This property has a documented history as a gasoline service station predating 1986. Historical insurance policies issued during those prior operations and through 1986 could fund a cleanup.

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 contamination affecting this property is explicitly characterized as historical gasoline-related, originating from Time Oil's adjacent fuel station operations during the era when occurrence-based Commercial General Liability policies were the industry norm and lacked effective pollution exclusions. The Capitol City Studios building has stood at this location since 1939, placing the property squarely within the pre-1986 window during which neighboring fuel operations were governed by those policy terms. The anticipated multi-year cleanup costs — investigation, remediation design, and trench repair — represent expenditures that historical CGL carriers for the Time Oil station may still be obligated to fund.

Restorical's role is to locate viable historical policies, determine whether a successful coverage claim is possible, and assist our clients and their legal counsel to obtain insurance coverage. Restorical then manages the claim, including accounting, to ensure the cleanup is funded in a timely manner.