Some communities provide housing for persons of a certain age (usually 55) or older, and may also exclude persons under the age of 18. This type of community is governed by the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA), part of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). The FHA prohibits discrimination in the rental and sale…
Tag Archive: HOA
Reasonable Accommodations Under Disability Law
A recent case out of Florida highlights the tension between federal disability laws and their practical application for community associations. The case, Bhogaita v. Altamonte Heights Condominium Association, Inc., arose out of a military veteran’s need for an emotional support animal due to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. The association’s governing documents prohibits animals…
Fixing Improper Board Decisions
It’s important to make sure your association’s board of directors makes decisions following proper procedure. But what do you do if your board doesn’t? There are several ways to validate board decisions after the fact. The way to fix an improper board action depends on what kind of mistake was made. Here are some possibilities….
What’s in Your Governing Documents?
Washington law contains numerous provisions containing restrictions and requirements on COAs and HOAs. In many cases, however, the law contains a minimum requirement only and defers to the more specific provisions of the governing documents. For a primer on governing documents and their interplay with the law, please read our Governing Documents post. The law…
When Board Members Go Rogue
Sometimes, board members don’t follow the rules. A board member might speak out of turn at meetings or dominate the floor; might take actions without consulting other board members or in direct conflict with a board decision; or might even hide or steal association records or funds. Sometimes a board member puts his or her…
Board of Directors Resignation
Imagine this scenario: your association’s entire board of directors decides they are fed up with being board members, and all resign at the same time, leaving your association with no board at all. Or, imagine that, one by one, each board member resigned over time and was never replaced, so that when the last board…
Adopting a Budget
Many condominium and homeowners’ associations are preparing their annual budgets this time of year. Association members, as well as the association’s board of directors, need to be aware of the laws applicable to community association budgets. A budget is an estimate of the future financial needs of the association. A budget needs to provide for…
Bank of America Foreclosures in Washington State
For many months, we’ve seen that Bank of America foreclosures have been completely stalled. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that BOA took over a multitude of sub-prime loans when Countrywide went belly-up. More recently, however, the company BOA used (Recontrust) to conduct its foreclosure…
Introduction to Community Association Laws
Welcome to the Condominium Law Group Blog! Welcome to the newly minted Condominium Law Group, PLLC blog. We are the newest condo law blog in Washington State, and we are excited to provide our readers with valuable information in the field of community association law. Wait, community association law? What’s that? We think our first…
Tag Archive: HOA
Community Associations & the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA)
Some communities provide housing for persons of a certain age (usually 55) or older, and may also exclude persons under the age of 18. This type of community is governed by the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA), part of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). The FHA prohibits discrimination in the rental and sale…
Reasonable Accommodations Under Disability Law
A recent case out of Florida highlights the tension between federal disability laws and their practical application for community associations. The case, Bhogaita v. Altamonte Heights Condominium Association, Inc., arose out of a military veteran’s need for an emotional support animal due to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. The association’s governing documents prohibits animals…
Fixing Improper Board Decisions
It’s important to make sure your association’s board of directors makes decisions following proper procedure. But what do you do if your board doesn’t? There are several ways to validate board decisions after the fact. The way to fix an improper board action depends on what kind of mistake was made. Here are some possibilities….
What’s in Your Governing Documents?
Washington law contains numerous provisions containing restrictions and requirements on COAs and HOAs. In many cases, however, the law contains a minimum requirement only and defers to the more specific provisions of the governing documents. For a primer on governing documents and their interplay with the law, please read our Governing Documents post. The law…
When Board Members Go Rogue
Sometimes, board members don’t follow the rules. A board member might speak out of turn at meetings or dominate the floor; might take actions without consulting other board members or in direct conflict with a board decision; or might even hide or steal association records or funds. Sometimes a board member puts his or her…
Board of Directors Resignation
Imagine this scenario: your association’s entire board of directors decides they are fed up with being board members, and all resign at the same time, leaving your association with no board at all. Or, imagine that, one by one, each board member resigned over time and was never replaced, so that when the last board…
Adopting a Budget
Many condominium and homeowners’ associations are preparing their annual budgets this time of year. Association members, as well as the association’s board of directors, need to be aware of the laws applicable to community association budgets. A budget is an estimate of the future financial needs of the association. A budget needs to provide for…
Bank of America Foreclosures in Washington State
For many months, we’ve seen that Bank of America foreclosures have been completely stalled. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is the fact that BOA took over a multitude of sub-prime loans when Countrywide went belly-up. More recently, however, the company BOA used (Recontrust) to conduct its foreclosure…
Introduction to Community Association Laws
Welcome to the Condominium Law Group Blog! Welcome to the newly minted Condominium Law Group, PLLC blog. We are the newest condo law blog in Washington State, and we are excited to provide our readers with valuable information in the field of community association law. Wait, community association law? What’s that? We think our first…