A Homeless Man's Truck Is His Home, Judge Rules In Seattle

In a case that may have a significant implications for Seattle's fast-growing homeless population, a King County Superior Court judge ruled on Friday that the pickup truck a man was living in was his home.

The case concerns a 57-year-old man named Steven Long, whose pickup was impounded because it was improperly parked and he didn't move it every 72 hours. Long was living in the truck while working as a janitor at CenturyLink Field, and he said the vehicle wasn't running well enough to move it.

Because of Washington's frontier-era homestead law, the judge's ruling means the city can't impound the truck. The judge also ordered the city to refund the fees Long was levied for the towing and impoundment, saying Seattle violated constitutional protections against excessive fines.

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