Halverson v. Skagit County

This is a direct appeal from a judgment on a jury verdict in an inverse condemnation action. Over 100 residents of the Nookachamps area of Skagit County, Washington, suffered flooding in November 1990. Claiming that the County took their lands without just compensation contrary to the eminent domain provisions of the Washington State Constitution,1 Plaintiffs brought suit against Skagit County.2

We hold Plaintiffs failed to plead a viable theory for imposing liability on the County for the levee-induced flood*4ing because the County did not own the levees or property on which they were built.…