SPOKANE, Wash. — Racist property restrictions still exist in legal documents in Spokane and the Inland Northwest. Right now, there are local efforts to get rid of them for free.
'Restrictive covenants' were used historically to keep minority groups out of specific neighborhoods. A 1948 U.S. Supreme Court ruling made them illegal.
But, you may have them unknowingly in your property title. Vista Title and Escrow in Spokane is offering to help property buyers get rid of them for free.
In 2018, Washington state revised the law to give property owners the right to declare the racial restrictions as void. They can do this by filing a restrictive covenant modification.
It's a process CEO Anthony Carollo is proud to be a part of.
"We're improving Spokane one property at a time.” Carollo said. "We're taking the opportunity to help the buyer declare these void, then just take that stand to fix a past wrong. I think it's huge."
He said the company can only offer this service to those in the process of buying a property.
“Our title officers are already examining the title,” Carollo said. “They have an opportunity to find it, they can flag it in the file, we can send the home buyer a notice.”
State law says the modification document legally strikes, but does not physically erase, the void and illegal discriminatory provisions from the original document.
"I see this as an opportunity for us to make this piece of property better," Carollo said.
Carollo pointed KREM to a map of Spokane posted online based on community research. It highlights areas where racially restrictive language exists in their property titles.
Based on the map, it shows high concentration in the Shadle neighborhood, along with some scattered in Hillyard and Spokane's South Hill.
According to Carollo, restrictive covenants are predominant where properties were developed between 1920’s and 1960s.
“If you're building a home in an older neighborhood, they could be there,” he said. “If you're building a home and a brand new subdivision, they're not there.”
You can determine if a restrictive covenant is associated with your property by visiting the Spokane county website.
According to the website, first check with land title record with the county auditor, which are free to view, but fees are charged for copies. Another source is your owner's title insurance policy, which is usually issued upon the purchase of the property.
Then, the auditor's website walks you through the steps and information you need to take to record a restrictive covenant modification document.
The process of recording this modification document is free.
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