Appellate Court Affirms Verdict Ordering Removal of Unauthorized Structure

The Washington Court of Appeals recently upheld a jury's verdict against two homeowners who erected a metal structure on their lot without the prior approval of their homeowners association's architectural control committee as required by its governing documents. The homeowners were ordered to remove the structure and to pay the association nearly $160,000 in order to reimburse it for the attorney fees and costs that it incurred during the litigation. Owners should strongly consider contacting their community's association before altering their property in a manner that is visible from the exterior. Failure to do so could be a very costly mistake.