Barker Martin

Condo-HOA Blog - February, 2018

SSB 6175: A "Lose-Lose" Situation for Washington Homeowners

Here it is, the Washington Common Interest Ownership Act that we have been talking about for years. It has finally obtained some momentum and is scheduled for a vote in the House TOMORROW, February 22. Problem is, this version of the bill will do far more harm than good for Washington Homeowners. Feel free to copy and paste any part of this article into an email urging your representatives to vote NO on SSB 6175. read more

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What do Your Rules Say about Your Community?

A lot has been said about community association rules, but most of these discussions center on the content of the rules as opposed to the overall language used or impression the rules give to owners within the community. Yet, there is another aspect of rules to consider. A good set of rules conveys not only what is permissible in a community, but says something about the character of a community. read more

Lien for Unpaid Assessments

Under Oregon state law, condominium associations and homeowner associations have an automatic lien against the unit or lot for unpaid assessments. In Washington, a condominium association has a lien on a unit for any unpaid assessments levied against a unit from the time the assessment is due. Unfortunately for Washington homeowner's associations, the state law is silent and does not specifically provide that the homeowner's association has a lien against the lot for unpaid assessments. However, most of the time, the association's specific governing documents will create a lien for the unpaid assessments. For Washington homeowner's associations, you will need to look at your association's governing documents to determine whether your association has a lien for unpaid assessments. read more

Elevator Pitch

I recently read an article published by U.S. News & World Report titled, How to Win a Fight With your Condo Association - Without Going Broke by Teresa Mears. The article includes some solid guidance. A more accurate but less flashy title might have been - How to influence Association Policy - Without a Fight. read more

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