Carter v. Palzer

Facts of Case

The City of Everett foreclosed against a house and lot for nonpayment of $56.21 in local improvement district assessments. The case before us involves competing claims to ownership of that property between the party who bought it at public auction for $238.91 (the total of the assessments owing plus interest, penalties, and foreclosure costs) and the titleholders who were unaware either of the assessments or that the property was being sold. The titleholders purchased the property in 1961 for $7,500, and more recently expended approximately another $4,500 on it.

*696The titleholders…