Dismissal of claims in commercial real estate case

A dispute arose between the seller and buyer of commercial real estate regarding the property’s purchase price and square footage. After the seller sued the buyer, the buyer sued others, including the escrow agent, for negligence in the handling of the transaction. The trial court ruled in favor of the escrow agent, but the Washington Court of Appeals reversed and held that the escrow agent was negligent.

 

The escrow company then turned to Socius to evaluate the case. We recommended that the agent supplement the record on appeal with the escrow instructions and petition for review to the Washington State Supreme Court. On the basis of that strategy, the Supreme Court accepted review, reversed the Court of Appeals, and reinstated the trial court ruling dismissing the claims against the escrow agent.