Published in Law360
In an article published in Law360, VF Law attorney Timothy A. Feth discusses legislative changes in Washington state that affect community associations. The legislature in Olympia recently adopted “WUCIOA For All,” which repeals all the legacy community association statutes effective January 1, 2028, and makes the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) applicable to all common interest communities, regardless of when they were formed. The legislature subsequently passed S.B. 5129, which makes WUCIOA applicable to all common interest communities commencing January 1, 2026.
“The various existing statutory schemes have different rules about what a community association may, may not, and must do,” writes Feth. “A series of enactments by the Washington state Legislature beginning in 2018 and continuing through April 2025 pose significant challenges to the volunteer board members who are responsible for administering and operating them.”
Changes include that associations will be required to carry more comprehensive property and fidelity insurance and conduct an annual account reconciliation. WUCIOA For All also alters the rules governing quorums, lien priority, termination of the association, and the amendment of governing documents. Feth states that community associations can avoid disputes by amending the governing documents to conform to WUCIOA, train their boards and outside managers on these changes, and thoroughly communicate the changes to their members.
“Most of the changes that become applicable to communities in 2026 involve matters that are typically addressed in the bylaws,” Feth writes. “However an individual association chooses to move forward, it is vital for the community to be proactive so that board members and the association at large are prepared for the major changes that apply in both 2026 and 2028.”
Read the story in full, click here (subscriber-based).