Barb Oliver Legal Defense Fund
Donation protected
This is so difficult for me because I’ve never asked anyone for money before. I’m in a bind, and I need your help.
As many of you know, it has been my dream to live on a houseboat. That dream has turned into a nightmare. Here are the basic facts:
1. I put my application in on the Wait List in the Des Moines Marina in October 2015. In November 2016, the Marina said I was #1 on the Wait List. They took my deposit (I have the receipt and cancelled check). Two weeks later I purchased my boat.
2. The Marina Rules state that they also give me paperwork for permanent moorage and paperwork for liveaboard status at the time of the deposit. Now, nearly 20 months later, they still have not issued the paperwork for permanent moorage or liveaboard status.
3. As a safeguard, the Marina issued a temporary (2 month) sublease agreement to cover me until a slip was available. I have been in “sublease hell” ever since.
4. In June 2017 the Marina office said that instead of #1 on the Wait List, I was actually #9. They gave no other reason other than “oops, we goofed.” Back into sublease hell.
5. After the June 2017 incident, I contacted every marina from Seattle to Gig Harbor. There is ZERO availability for a 50 ft. liveaboard for at least the next two years.
6. I have appealed through two of the four levels of the appeals process. In that process, the City admits that I was at least #3 on the Wait List in September 2016. Since that time, there have been five people who have been offered permanent moorage, which means that they have skipped over me now three times. The City has not offered an explanation as to if I was #3 in September 2016, how could I have been #9 on the Wait List nine months later.
7. The Marina keeps no back dated Wait Lists. They go solely on the Wait List Applications which we have proven can be easily falsified. However, I have a Wait List dated August 1, 2017 signed and verified by one of the Marina office staff. Comparing that list to the current list, there is one person on the current Wait List at #2 who was not even on the Wait List last August, further showing signs of fraud by the Des Moines Marina.
8. The Marina has stopped offering me the sublease fix and is now charging me $1215/month in moorage for public moorage as opposed to $805/month I have been paying for private moorage, even though my boat is still in private moorage. Now they are trying to force me out of the private moorage by July 1, even through the Marina rules clearly state, “During the appeal process, the tenant's moorage privileges shall not be affected, assuming all fees and charges are timely paid.” (which they are at the higher cost.)
9. Per the Marina rules, I have appealed to the Harbormaster and have been denied. I have then appealed to the City Manager and have been denied. Neither of these denial of appeals address the issues listed above. There are two more levels of appeal: the City Moderator and the City Council.
10. Here is the dollars and cents of it: I represented myself when I appealed at the Harbormaster level which was denied. I then hired an attorney to take me through the City Manager level. That cost $6800 in attorney fees for the appeal from the City Manager. ($3000 of that was paid for by an “angel”.) The appeal to the City Moderator will cost $840 just for the appeal plus another $6000 in attorney fees. The fees at the City Council level and then a possible lawsuit are undetermined at this time.
11. If money through this fund is collected in excess of the legal fees, half of the excess will be donated to the Membership Assistance Program (MAP) through the Seattle Women's Chorus and half will be donated to the Low Income Housing Institute to build tiny homes for the homeless.
I have tapped into my retirement and investments to pay to this level of appeal. I don’t have the option to put my boat in another marina. I have spent MANY hours and a lot of money so far, and I just want to get to a good resolve. Your donation in whatever amount would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity, your prayers and wise advice.
As many of you know, it has been my dream to live on a houseboat. That dream has turned into a nightmare. Here are the basic facts:
1. I put my application in on the Wait List in the Des Moines Marina in October 2015. In November 2016, the Marina said I was #1 on the Wait List. They took my deposit (I have the receipt and cancelled check). Two weeks later I purchased my boat.
2. The Marina Rules state that they also give me paperwork for permanent moorage and paperwork for liveaboard status at the time of the deposit. Now, nearly 20 months later, they still have not issued the paperwork for permanent moorage or liveaboard status.
3. As a safeguard, the Marina issued a temporary (2 month) sublease agreement to cover me until a slip was available. I have been in “sublease hell” ever since.
4. In June 2017 the Marina office said that instead of #1 on the Wait List, I was actually #9. They gave no other reason other than “oops, we goofed.” Back into sublease hell.
5. After the June 2017 incident, I contacted every marina from Seattle to Gig Harbor. There is ZERO availability for a 50 ft. liveaboard for at least the next two years.
6. I have appealed through two of the four levels of the appeals process. In that process, the City admits that I was at least #3 on the Wait List in September 2016. Since that time, there have been five people who have been offered permanent moorage, which means that they have skipped over me now three times. The City has not offered an explanation as to if I was #3 in September 2016, how could I have been #9 on the Wait List nine months later.
7. The Marina keeps no back dated Wait Lists. They go solely on the Wait List Applications which we have proven can be easily falsified. However, I have a Wait List dated August 1, 2017 signed and verified by one of the Marina office staff. Comparing that list to the current list, there is one person on the current Wait List at #2 who was not even on the Wait List last August, further showing signs of fraud by the Des Moines Marina.
8. The Marina has stopped offering me the sublease fix and is now charging me $1215/month in moorage for public moorage as opposed to $805/month I have been paying for private moorage, even though my boat is still in private moorage. Now they are trying to force me out of the private moorage by July 1, even through the Marina rules clearly state, “During the appeal process, the tenant's moorage privileges shall not be affected, assuming all fees and charges are timely paid.” (which they are at the higher cost.)
9. Per the Marina rules, I have appealed to the Harbormaster and have been denied. I have then appealed to the City Manager and have been denied. Neither of these denial of appeals address the issues listed above. There are two more levels of appeal: the City Moderator and the City Council.
10. Here is the dollars and cents of it: I represented myself when I appealed at the Harbormaster level which was denied. I then hired an attorney to take me through the City Manager level. That cost $6800 in attorney fees for the appeal from the City Manager. ($3000 of that was paid for by an “angel”.) The appeal to the City Moderator will cost $840 just for the appeal plus another $6000 in attorney fees. The fees at the City Council level and then a possible lawsuit are undetermined at this time.
11. If money through this fund is collected in excess of the legal fees, half of the excess will be donated to the Membership Assistance Program (MAP) through the Seattle Women's Chorus and half will be donated to the Low Income Housing Institute to build tiny homes for the homeless.
I have tapped into my retirement and investments to pay to this level of appeal. I don’t have the option to put my boat in another marina. I have spent MANY hours and a lot of money so far, and I just want to get to a good resolve. Your donation in whatever amount would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity, your prayers and wise advice.
Organizer
Barb Oliver
Organizer
Seattle, WA