The former owner of a Bellevue condo purchased it through a taxpayer-funded affordable housing program and then moved to California, violating the provisions of an agreement while she rented it out. Read the article…………….
Woman, 42, accused of siphoning water funds (WA)
The former secretary/treasurer of a North Whidbey community association is accused of stealing more than $40,000, court records state. Johanna M. Boyle, 42, is accused of paying her husband, who was the association’s water manager, thousands of dollars for work he did not do over a seven-year period, according to the police report. Read the […]
Clark County buyers eager for condos, but developers skittish (WA)
There is a perception among developers that if you build a condominium you may as well be building a wasp’s nest. Veering into that market has gotten many builders stung by lawsuits over purported construction defects. Vancouver developer Elie Kassab has heard those concerns, but isn’t worried. People constantly ask whether he will build any […]
Homeowners in Packwood Threatened by Cowlitz River Launch Campaign to Save Properties (WA)
Property owners of the Timberline Community Association in Packwood have launched a fundraising campaign to raise money for a project that would protect several homes currently threatened by the migrating channel of the Cowlitz River. The association has voted to spearhead its own solution to stop bank erosion after Lewis County said the length of […]
Tom Kelly: Condo financing taking dead aim on renters
But the big question behind condo and alternative housing is financing. Will lenders bend their conservative outlook toward condos to support growth? In order to obtain financing, the percentage of owners in many buildings must equal 50 percent. That’s what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the largest suppliers of mortgage money in the country, often […]
Joint effort ponders Greenbank tide gate headache (WA)
In addition to problems occurring because of the aging infrastructure, the tide gate was never meant to accommodate the development that has taken place on surrounding property over the years, Zupich said. The issue occurs on land owned by the homeowner’s association, the Greenbank Beach and Boat Club, but it impacts more than just the […]
Hazen Hills Homeowners Association donates park to City of Kirkland (WA)
Mayor Amy Walen, Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold, Councilmembers Toby Nixon and Jon Pascal were joined by over 30 community members on June 10 to celebrate the transfer of Hazen Hills Park to the City of Kirkland. The park, located at 13215 121st Ave. N.E. in the Kingsgate neighborhood, was donated to the city by the […]
Small victory for homeowners in Helen’s View case (WA)
A small victory in the ongoing legal case between the Helen’s View Homeowners Association and developers seeking to build on an HOA remainder parcel happened last week as a county Superior Court judge ruled to remove lis pendens, or a notice of pending litigation, from properties implicated in the suit. Clark County Superior Court Judge […]
Helen’s View legal battle continues (WA)
The ongoing issue of a Ridgefield homeowners association against a would-be developer continues with a favorable court ruling in the developer’s favor happening earlier this month. On Dec. 16, Clark County Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke granted a motion by Holt Opportunity Fund LLC, the developer planning to build in a land parcel on the […]
Short-term rentals, long-term fix
The planning department for the city of Spokane is trying to get the word out that short-term rental operators using online home-stay networks such as Airbnb and VRBO are required to obtain licenses from the city and state. The Spokane City Council adopted a short-term rental licensing ordinance last year. Read the article…………….
Seattle’s history of housing segregation remains apparent today
Take a look at the deed record for most of the thousands of properties in many Emerald City neighborhoods, particularly those north of the Ship Canal. This (or something similar) is what you’ll still find: No property in said plat shall at any time be directly or indirectly sold conveyed or leased in whole or […]
Runstad Center report: Addressing condo construction defect liability may help promote affordable housing in Seattle (WA)
A new study from the University of Washington’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies suggests that Seattle and Washington state could invite development of more affordable housing by easing the legal risk — or the appearance of risk — in condominium development, construction, liability and insurance. The research was funded by the Washington State […]
Court Upholds Association Foreclosure for Unpaid Fines
A Connecticut court recently upheld a foreclosure action after an owner refused to pay fines assessed for her failure to construct a deck in accordance with board approved plans. Although this case was decided by a Connecticut court and is not binding in Washington, it demonstrates how a court in Washington might decide a similar […]
Sudden Valley (WA) rejects dues increases
Property owners in the communitywide homeowners association rejected four dues increases on a Saturday, Nov. 7, ballot, including a 28 percent increase for basic maintenance. Read the article……………
Debate rages on in Mt. Vista Homeowners Association (WA)
A total of 430 homeowners comprise the Mt. Vista Homeowners Association (HOA). We are situated right next door to the WSU campus. It is a beautiful neighborhood and many are beyond determined to keep it that way. In Mt. Vista, it has been eight years of questionable control and financial issues with the former Board […]
Community Associations Day, September 26th
The Washington Chapter of the Community Associations Institute (WSCAI) is hosting its annual Community Associations Day, or “CA Day” for short, on Saturday, September 26. Read the article………..
Behind the veil, condos repaired (WA)
In late 2012, the owners at 2200 Westlake reached a construction-defects settlement with Vulcan — worth about $26 million, according to Windermere broker Jeff Reynolds, who blogs about the condo sector. A 12-phase repair project began in fall 2013 and is scheduled to be finished by March. Read the article…………
Goats return to the Issaquah Highlands (WA)
Goats have returned to the Issaquah Highlands to clean up dry growth on the area’s steep hillsides, with nothing but the power of their prodigious appetites. Read the article……….
Frisinger and Highlands Association given green awards
On April 10, the city of Issaquah named former Mayor Ava Frisinger and the Issaquah Highlands Community Association as recipients of city environmental awards. Frisinger is the recipient of the 2015 Ruth Kees Environmental Award. The award recognizes individuals who have shown themselves to be exemplary advocates for the environment. Read more………
Washington Supreme Court Affirms Drainage Pipe Maintenance Decision
The Washington Supreme Court recently upheld an appellate court’s decision that the City of Bothell assumed responsibility for maintaining a drainage pipe installed in a residential subdivision in Snohomish County. The Court concluded that the only reasonable interpretation of the plat is that the City assumed responsibility to maintain that pipe. Read more……….
Is the condo boom back? Legal liabilities, housing crisis won’t scare these developers (WA)
Lowe Enterprises plans to start building a condo tower next month on Seattle’s First Hill, and the company’s ease in finding a builder blows a hole in one key argument. The belief that contractors have been scared off by the legal liabilities that come with such projects doesn’t seem to hold water. Read more………
Kent (WA) Mayor Cooke fails to pay condo assessment fee
A Meridian Valley Country Club condo association plans to sue Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke for failing to pay a condo assessment fee of $4,071 to paint the complex. Read more……..
Lexington neighbors fight for right to help with one another’s chores
Friendly neighbors at Lexington’s Tim Wa Estates scored a victory Tuesday afternoon after battling for months with local property managers. Read more………
Washington State HOAs Must Comply With New Law Regarding Meeting Minutes
Only one piece of state legislation directly affecting Washington State community associations became law in 2014. This new law amends RCW 64.38, which is the state law governing homeowners associations. The new law adds the following language to RCW 64.38.035(1): Read more……..
Law Change – HOA Minutes (WA)
Substitute House Bill 2567, prime sponsored by Representative Hans Zeiger (R-Puyallup) has been signed by Governor Inslee and takes effect June 11. The new law requires homeowner associations under RCW 64.38, to make meeting minutes from the previous association meeting available to each owner for examination and copying within sixty days after the meeting. […]