City of Seattle v. P. B. Investment Co.

— Does a first-class city have the authority to settle a private claim against it by granting the claimant the right to use a portion of a public street for a certain length of time? Assuming arguendo that such an authority does exist, may the city subsequently summarily order the private use of the street to cease when such use conflicts with the public need to make full use of the street notwithstanding the fact that the term of private use originally granted has not yet expired? These are the primary questions presented by this appeal.

The undisputed facts necessary to an understanding of…