Builder sues to stop Bonney Lake man from getting blueprints

A Tehaleh home-owner essential blueprints to his property for a remodel, but the firm who constructed the home went to court to avert him from obtaining them.

Oakridge Households submitted an injunction with Pierce County Remarkable Court docket in December to protect against Michael Brandow from getting his house’s strategies from county files. Decide James Orlando granted a preliminary injunction Friday. A assessment listening to is scheduled for April 8. Orlando will determine then if the injunction turns into long term.

Builders and the county say it’s unusual that action is taken to block the launch of blueprints held by the county.

Oakridge Houses, which has been building households in Pierce County for more than 35 yrs, explained the programs incorporate trade secrets.

“Nondisclosure of the blueprints and constructing programs is crucial to secure the trade strategies contained therein, and to guard Oakridge from financial damage resulting from the public disclosure of these trade insider secrets,” the grievance reported.

The injunction was submitted in opposition to Pierce County, pulling in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Business to argue for the records’ launch. County lawyers said in their response that Oakridge has not demonstrated a likelihood that any part of the asked for documents qualify as trade techniques.

“The records at situation are copies of making strategies earlier evaluated and permitted by Pierce County employees that have been submitted to the county for uses of issuing household creating permits in compliance with Pierce County’s Constructing Code,” according to the county’s reaction.

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Michael Brandow poses outside his home in Bonney Lake on Thursday, March 10, 2022. Brandow is getting sued by a builder for earning a public data request for the blueprints to the home he acquired previous summer season. Cheyenne Boone [email protected]

Brandow feels discouraged and upset. He bought the home in July 2021 with the intention to do heavy reworking, seeking to knock down walls and drive out a person space. Brandow referred to as Oakridge for the plans before long right after the buy, but the Gig Harbor organization denied him.

Oakridge vice president Jeff Serven advised The Information Tribune the corporation provided to explain to Brandow which walls are critical in lieu of handing out the blueprints. He claimed that homeowners are usually content with that.

“We’ve never ever expert this difficulty,” Serven said.

The Master Builders Association of Pierce County informed the newspaper it’s not prevalent that a builder present dwelling blueprint ideas.

“This is mainly because the blueprint strategies are copyrighted and deemed intellectual property of the architect. Builders are granted use rights per home they construct. These legal rights are not transferable,” mentioned Bailee Wicks, the association’s director of communications.

Persons are no cost to post a public records request for programs filed with Pierce County for allow approval. The options are copyrighted, so the county ought to give the builder discover right before filling the information ask for, county spokesperson Tara Prolonged claimed. Condition legislation allows the builder to file an injunction to avert programs from currently being unveiled.

Pierce County instructed The News Tribune that a builder filing an injunction for residence options is “extremely rare.” The Learn Builders Association of Pierce County agreed.

“It is a exceptional course of action that somebody would try to get an injunction to get a public report from currently being attained,” Wicks explained.

Oakridge is worried that rivals could request the building strategies, which involve corporation insider secrets. Serven told The Information Tribune their housing ideas consist of structure instructions, like how to stay clear of squeaky floors.

“That’s our qualified livelihood that is delineated in people ideas,” he claimed.

Pierce County claimed the community has an desire in reviewing the strategies and acceptance choices produced by county personnel.

“Homeowners have an desire in examining their very own designs to understand what products had been used and exactly where they were placed. Creating programs can have an effect on selections by property owners about earthquake or flood insurance policies. Homeowners and contractors have an curiosity in these types of ideas for transforming. Property owners have an fascination in identifying no matter whether development matches the county accredited options,” the county argued in court filings.

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A look at of Michael Brandow’s home in Bonney Lake on Thursday, March 10, 2022. Brandow is being sued by a builder for generating a community information ask for for the blueprints to the dwelling he acquired final summer. Cheyenne Boone [email protected]

In January, Brandow posted on his community Facebook web site, detailing actions to file for home strategies. Levi Hargrove before long soon after also submitted for a data ask for on his Oakridge home in Tehaleh. He and two other people ended up additional to the injunction, one of whom has given that reached an arrangement with Oakridge outdoors of courtroom.

Hargrove wishes to increase a further place and knock down a number of walls. He doesn’t want to do big work with no the blueprint for the home detailing the places of pipes and electrical traces jogging behind the partitions.

“We wouldn’t even dream of performing that blind,” Hargrove informed The Information Tribune.

He anxieties that Oakridge’s hesitancy to share its designs usually means the builder did not abide by the blueprints submitted.

“They appear to be to be a minimal little bit shady,” he claimed.

Because the injunction was filed, Brandow has been capable to get photographs of the blueprints submitted with Pierce County by scheduling a community history inspection to evaluation the information at a county developing. He now feels the case is far more crucial than the blueprints.

“It’s far more about standing up to bullies. I experience like they’re just currently being the bully here,” Brandow explained.

This story was initially posted March 14, 2022 5:00 AM.

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