Washington Court of Appeals Affirms HOA's Covenant Amendment

The Washington Court of Appeals recently affirmed a trial court's decision that a homeowners association had the authority to adopt an amendment to the covenants governing the property without a unanimous vote of the owners. The Court noted that an express reservation of power authorizing less than 100 percent of property owners within a subdivision to adopt new restrictions (as opposed to changing existing covenants) respecting the use of privately owned property is valid if such power is exercised in a reasonable manner consistent with the general plan of the development. After reviewing the association's covenants, the Court ruled that the plaintiffs failed to show that any portion of the amendment at issue was inconsistent with the general development plan, imposed unreasonable disparate impacts on their property, or were otherwise invalid.      

COVID Proclamation Affecting Community Associations Extended Indefinitely

The Governor of Washington state issued a Proclamation yesterday that permits owners and directors in condominium and homeowners associations to continue to vote by mail, electronic transmission, and proxy and to attend meetings by conference telephone and similar electronic services until the termination of the COVID-19 state of emergency or the rescinding of the Proclamation, whichever occurs first.  This Proclamation also extends a previous prohibition on condominium and homeowners associations charging late fees for delinquent assessments until the termination of the COVID-19 state of emergency or the rescinding of the Proclamation, whichever occurs first.

Washington Court of Appeals Rules Tennis Court Removal Vote Complied With CC&Rs

Most of the owners in the Pickle Point neighborhood of Bellevue, Washington voted to remove a tennis court in the neighborhood's common area. An owner in the neighborhood then filed a lawsuit challenging the validity of that vote. The Washington Court of Appeals recently affirmed the lower court's summary dismissal of that lawsuit. The Court ruled that the removal vote complied with the applicable protective covenants, conditions, and restrictions ("CC&Rs"). The Court noted that the Architectural Control Committee ("ACC") established by the CC&Rs weighed all reasonable options and specifically considered whether to leave the tennis court as is, covert it to a grassy area, or reallocate ownership.  The Court concluded that the ACC properly exercised its authority to remove the tennis court.