Everyone has probably heard the idiom, "Don't take no for an answer." This phrase can be traced back to a 1930 quote from Winston Churchill. It has been used countless times since in boardrooms, sales calls, and casting rooms. And yes… wait for it… it also applies in the field of insurance. read more

After a judgment and decree of foreclosure was entered, a sheriff's sale was held where you were the winning bidder/purchaser, but when do you actually become the legal, title owner of the property? read more

As many of you may already know, the Washington Common Interest Ownership Act ("WCIOA") was adopted by the legislature this year and goes into effect on July 1, 2018. read more

On January 25, 2018, I blogged about an HOA in Auburn, California that passed a rule requiring all of its owners to leave their garage doors open during the day. The goal of the rule was to prevent owners from using their garages as living spaces. The patently overbroad rule—which, in effect, would render residents' possessions in their garages unsecured—subjected the association and board to local and national media scrutiny and criticism. read more

A new Seattle ordinance, effective February 19, 2018, prohibits landlords from screening tenants based upon their criminal records. According to its proponents, the law, unanimously adopted by the Seattle City Council last August, is intended to lower barriers to housing for people with criminal histories, who are often rejected by landlords. Opponents of the measure argued, among other things, landlords' ability to use criminal background information to protect property and other residents was an important tool. Whether other cities in the Pacific Northwest will adopt similar measures is unclear, but the Fair Chance Housing Ordinance, SMC Chapter 14.06, is now law in the City of Seattle. Keep in mind that similar restrictions exist beyond Seattle in the federal Fair Housing Act, where associations with tenant screening restrictions are not able to obtain FHA financing. read more