Appeal process for fee complaints on or after January 1, 2004
March 2008 Update
Property owners who wish to dispute the fee estimates and billings for their County land use development and building permits now have a new avenue of appeal.
On February 25, 2008, the King County Council adopted legislation recommended by Executive Sims to allow applicants to appeal DDES fee estimates and billings. The new procedures take effect March 17, 2008. The appeals process fulfills the terms of the Snohomish County Superior Court ruling.
DDES customer information bulletin #57, Fee Appeal Process (PDF, 84KB), is now available, which explains the fee appeal process in detail.
The adopted procedure requires applicants to first seek review of the estimate or billing through DDES. Applicants who are not satisfied with the results of that review will be able to appeal the fee estimates and billings to the Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner will have the authority to modify the estimate or billing, remand the matter to the department, or take other appropriate action.
To help defray the administrative costs of the appeal process, the ordinance provides for a $50 fee for appeals to the Hearing Examiner. The fee is refundable if the applicant substantially prevails in the appeal.
The ordinance also provides an appeal opportunity for applicants who received bills after January 1, 2004. These applicants have a one-year window to request review of their permit fees by DDES and to file an appeal with the Hearing Examiner.
View Ordinance 16026 (PDF*, 438KB) online, or read more about this legislation by going to the King County Council’s legisearch system and search at http://mkcclegisearch.metrokc.gov/mattersearch/ by typing in "16026".
For questions or more information about the fee appeal process, call DDES at 206-296-6714 or e-mail waiverappeal.ddes@kingcounty.gov. DDES has established this dedicated phone line and e-mail address for appeal questions.
*Note: To view PDFs, free software from Adobe is required. See helpful hints for assistance.
To request information in alternate formats for people with disabilities, call 206-296-6600 or TTY 206-296-7217.
