Volume 9 — Washington Appellate Reports

<bold>[1] Arbitration and Award — Agreement — Interstate Commerce —</bold> <bold>Effect.</bold> A contractual agreement inextricably linked to the continuing operations of an interstate business involves commerce between the states and, when arbitration provisions are included, brings such an agreement within the provisions of the federal arbitration act, 9 U.S.C. § 1-14. [See 5 Am.Jur.2d, Arbitration and Award §§ 6, 42.] <bold>[2] Contracts — Validity — Fraudulent Inducement — In General.</bold> Fraudulent inducement to enter a contractual agreement renders the agreement merely voidable, not void. <bold>[3] Arbitration and Award — Agreement — Interstate Commerce —</bold> <bold>Submission of Issue — Court or Arbitrator.</bold> In the absence of any expressed intent of the parties to the contrary, disputes respecting an agreement involving interstate commerce which contains arbitration provisions, including claims of fraud in the inducement, must be submitted to arbitration under the terms of the federal arbitration act, 9 U.S.C. § 1-14, regardless of contrary provisions of state statutes. Only those claims specifically alleging fraud in the inducement of the arbitration provisions themselves may be heard by the courts. <bold>[4] Arbitration and Award — Agreement — Fraudulent Inducement —</bold> <bold>Sufficiency of Allegation.</bold> Allegations to the effect that a party was unaware of arbitration provisions in an agreement, are insufficient to raise a claim that the agreement to arbitrate was fraudulently induced.