow of assessing and enforcing the tax “under color of state law,” and seeks relief under a federal civil rights statute.
Cook is asking the court to declare that King County lacks authority to tax the property and to block further tax assessments or collections tied to the land.
She is also seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages against the officials named in the lawsuit, and reimbursement of any taxes already paid, along with interest.
The lawsuit was filed without an attorney, meaning Cook is representing herself in the case.
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