MANY HOA AND CONDO BOARDS ask themselves every year if they need a snow contract? After all this is Seattle, it will melt off by noon. Let’s look at a few issues before deciding. There are 1 million slip and fall claims every year, in the US. The average slip and fall claim is $48,000. What is your association liable for? Are you insured for this?
THERE ARE MANY laws and regulations in Washington State that community associations should be aware of and prepared to address. Common area safety and electric vehicle charging are two examples that we elaborate on below.
You may have been noticing an increase in the frequency of plumbing system replacement, at very high costs. Now that a significant portion of the housing stock we serve within Washington Community Associations has reached or is near the 50-year mark of life, expect that trend to continue. But what do you plan for in terms of timing, and cost? Why isn’t total replacement typically in your reserve study?
April showers bring May flowers…and sometimes uninsured losses! Building damage caused by heavy rain, clogged gutters and storm drains, accumulated water in a crawl space and any other water that originates OUTSIDE of a building is generally excluded on most policies for several reasons.
The novel coronavirus compelled communities to confront a number of new challenges with legal implications. The overarching challenge has been for an association to figure out its role in a completely new type of environment.
Washington’s 2020 Legislative Session ended on March 12. The Washington State Chapter of Community Associations Institute (WSCAI) had a very successful year. The bills described below and outcomes noted are a small snapshot of the hundreds of hours of work by WSCAI’s Legislative Action Committee (LAC) and the Chapter’s professional lobbyists to advance the interests of homeowners living in community associations in Washington State.
In Washington State, at least 19 people in King and Snohomish counties had been diagnosed with COVID-19 (as of noon Monday), and 9 people have died. CAI is monitoring the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus and its impact on community associations on a national level, while WSCAI is monitoring on the local level.
Washington State 2018 Legislative Update: WSCAI’s Legislative Action Committee (LAC) provides a Summary of the 2018 WA State Legislative Session, impacts on community associations, and what to expect in 2019.
A reserve study is a budget and disclosure document, supplementing operating & maintenance budgets for the large expenses that don’t occur each year. In this busy world, focusing on a handful of key items in your reserve study may keep you out of costly trouble.
This article explains the key requirements for communities to maintain their status—and special legal privileges—as “housing for older persons,” which is of greater importance as the population ages.
