Terms of Service

Last updated: September 13, 2025

Welcome to bentonwa.org (the “Site”). The Site collects and organizes official tools, services, resources, government websites, and department contact information related to Benton County, Washington, to help users find information more quickly. These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Site. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site.

1) About the Site

The Site is an information platform. It does not operate as a government entity, broker, agent, or service provider and does not participate in any transactions. The Site aggregates and presents links and information from public sources and third parties for convenience only. While we aim to present useful and timely references, the Site does not guarantee accuracy, completeness, or the real-time nature of any content. Users should independently verify all information before relying on it.

2) No Fees and No Registration

The Site does not charge users any fees for access or use. Users are not required to create an account to use the Site. Any fees charged by third-party websites, services, or advertisers that you access through links on the Site—including but not limited to AdSense or other advertising partners—are entirely unrelated to and not controlled by the Site.

3) Third-Party Links, Services, and Advertising

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, tools, or services, including government resources and advertiser content. These third parties are solely responsible for their own content, policies, pricing, and availability. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for any third-party sites or services, and we make no representations regarding their accuracy or reliability. Your interactions with third parties are solely between you and those parties, and you should review their terms and policies before proceeding.

4) Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with these Terms. You will not:

Access or use the Site through robots, crawlers, scrapers, spiders, bots, or any automated means, except for bona fide search engines honoring robots.txt and with our prior written authorization.

Engage in unauthorized data scraping, data mining, bulk extraction, or harvesting of information.

Interfere with, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, its servers, networks, or related systems.

Circumvent or violate any security, rate-limiting, or access-control measures.

Use the Site to infringe the rights of others, to distribute malware, or for any fraudulent, abusive, or harmful activity.

We reserve the right to block or throttle traffic, suspend or terminate access, or employ technical and legal measures against activity that violates these Terms or harms the Site, its users, or third parties.

5) Intellectual Property and Content Use

Unless otherwise noted, the Site’s layout, compilation, and content (excluding third-party marks, logos, and materials) are owned by or licensed to the Site and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may view and, for personal and non-commercial purposes, temporarily download or print reasonable portions of the Site. Any other use—including copying, distribution, public display, framing, systematic retrieval, or commercial exploitation—is prohibited without prior written permission. Third-party logos, names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and used for identification purposes only.

If you provide feedback, suggestions, or improvements, you grant us a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, copy, modify, and incorporate your feedback without obligation to you.

6) Accuracy, Timeliness, and No Guarantee

Information on the Site may be delayed, contain errors, or become outdated. Government operations, department hours, forms, fees, and procedures change frequently. The Site does not guarantee the timeliness, accuracy, or completeness of any content and does not commit to updates on any particular schedule. You are solely responsible for verifying information with official sources before making decisions or taking action.

7) Service Availability and Modifications

The Site is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Site at any time without notice. We are not responsible for losses or damages arising from service interruptions, data errors, maintenance, technical failures, or events beyond our control, nor for the actions or omissions of third parties (including advertisers, hosting providers, or linked sites).

8) Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of accuracy, reliability, non-infringement, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and quiet enjoyment. We do not warrant that the Site will be error-free, secure, uninterrupted, or free of harmful components, or that defects will be corrected.

9) Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event will the Site or its owners, operators, affiliates, licensors, or service providers be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunities, arising out of or related to your use of or inability to use the Site, third-party content, or these Terms, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

10) Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Site and its owners, operators, affiliates, licensors, and service providers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Site; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party; or (d) your content or submissions, if any.

11) Privacy

Your use of the Site is also subject to our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and disclose information. Please review it carefully. By using the Site, you consent to our data practices as described there.

12) Compliance with Laws

You are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations when using the Site. The Site is subject to the jurisdiction of federal laws of the United States and the laws of the state in which the Site operates, including the laws of the State of Washington.

13) Suspension and Termination

We reserve the right, in our sole discretion and without notice, to suspend or terminate your access to the Site, remove or disable content, and take any other remedial action if we believe you have violated these Terms, infringed rights, posed a security or legal risk, or interfered with the Site’s operations or other users. We also reserve the right to block automated or abusive traffic and to implement technical controls to protect the Site.

14) Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the federal laws of the United States and the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state courts located in Benton County, Washington, or the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington for any dispute arising out of or relating to the Site or these Terms.

15) Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised Terms on the Site and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Site after any changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. We may also announce significant changes via website notices.

16) Severability and Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, that provision will be deemed severed and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. These Terms, together with any policies referenced herein (including our Privacy Policy), constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Site and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings relating to the subject matter.

17) No Waiver

No failure or delay by us in exercising any right or remedy under these Terms will constitute a waiver of that right or remedy, nor will any single or partial exercise of any right or remedy preclude any other or further exercise of that or any other right or remedy.

By using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.