Still to be decided are trespass damages to cover the oysters that the Mason County based company grew and harvested improperly on the 17 acres of state tidelands just northeast of Gallagher Cove.
Company officials insist they had no idea the tidelands were owned by the state. They said the tidelands were mistakenly folded into a purchase of private tidelands by the company in 1972.
The land dispute came to light last year after neighbors who opposed some of Taylor's commercial shellfish operations filed complaints with the state auditor's office that the company was illegally profiting from state lands.
