City of Bellingham enters settlement over ‘junk vehicle’ removal lawsuit
The city of Bellingham will pay two Whatcom County residents $150,000 as part of a settlement agreement over a lawsuit alleging that the city and its employees improperly seized a motor home.
The lawsuit was filed in Whatcom County Superior Court on April 16 by Jerry and Terri-Lynn Land, who allege that city police officers and public works employees seized their motor home on Sept. 27, 2023, without giving notice or an opportunity to dispute the seizure or move the vehicle.
The Bellingham City Council unanimously voted in favor of the settlement at Monday’s meeting following discussion in executive session. The settlement agreement does not constitute an admission of liability by any of the defendants, which included the city of Bellingham, multiple Bellingham Police Department officers, a towing service and scrapping company that the city contracts with and a Public Works Department employee.
In their lawsuit, the Lands accused the city and other defendants of violating their rights to due process, unreasonable seizures and excessive fines, as well as the infliction of emotional distress. They sought injunctions to require the city to develop policies and procedures that “adequately protect” people living in vehicles.
City of Bellingham spokesperson Melissa Morin said the city has agreed to “provide adequate notice and develop and train staff on policies and procedures” to “protect the due process rights of people who live in their vehicles” going forward.
The case has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning the Lands cannot refile the same claim in the future.
This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 2:12 PM.