A Multnomah County jury recently reached a verdict in a lawsuit filed by Robert Trebelhorn against the Wimbledon Square apartments. It was undisputed that Mr. Trebelhorn fell through a rotting second-story walkway and injured his knee. The jury awarded $295,000 for medical bills and pain and suffering. The jury, however, did not stop there. They awarded $20 million in punitive damages. No, you did not misread that number. Twenty. Million. Dollars. read more

For those that were not able to attend our recent presentations on the Washington Common Interest Ownership Act ("WCIOA"), Barker Martin is offering to have our attorneys come to your management company and review the key aspects of this new and comprehensive "common interest community" statute that takes effect on July 1, 2018. read more

I was reminded this week of a common pitfall: Don't choose your authority to fit the argument you're trying to make at the time. read more

Whether any of us are truly ready or not, the Washington Common Interest Ownership Act ("WCIOA") takes effect on July 1, 2018. That date will be here sooner than you think. Are you ready? read more

A relatively common request fielded by condominium associations is from owners wanting to sell their parking spot to another owner. While many owners may believe they own their parking space, parking spaces are almost universally classified as limited common elements that are assigned to a particular unit. While this means unit owners have many of the rights of ownership related to their parking space - such as preventing other vehicles from using the space - from a legal standpoint, they do not own title to the space. read more