For currently existing condos, co-ops, and homeowner associations, there is a process to adopt the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (“WUCIOA”). First the owners must vote to amend the declaration and choose to be governed by WUCIO…
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WUCIOA requires all board and board committee meetings to be open to the members (But this is not legal advice for your specific association) The Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) is a new law that takes effect on July 1, 2018…
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WUCIOA makes restrictions on use easier to adopted, like rental caps and smoking bans (But this is not legal advice for your specific association) The Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) is a new law that takes effect on July 1,…
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Methods of enacting a no-smoking rule There are three ways we have seen clients enact (or attempt to enact) a no-smoking rule: 1) Amendment to Declaration/CC&Rs: This method is likely the most difficult and costly way to enact a smoking ban, but…
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Washington law contains numerous provisions containing restrictions and requirements on COAs and HOAs. In many cases, however, the law contains a minimum requirement only and defers to the more specific provisions of the governing documents. For a pr…
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Often condo declarations state that some building components are to be paid for exclusively by one group of owners. This may include all residential owners, or all owners within a single building. This means that reserve contributions for those compo…
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Today I was asked again about whether the waterproof coating on a limited common element deck was the unit owner’s responsibility or the condo association’s responsibility. The answer depends on your specific condominium declaration, and depends…
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This week I was asked to review a construction contract valued at about $50,000. In addition to problems because the contract was written by the contractor with very favorable terms for the contractor, we discovered that the association used the wron…
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In the hierarchy of what laws and rules govern community associations, federal and state laws are the top dogs. However, every association, whether it’s a condo or an HOA, also has governing documents that supplement the laws about how its communit…
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The Legislature adopted new restrictions on all community associations’ ability to foreclose on homes for delinquent assessments. These restrictions are found in HB 1482. Key Provisions: You cannot start a foreclosure if less than 3 months of regul… Read More
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee has issued many proclamations suspending and/or modifying state laws in order to provide financial relief to individuals affected by COVID-19. Recent proclamations affect what community associations can do when an… Read More
Many communities have questions about managing their common facilities in light of the COVID-19 virus. Associations need to balance the needs of the larger community against protecting the health and safety of their members. This memo contains genera… Read More
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