It’s long been a goal of Oregon’s elected leaders to increase home construction as a way to mitigate the homeless problem and get others into affordable home ownership. The current Oregon legislature is debating House Bill 3746, which would shorten the window to sue developers for construction defects from 10 years to 7 years. Read […]
Fire safety concerns at the Cherry Blossom Townhomes (OR)
An Ombudsman investigation found that the Fire Bureau’s poor communication left residents of an East Portland affordable housing community concerned about their safety. We also found that parking practices at the property could impede Fire vehicle access. Read the article…………………………….
Oregon Developers Build Few Condos. A Pending Bill Aims to Increase Production
House Bill 3746 A would shorten the time frame for condo owners to sue for construction defects in condominiums from 10 years to seven years. (Colorado, Nevada and Washington allow six years, as this bill originally did before being amended.) The bill would also require developers to test new buildings for moisture intrusion at two […]
Oregon Plaintiffs Oppose ‘Stay’ in Corporate Transparency Act Case
Dawn M. Bauman, chief strategy officer for the lead plaintiff in the 4th Circuit case, Community Associations Institute, told Checkpoint that the group does not intend to oppose the government’s motion to hold the case in abeyance. But the plaintiffs in the 9th Circuit case, Firestone v. Bessent, are taking a different approach. Read the […]
Fire leads to water damage at Lake Oswego luxury condominiums (OR)
As final work was being completed on units within the Frances Condominiums on D Street in Lake Oswego this week, a small fire ignited — leading the water sprinkler system to damage many units within the complex. The Lake Oswego Fire Department responded to the fire at 2:38 a.m. Wednesday, April 23. When firefighters arrived, […]
Could condominiums increase affordability? (OR)
Quite a few Oregon developers, nonprofits, and legislators support creating condominiums of five or more units to help reduce the lack of affordable housing – including in Sisters. Developers and advocates argue that current law disincentivizes condo construction. Read the article…………………………….
Could condominiums increase affordability? (OR)
Quite a few Oregon developers, nonprofits, and legislators support creating condominiums of five or more units to help reduce the lack of affordable housing – including in Sisters. Developers and advocates argue that current law disincentivizes condo construction. Read the article…………………………….
Todd Prager Fought to Liberate Oswego Lake—and Won (OR)
Oswego Lake, the defining feature of the similarly named suburb Lake Oswego, is a public body of water. Prager, a consulting arborist with a fondness for lake swimming, and Mark Kramer, a local lawyer who enjoys kayaking, have been making that case since 2012, when they filed a federal lawsuit against the city. That year, […]
Wyden, Colleagues Urge Federal Courts to Affirm That Congress Holds the Power to Crack Down on Money Laundering
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined his colleagues in filing amicus briefs that called on two federal courts to affirm that Congress holds the power to crack down on anonymous money laundering under the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021. Read the article…………………………….
Oregon Coast dotted with community supply caches for the ‘big one’ and other emergencies
Her solution was to join the Depoe Bay Fire Department’s Emergency Response Team, “Well, I mean that’s how you meet people. You join things and you volunteer.” As part of that team, Andreika helped her east Depoe Bay homeowners’ association raise $10,000 to buy an old shipping container, pack it with supplies and park it […]
Leak in water line forces shutoff for 60 homes in Ogden neighborhood (OR)
Over 60 homes were without water over the weekend after a water leak was found in a neighborhood line, just northeast of downtown Ogden, where construction crews worked to fix the water line…..The HOA president said they are working hard to get everything put back together. Read the article…………………………….
River’s Edge Golf Course sold to homeowners association (OR)
The River’s Edge Community Master Association announced its purchase of Bend’s River’s Edge Golf Course. The members of the association closed the sale and received the recorded title to the property on Friday morning. Read the article…………………………….
Small plane crashes into Oregon residential building near Portland, engulfing condos in fire, officials say
A small plane crashed into a residential neighborhood Saturday morning just east of Portland, Oregon, sparking a fire in a condominium complex, officials said. Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis told reporters that the plane crashed into “a row of three-story condo units,” four of which caught fire. Read the article…………………………….
River’s Edge Golf Course sold to homeowners association (OR)
The River’s Edge Community Master Association announced its purchase of Bend’s River’s Edge Golf Course. The members of the association closed the sale and received the recorded title to the property on Friday morning. “This is a wonderful day for the community,” said Jeff Kramer, president of the association. “We saved the golf course, and […]
Lake Oswego luxury condominium case resolved (OR)
The Oswego Talisman Condominium Association had filed a lawsuit against the owners of the future Frances condominiums, Hugh Development (and its affiliated LLC North D State) in 2022 over a sewer line that the association alleged was ruptured during construction of the luxury condos next door. The case was eventually dismissed due to a settlement […]
Clackamas Water Environment Services awards $300,000 in RiverHealth Stewardship Grants to protect watersheds (OR)
Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) is awarding $300,000 in grants through its RiverHealth Stewardship Program to 13 organizations dedicated to protecting local watersheds. The grants support various activities that restore habitat, manage invasive plant species, organize community volunteer events, provide watershed science education, and remove trash from waterways while enhancing water quality. Funding for RiverHealth […]
Peace flag defender sparks online debate: The Ridge at Eagle Crest bans all flag displays but the Stars and Stripes (OR)
The Eagle Crest area west of Redmond is home to seven neighborhoods’ homeowners associations, one of which recently sparked debate by moving to ban the display outside homes of all flags except the US flag. Read the article…………………………….
No peace symbol! Eagle Crest HOA cracks down on unauthorized flags (OR)
No peace symbols. That’s the message one man in Eagle Crest got from his homeowner’s association in what he calls a newly enforced ban on most flags. Ken Bauman was notified this week his tie-dyed peace symbol flag did not meet the requirements, in a letter sent from The Ridge at Eagle Crest Owners Association. […]
‘It’s become us versus them’: Beaverton families face thousands in fines from HOA board, little recourse (OR)
A group of Beaverton homeowners, facing thousands of dollars in fines from their neighborhood’s HOA board, tried to remove their board president from his position — only for the board to change the neighborhood’s bylaws the very next day, making it ‘essentially impossible’ to be removed from power. Read the article…………………………….
River’s Edge Golf Course sold to homeowners association (OR)
The River’s Edge Community Master Association announced its purchase of Bend’s River’s Edge Golf Course. The members of the association closed the sale and received the recorded title to the property on Friday morning. “This is a wonderful day for the community,” said Jeff Kramer, president of the association. “We saved the golf course, and […]
Cosmopolitan residents battle over Pearl District condo tower’s $31 million repair bill (OR)
For Tom Garcia, life at the posh Cosmopolitan condo tower became untenable during a heat wave last August. The Pearl District building’s troubled HVAC system failed, again, meaning no air conditioning. The glass walls of his southwest-facing unit magnified the afternoon sun. Read the article…………………………….
Here’s what it takes to remove racist language from Oregon home deeds
Lake Oswego homeowners Gerrit Koepping and Elisabeth Zeller were the first Oregonians to remove long illegal discriminatory language from their property deed and have the historic document archived under a new law that took effect Jan. 1. Read the article…………………………….
Legal battle may resume between Lake Oswego condo association and builder of new luxury penthouses (OR)
A Lake Oswego condominium association recently asked the Clackamas County Circuit Court to reopen a civil case against the owners of a luxury complex along State Street. The Oswego Talisman Condominium Association had initially filed a lawsuit against the owners of the future Frances condominiums, Hugh Development (and its affiliated LLC North D State), over […]
Oregon homeowners face rising premiums or limited property insurance options due to wildfire risk
Nancy Matela co-owns a vacation home in a wildfire zone northwest of Bend that has a new, annual property insurance premium of $9,000. It’s more than nine times what the company Safeco charged her a year ago. That policy remains her only option as well: Her broker couldn’t find her another one. Read the article…………………………….
‘He definitely needs to be recalled’: Sunriver homeowners frustrated after misleading email endorses candidate (OR)
Homeowners in Sunriver are voting this month on electing directors to the Sunriver Owners Association board. In early July, the SROA members received an email from what appeared to some to be the official association, including the SROA logo, endorsing just one candidate, Bob Tiernan, when there are several on the ballot. Read the article………………………..
People living in HOAs could have gardens, hens and bees under bill moving through Oregon legislature
People who live in neighborhoods with homeowners associations would have the right to engage in gardening, hen-keeping and beekeeping under a bill moving through the Oregon legislature. Read the article………………………..
Mill Creek Community Association to remove about 50 trees due to laminated root rot infection (OR)
The Mill Creek Community Association is knocking down all trees within a fifty-foot radius of any tree infected with laminated root rot. Many are sky-high Douglas Firs that have been there for decades. It’s estimated 50 trees in total will need to come down. Read the article………………………..
A Homeowners Association in East Portland Is in Knots Over What a $5 Million Repair Might Mean for Its Low-Income Residents
The angry homeowners had a clear mission: ditch the entire board. They needed a simple majority of owners by square footage to do so—there are 111 units total at the complex. At issue was a $5 million siding project the HOA board had recently approved and that was already underway. Read the article………………………..
River’s Edge Golf Course Sold to Homeowners Association (OR)
The River’s Edge Community Master Association has purchased Bend’s River’s Edge Golf Course. Jeff Kramer, president of the association said the sale means preserving a precious amenity for homeowners, and an iconic public golf course for the Bend community. Read the article………………………..
Tigard Man Submits Phony Claim for Surfside Condo Collapse Settlement Money, Miami Herald Reports (OR)
A 33-year-old Tigard man was one of the victims of the condominium collapse in Surfside, Fla., last year. Or so he says. His is one of 458 dubious claims that have been filed to receive a portion of a $1.1 billion settlement in the wake of the tragedy Read the article………………………..
A Lakefront Brawl Poisons Oregon’s Most Exclusive Waters (OR)
Oswego Lake is like a page out of a Sierra Club calendar. Towering Douglas firs cling to hillsides that slope down to sparkling waters. A lone kayaker pauses to watch a soaring osprey, his silhouette framed by a lakeshore lined with some of the state’s most expensive residential real estate. Read the article………………………..
Creekside residents defeat golf club funding plan, but course will stay open for now (OR)
Creekside neighborhood residents have overwhelmingly voted against financially supporting the adjacent Creekside Golf Club. Club owner Larry Tokarski, who had threatened to close the 18-hole course and develop the property without that support, now says the club can stay open in the short-term. Read the article………………………
Creekside neighbors battle over proposal to fund private golf course (OR)
Tensions are rising in a south Salem neighborhood as a vote approaches on whether residents should pay to help operate a nearby private golf course. More than 200 residents of Creekside Estates attended a chaotic town hall meeting on the proposal Wednesday night. More than a dozen stormed out before the meeting ended. Read the […]
Creekside HOA board backs away from golf course funding plan (OR)
The Creekside Homeowners Association Board is distancing itself from a proposal to assess each homeowner $90 per month to support a neighboring private golf club. Read the entire article……………………………….
Creekside Golf Club asks neighbors for $4.2 million to pause housing development (OR)
Creekside Golf Club is again asking an adjoining neighborhood to prop up its bottom line. In return for an estimated $4.2 million, the club’s owners will pause plans to develop the property into housing for five years, according to a proposal sent to homeowners last week. Read the entire article……………………………….
Fire causes $120,000 damage to NW Bend condominium unit; other residents evacuate (OR)
A fire traced to a failure in a heating-cooling unit caused $120,000 damage to a condominium unit in northwest Bend Saturday afternoon, prompting nearby residents to evacuate the three-story building, officials said. Read the entire article……………………………….
Fishhawk Lake set to upgrade infrastructure (OR)
Fishhawk Lake Reserve and Community, which was fined by the state over the deaths of thousands of fish after its reservoir was drained, is looking to turn the page as it nears construction of a new spillway and fish ladder at its dam. Read the entire article……………………………….
River’s Edge community closes on golf course purchase, averting disputed home development (OR)
The River’s Edge Community Master Association announced Monday that it closed its purchase of the River’s Edge Golf Course and recorded the title to the property on Friday morning, averting a planned sale to Pahlisch Homes that would have turned half the 18-hole course into hundreds of additional homesites. Read the entire article……………………………….
Palisades residents speak out against HOA at council meeting (OR)
Nearly a dozen residents of the Lincoln Palisades spoke against the formation of a new homeowners association at the 150-lot subdivision during Monday’s meeting of the Lincoln City City Council. Read the entire article……………………………….
Cops called 175 times on Beaverton ‘zombie condo’ squatters (OR)
For nearly 5 years Alex Dvir has lived in a condo complex in a quaint area in southwest Beaverton, near a middle school and a few parks. But over the past 2 years he and his fellow condo owners have had to call authorities on squatters 175 times. Read the entire article……………………………….
Touchmark residents, staff raise more than $35,000 for Alzheimer’s Association (OR)
For individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, each day presents challenges that require compassion to overcome. In honor and support of their experiences, The Alzheimer’s Association promotes an annual fundraising season that culminates with two events, The Longest Day on the summer solstice and the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s toward the end of […]
‘It feels like we didn’t matter’: Extreme heat raises questions over bans on window AC units (OR)
Denise Lewis doesn’t want to break the rules, but she feels like she has no choice. Her Northeast Portland condominium complex bans window AC units. So, amid this week’s extreme heat, she tried going without air conditioning altogether. Read the entire article……………………………….
Rising cost of lumber stands in the way of rebuilding after the Almeda Fire (OR)
What salts the wounds is the idea that she may not be able to settle back into the town and community she had come to love because the rising cost of lumber may block the Homeowners Association from rebuilding. She sits on the HOA board along with four other women she says are “incredible.” Read […]
Fishhawk Lake fights fish kill fine (OR)
The Fishhawk Lake Reserve and Community is fighting a $439,200 penalty from the state for allegedly killing more than 30,000 fish after draining the reservoir in 2019. The lake, considered state waters, is held back by an earthen dam built along Fishhawk Creek in the 1960s for a private community on the border of Clatsop […]
Four Bend Neighborhoods Join Firewise (OR)
Four neighborhoods in the Bend area and one in Canyon City in Grant County joined the national Firewise program last year and were among 182 communities across the state that conducted a variety of projects from cutting brush to thinning overcrowded stands of trees, to clearing brush away from evacuation routes and promoting education and […]
SW Bend HOA to residents: No ‘solidarity’ or political signs, except at election time (OR)
Some residents in southwest Bend’s River Rim neighborhood are reacting with concern to a board letter telling them that what are defined as ‘solidarity signs” must come down until election time. Read the article……………………………..
Condo complex seeks dunes permit (OR)
The residents of Breakers Point have submitted an application for a foredune grading conditional-use permit to the Cannon Beach Planning Commission that’s scheduled to be heard Jan. 23, according to city officials. Breakers Point Condominiums are oceanfront properties located at the north end of Cannon Beach. Read the article…………………………..
Private Bend neighborhood questions city stormwater fees (OR)
Neighbors in a private Bend subdivision say they pay too much in stormwater utility fees, and they want the city to do something about it. Larry Waters, a former public works director in Washington state and the president of the River Rim Homeowners Association, is making his case that his private neighborhood in southwest Bend […]
What if an HOA has questionable finances? (OR)
I’m looking at investment property in a subdivision with a homeowners association (HOA). A friend recently bought a home in the same subdivision and (the) lender required a review of HOA documents. These documents turned out to be in a significant state of disarray, which delayed the closing process. Should this concern me? How big […]
Southeast Bend neighbors sue over vacation rental (OR)
A southeast Bend homeowner is suing her neighbor because the neighbor is operating a permitted short-term rental that violates the covenants and restrictions of the community. The vacation rental’s owners, Tina and Eric Eckstein, could not be reached for comment regarding the property on Bilyeu Way in Canal Crossing. Read the article…………………