Incorporating technology into our homes is big, big business in the Unites States. Where once we were clapping at our lamps, now we can control virtually everything inside and outside of the home with the sound of our voice or apps on our phones. As part of this growing trend, video doorbells have become immensely popular, and offer real-time video and audio streams, as well as cloud-based recording. Companies like Ring, August, Nest, and Honeywell have a wide variety of devices with near limitless options. 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

Sheds, decks, hardwood flooring, and, yes, baseball fields. Homeowners associations and condominium owners associations in Washington and Oregon almost universally restrict what owners can and cannot construct on their lot or in their unit, and most use some version of an Architectural Review Committee ("ARC") to enforce it. read more

Over the last several years, mandatory arbitration provisions have become more and more prevalent in the contracts we sign and agreements we make. They have appeared in nearly every agreement we enter into as consumers - including the warranties for products we buy and agreements for services we use. That is no different for community associations. It is exceedingly important to be aware of when your association's contract requires arbitration instead of seeking a remedy through the court system. 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