This property has a documented history as a property with a heating oil tank going back to 1947. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could recover the cleanup costs already paid.
The Dirt Lorde Property is a residential site in Bothell with structures built between 1926 and 1947, one of which was heated by an oil furnace connected to an approximately 200-gallon underground storage tank. The previous owner reportedly removed the heating oil UST from the north side of 12030 Woodinville Drive sometime in the 1990s. Washington State Ecology completed a Standard Cleanup review of the property and issued a No Further Action determination. That history could support an insurance cost recovery claim against carriers who issued insurance policies 40+ years ago.
Why Historical Insurance Policies May Be Accessible
Pre-1986 Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies were occurrence-based and did not contain an effective pollution exclusion in Washington. If contamination occurred while those policies were active, those historical insurance carriers may still have a legal obligation to fund the cleanup costs, even if the business closed or the property changed hands.
The heating oil tank at this property was associated with a house built in 1947, meaning it operated for decades entirely within the era when CGL policies were routinely issued to homeowners without effective pollution exclusions. The investigation, UST documentation, and regulatory process that produced the NFA determination all generated real, documented expenditures. Historical insurers whose policies covered this property during the tank's pre-1986 years of service may be obligated to contribute to recovery of those costs.
Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful cost recovery claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage for costs already incurred. Restorical's forensic accounting team works to re-establish and document past cleanup expenditures, ensuring the strongest possible basis for recovery.
Recovering Costs from an Older Cleanup
If this site reached No Further Action years ago, the original cleanup expenditures may be difficult to reconstruct. Restorical's forensic accounting team specializes in re-establishing and documenting past cleanup costs — even decades later — to build the strongest possible basis for an insurance recovery claim.
What We Look For
- Historical insurance policies (pre-1986)
- Policy numbers, carrier names, and coverage periods
- Connection between contamination timing and policy period
- Evidence linking cleanup obligation to insured activity
What We Deliver
- Historical Coverage Chart
- Trigger Analysis & Property/Policy Nexus
- Coverage strategy with recommendations
- Insurance funding for your remediation
- Claims Management & Forensic Accounting
The Restorical Proven Process
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Contact UsThis analysis is preliminary and based on publicly available records. Restorical Research is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.
