Recently, the Division 1 Court of Appeals of Washington issued its opinion in the case of Viewcrest Condominium Association v. Robertson, 2016 WL 7470025 (December 27, 2016). The decision by the Court in Viewcrest will need to be considered when evaluating collection of delinquent condominium assessments in Washington. read more

One aspect of real property law that I find interesting is how some of the nastiest legal disputes are between neighboring property owners. On one hand, it would seem incumbent upon neighbors to be friendly and cooperative to one another because they are forced to interact regularly. On the other hand, the likelihood, or at least opportunity, for disputes seems to increase proportionately the closer people live to one another. read more

On September 13, HUD released new rules for the Fair Housing Act (FHA) that will impact community associations. Under these new rules, which take effect on October 14, 2016, a community association could face liability for the discriminatory acts of residents who harass or create a hostile environment for other residents. read more

Most of us can be quick to point fingers. It might be a fender-bender, an overcooked hamburger, or losing the Superbowl on the last play of the game - I know my first instinct is to figure out who is to blame for my suffering. In life, this instinct may be correct most of the time. If someone hits your car, you call the cops then expect the other driver's insurance to pay to fix it. If your hamburger is burned, you send it back and blame the chef. read more

Interest rates have never been better. As a result, many owners have jumped at the chance to refinance their homes or condos at seriously low rates. Yet, individual owners are not the only ones who can benefit from these low rates. Community association loan rates are probably lower than you think. Some of our associations have seen rates in the 4% range, and they may be going even lower if recent economic trends continue. read more