Burg v. City of Seattle

Quaere: Does a writ of mandamus lie to compel a municipality to repair a street partially closed by a landslide and to restore 4-wheeled vehicular access of certain homeowners to their property abutting on such a street? We answer in the negative and reverse.

After waiting more than 9 months for the City of Seattle to repair the damage caused by a landslide which resulted in the partial closure of the street which provides the only access to their homes, residents of Perkins Lane West (the Burgs, the Silvermans, Adolph, Hartnagel and Lint) sued for monetary damages and for a writ of mandamus…