So you get a notice that an owner has filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. What to do? If you said, “close the file and write off the balance,” not so fast! Here are 5 things that every manager and board should keep in mind. Deadlines Pass by Quickly. Bankruptcy court is efficient and fast, at…
Author Archives: Valerie Farris Oman
Condo Law Webinars in August
Sign up today for our upcoming Wednesday webinars! Managers, boards, and homeowners are welcome to participate in our Wednesday webinars. If you can’t participate in our webinars, we always record them for playback later. Just go to www.condolaw.net and click on the Webinar page to view and listen to all of our recorded webinars. Popular…
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Basics
Many condo and homeowner associations are experiencing an unprecedented rate of bankruptcy filings by owners. Some are current on their dues when they file, some are not. Many file to try and discharge condo or homeowner dues. Both homeowners and associations alike benefit, however, from knowing some bankruptcy basics, so consider this your “bankruptcy boot…
Change in Resale Certificate Law
Whenever a condominium unit is sold in Washington State, a resale certificate must be prepared disclosing a long list of information which you will find in RCW 64.34.425. The required facts include (but are not limited to) information regarding the amount of the monthly assessments, any upcoming special assessments, the association’s annual financial statement, and…
New Definition of “Service Animal”
On March 15, 2011, a new definition of the term “service animal” went into effect, after United States Attorney General Eric Holder signed regulations revising the ADA regulations on this and other issues. The new definition states: “Service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit…
Know Your Governing Documents
All associations, whether condominiums or homeowners associations, have a set of governing documents that…well…govern how that association is run. Many homeowners and even board members are unfamiliar with these documents, use the terms for them interchangeably, or don’t understand that there is a hierarchy within the documents themselves. Understanding what each documents should contain and…
Why it’s Important to Act Quickly on Delinquencies
There are many reasons why it is important that associations act quickly when an owner falls behind on their dues. There are also many competing factors which tempt boards or board members not to do so. For example, many board members feel a conflict between their duty to act in the best interest of the…
Judgment Liens
Once an association obtains a judgment against a delinquent owner, a myriad of options become available to collect on that judgment. We’ll spend some time discussing many of these options in the coming weeks. Today, let’s talk about judgment liens. First, what is a judgment and what is a lien? A judgment is a court…
More Condo Law Webinars!
We have two webinars coming up in the next several weeks and hope you will sit in on them (and give us your feedback!). On Wednesday, February 9, 2011, we’ll be talking about the FTC Red Flag rules. And on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, we’ll be talking about Association Red Flag Issues in general. Once…
3 Collection Tips & Tricks
Happy New Year! We’re starting off the new year with a bang here at Condominium Law Group, where our collections practice has tripled in the last two years. Increased volume has meant more opportunities to learn strategies for collecting unpaid assessments and, even more importantly, preventing delinquencies before they begin. Today, I want to give…
Author Archives: Valerie Farris Oman
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: 5 Things You Need to Know
So you get a notice that an owner has filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. What to do? If you said, “close the file and write off the balance,” not so fast! Here are 5 things that every manager and board should keep in mind. Deadlines Pass by Quickly. Bankruptcy court is efficient and fast, at…
Condo Law Webinars in August
Sign up today for our upcoming Wednesday webinars! Managers, boards, and homeowners are welcome to participate in our Wednesday webinars. If you can’t participate in our webinars, we always record them for playback later. Just go to www.condolaw.net and click on the Webinar page to view and listen to all of our recorded webinars. Popular…
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Basics
Many condo and homeowner associations are experiencing an unprecedented rate of bankruptcy filings by owners. Some are current on their dues when they file, some are not. Many file to try and discharge condo or homeowner dues. Both homeowners and associations alike benefit, however, from knowing some bankruptcy basics, so consider this your “bankruptcy boot…
Change in Resale Certificate Law
Whenever a condominium unit is sold in Washington State, a resale certificate must be prepared disclosing a long list of information which you will find in RCW 64.34.425. The required facts include (but are not limited to) information regarding the amount of the monthly assessments, any upcoming special assessments, the association’s annual financial statement, and…
New Definition of “Service Animal”
On March 15, 2011, a new definition of the term “service animal” went into effect, after United States Attorney General Eric Holder signed regulations revising the ADA regulations on this and other issues. The new definition states: “Service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit…
Know Your Governing Documents
All associations, whether condominiums or homeowners associations, have a set of governing documents that…well…govern how that association is run. Many homeowners and even board members are unfamiliar with these documents, use the terms for them interchangeably, or don’t understand that there is a hierarchy within the documents themselves. Understanding what each documents should contain and…
Why it’s Important to Act Quickly on Delinquencies
There are many reasons why it is important that associations act quickly when an owner falls behind on their dues. There are also many competing factors which tempt boards or board members not to do so. For example, many board members feel a conflict between their duty to act in the best interest of the…
Judgment Liens
Once an association obtains a judgment against a delinquent owner, a myriad of options become available to collect on that judgment. We’ll spend some time discussing many of these options in the coming weeks. Today, let’s talk about judgment liens. First, what is a judgment and what is a lien? A judgment is a court…
More Condo Law Webinars!
We have two webinars coming up in the next several weeks and hope you will sit in on them (and give us your feedback!). On Wednesday, February 9, 2011, we’ll be talking about the FTC Red Flag rules. And on Wednesday, March 9, 2011, we’ll be talking about Association Red Flag Issues in general. Once…
3 Collection Tips & Tricks
Happy New Year! We’re starting off the new year with a bang here at Condominium Law Group, where our collections practice has tripled in the last two years. Increased volume has meant more opportunities to learn strategies for collecting unpaid assessments and, even more importantly, preventing delinquencies before they begin. Today, I want to give…