Since our enforcement hearing presentation at WSCAI's Made for Managers Day a couple of weeks ago, we have been getting a lot of feedback on the variety of procedures employed for community association enforcement hearings, generally with the question "is it okay to do it this way?" First, a big thanks to all of you who attended our presentation (and MFMD 2017 in general)! Second, the primary takeaway from our presentation and, for those of you who did not attend, for enforcement hearings in general is twofold: 1) Follow your governing documents; and 2) be reasonable. read more

My colleagues and I have blogged about the importance of recognizing requests for reasonable accommodations/modifications, carefully and thoughtfully considering them, and properly responding in a timely manner. We like to think our posts on this topic have helped a few association boards make better decisions, but if the case discussed below is any indication, more information and discussion is needed. read more

In preparation for writing this week's blog post, I googled songs about the sun. Dozens of cheery, happy songs immediately sprung from the internet. Out of curiosity, I also googled songs about rain. A few select, dreary, and depressing songs popped up. I decided on Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. The reason: we finally get at least a tease of sunshine indicating spring is on the way. After 738 straight days of rain in the Pacific Northwest (at least that is my recollection), we are finally getting some well-deserved sunshine. read more

A recent newspaper article warned homeowners of an inspector who had been fined more than $80,000 by Oregon's Construction Contractors Board (or "CCB") for performing illegitimate inspections and using the license number of an inspector who had the same first and last name. It is a reminder that licensure comes with important consumer protections, including insurance and bond requirements and other reporting obligations intended to put owners on notice of a history of problems. read more

Congratulations! You threw your hat in the ring, ran a vigorous issues-based campaign promising to shake up the establishment, and ultimately won a seat on your association's board of directors. Once the champagne stops flowing, consider the following tips to get your term off to a productive start. read more