Court orders company owned by Soap Lake Mayor to repay couple for unfinished project

MOSES LAKE — A Grant County District Court judge on Wednesday ordered Sharp Development LLC to repay a Soap Lake couple $6,806 after finding the company breached a fence-construction contract by failing to perform the work after receiving payment. 

Judge Nicholas L. Wallace ruled July 1 in favor of plaintiffs Karen and Patrick Woodhouse following a small claims trial in Moses Lake, concluding that Sharp Development failed to perform work within a reasonable timeframe after receiving payment in June 2024. Sharp Development is owned by Soap Lake Mayor Peter Sharp.  

“The court finds that the amount of time that's passed has been more than reasonable, and that the contract has been breached by the defendant by not performing in a timely manner,” Wallace said from the bench. 

The judgment awards the Woodhouses $6,700 repayment, plus $45 in filing fees and $61 in service costs, for a total of $6,806. The judgment will accrue interest at 12 percent annually until paid in full. 

According to court testimony, the Woodhouses paid Sharp Development LLC $6,700 by credit card in June 2024 toward an estimated $8,850 project to construct a wooden fence around their Soap Lake property. The total estimate included labor and materials. 

Karen Woodhouse testified that Sharp also completed separate site preparation work, including leveling the property and moving dirt, for which he was paid approximately $1,100. 

When Wallace asked what happened after site preparation and payment for the fence project was made, Woodhouse responded simply, “Nothing.” 

Woodhouse told the court she worked alongside Sharp on the Soap Lake City Council and hired him because she was familiar with his construction business. She testified that the City of Soap Lake issued a permit for the fence project on June 11, 2024, but no fencing materials were delivered and construction never began. 

Over the following months, Woodhouse said she repeatedly contacted Sharp about a start date. “(Sharp) just kept saying, ‘Next week,’” she testified. 

Text messages entered into evidence showed repeated discussions about delays and requests for updates. In one message referenced during the hearing, Sharp told Woodhouse he would likely provide the materials that had been purchased and reimburse the remainder of the money. 

Sharp acknowledged receiving payment and testified that he had purchased materials for the project, including lumber, fencing panels and hardware. 

“I did not abandon the job whatsoever,” Sharp told the court. “I want to finish it.” 

Sharp testified that the project stalled because Sharp Development LLC encountered licensing issues with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries and was unable to legally perform the work until those issues were resolved. 

“I have all the materials, and in doing so, I would be able to install it, but I can't do it lawfully without a business license,” Sharp said. 

Sharp further testified that Woodhouse was aware of the licensing issues and never formally demanded the return of the money before filing the lawsuit. 

“At no point did I have any ability to finish it,” Sharp said, adding that he remained willing to complete the project once licensing matters were addressed. 

According to records from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Sharp Development LLC currently has seven infractions totaling $4,100, and the company’s business license was suspended Aug. 28, 2024. The violations include three citations for unlicensed electrical work issued Jan. 30, 2024, two carrying $250 penalties and one carrying a $1,000 penalty. Four additional citations were issued June 14, 2024: two construction-related fines of $1,000 each and two plumbing violations carrying penalties of $100 and $500. 

Wallace said the evidence showed the contract was between the Woodhouses and Sharp Development , not contractor Peter Sharp or partner Lee Er Phau-Sharp, individually. As a result, the judge dismissed claims against the individual defendants while entering judgment against the company. 

“There is no evidence in the record here that defendants, in their individual capacity, entered into a contract with the Woodhouses,” Wallace said. 

The judge noted that both the building permit and project invoice identified Sharp Development as the contracting party. 

“Plaintiff and Sharp Development LLC entered into a contract, defendant Sharp Development LLC breached the contract, plaintiff suffered a loss as a result of the breach,” Wallace said. 

Both parties were advised they have 30 days to appeal the decision. 

Woodhouse previously served on the Soap Lake City Council alongside Sharp. Wallace said those political relationships were not relevant to the court's decision. 

"To be honest with you, that's not relevant to me," Wallace said. "I don't care."