RAVENSDALE—A King County Superior Court Judge has ordered Steve Hickey, an on-leave King County Fire District 57 Commissioner and independent journalist, to vacate the $1.4 million home he has allegedly been squatting in for two years without paying rent.
Hickey made a name for himself in the Seattle area for his highly successful construction company Meridian Build Group but his business closed in 2022 following several lawsuits and complaints, with some customers alleging he failed to deliver on his promises and made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Now Hickey is an independent Journalist who publishes primarily on social media platforms and prides himself as being the “first on the scene” to report. Hickey’s journalism efforts, which he monetizes, have garnered hundreds of thousands of followers.
Also a King County Fire District 57 Fire Commissioner, Hickey was put on leave from his position back in May after allegations surfaced of him abusing his position for personal gain while also allegedly using municipal equipment to promote his journalism channels.
Hickey also allegedly assisted Lynnwood City Councilman Josh Binda in making his Love Conquers All promotional video in December of 2022—a tour in which Binda profited at least $14,000. The promo video was shot in Council Chambers after hours. During this time Binda lent his city ID card to Hickey so that he could go in and out of the building unchaperoned. The two also forgot to set the alarm upon leaving, jeopardizing city resources and security.
The Ravensdale house Hickey is currently living in was owned by husband-and-wife Lee and Denise Strom when he moved in. Hickey entered a lease agreement with the Stroms to rent the property for a monthly price of $7,500, with an option to eventually purchase the property given he not be in default of the terms – including paying monthly rent and periodic option fees.
The lease Hickey signed also explicitly states that failure to make “the initial or subsequent annual renewal option fee payment will result in forfeit of [Hickey’s] rights to purchase the property.”
Based on this signed agreement, Hickey forfeited his rights to purchase the property when he stopped paying rent and failed to close on an agreed-upon Purchase and Sale agreement dated May 26, 2022. Hickey’s purchase option was terminated on June 2, 2022, court documents state.
In early August, 2023, the Stroms sold the property to Katrina Freitag. As part of that sales agreement, which closed on August 31, Freitag was to assume Hickey’s lease and with it all unpaid rent, utility fees, late fees, attorney fees, court costs, or financial breach of contract claims accrued by Hickey prior to the sales agreement closing.
Freitag personally served Hickey on September 8, 2023, with a notice that she was assuming landlord duties, where to tender unpaid rent, and a 90-day notice to vacate by December 31, 2023, as their tenancy would effectively be terminated so long as he did not pay all of his unpaid rent accrued.
At that point onward Hickey continued to refuse to pay his monthly rent of $7,500. On October 10, 2023, Hickey was again served with a 30-day notice to Pay Rent or Vacate the Premises, advising him that he still had until November 13 to pay all unpaid rent or vacate the premises and surrender the property to Freitag. Hickey failed to pay rent and failed to vacate the premises claiming that he had a right to purchase the property, a right that had been terminated back in June of 2022 for unpaid rent and an unclosed deal.
On November 21, 2023, Hickey was served with a complaint alleging him of Breach of Contract, Ejectment, Waste, Trespass, and Slander of Title. Hickey denied these allegation and motioned for a Partial Summary Judgement on April 30, 2024, filing its cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgement one month later with a hearing set for June 28, 2024.
On May 31, 2024, a Chief Civil Judge denied a motion to consolidate the two open cases on Hickey, both against the Stroms and new homeowner Freitag. Hickey’s motion for Partial Summary Judgement was denied on October 25, 2024 for failure to properly note a hearing date.
Hickey then made another motion for Partial Summary Judgement on November 4, 2024, and a hearing was held on November 20 where both parties argued their case.
During that hearing King County Superior Court Judge Jaime Hawk concluded that Hickey had breached his duty to pay rent to owner Freitag effectively terminating their rental agreement and allowing her to remove Hickey from her property under RCW Chapter 7.28. The Judge also found that Hickey’s claim of right to purchase property had been terminated and was no longer in effect.
The damages caused by Hickey’s refusal to pay rent or vacate will be determined at subsequent briefings.
Freitag told Reporters she has not received a single rent payment from Hickey since purchasing the home seven months ago, equating to roughly $50,000. This is separate to incurring roughly $40,000 in attorney fees as well as damages to the property. According to Freitag, Hickey has not maintained the property as well as he should have either. She would guess the damages would range between another $75,000 to $100,000.
Hickey now has 30 days to vacate unless the court finds it improbable to do so, in which case two additional 30-day periods will be allotted for a total of 90 days. Officers working for the King County Sheriff’s Office were also given permission to force him off of the premises if he refuses to do so.
The Lynnwood Times reached out to Steve Hickey for comment, but he did not answer his phone, nor return our calls, after repeated attempts.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
One Response
Why is the being lenient of Hickey. He is not a victim. He needs to removed by legal force, assets confiscated, wage lien invoked.