OK, so no, despite the clickbait title, there is no one little trick to deal with problem owners. Maybe it's the political climate or the phases of the moon, but it sure seems like the "problem owner" issue is out in force right now. Take the Florida community that was recently vindicated in an arbitration against a particularly problematic owner in this Florida article. read more

It has been quite some time since this Blog explored an associations' authority to tow vehicles within their communities (prior blog article can be viewed here). Considering towing is a high-stress situation for most boards and the sheer number of questions we receive related to towing, we thought it would be useful to revisit a few of the basics of this issue. read more

For those of you who keep emailing me asking when I will be speaking next, I have good news! Ok, nobody has actually emailed asking me that (although some have emailed asking me to speak less…). In any event, I will be speaking at Oregon's 2nd Annual Law Day on Friday, February 1 at the Multnomah Athletic Club. My topic is "Risks and Tips on How to Deal With Aging HOA Communities." I will be offering up tips for both physical elements (caulking, inspections, etc.) and risk management (insurance reviews, appraisals, etc.). My intent is to provide tangible tips for HOA's to prolong the life of their buildings. So, if that interests you or if you are suffering from incurable insomnia, feel free to attend. read more

Events of casualty damage, even when some of the damage is covered by an association's insurance policy, can be very expensive for condominium and homeowners associations, primarily because association insurance deductibles are typically tens of thousands of dollars per claim. The deductible expense is really just the portion of the cost to repair that is not covered by insurance, and is often a common expense paid by all owners. Whether an association can pass that expense—often the amount of the association's deductible—directly to the owner who caused the damage, or to the owners whose units were damaged, often depends on the provisions of an association's recorded declaration. read more

By now, many communities in Washington will already have prepared, and maybe even had budgets approved, for 2019, but we wanted to get in one last reminder that because WCIOA's budget section applies to all condos and HOAs, your budget may be a little different this year, and you may have a little explaining to do at the budget ratification meeting. But whether the application of the WCIOA budget provision at RCW 64.90.525 is simple or not depends upon whether you are working with an HOA or Condo. Below are some highlights of the differences you may have to explain to owners. read more