Recent News

As a member of the drafting committee of Washington’s LLC Act, RCW 25.15 (the “Act”), I know the difficulty associated with drafting. The committee spent years pouring over the Act and continues to work to improve it.  One of the issues that has provided some difficulty is an apparent contradiction between the dissociation provisions of… Read More

When purchasing a home, buyers have a daunting amount of matters to focus on...how much earnest money to put down, how to structure an offer, how to address financing, how to address inspection contingency results, and more.  One matter which often gets lost in the shuffle, however, is title insurance,  A purchaser who enters into an agreement… Read More

Many “good ideas” today take direction from other “good ideas” before them. This blog, for example, takes inspiration from other “bloggers” in the legal community, such as my friend Tom Rutledge, an expert in business entity law from Kentucky. I will certainly refer to Mr. Rutledge’s blog in future posts as he offers unique insight… Read More

The Big Dipper is a club in Spokane known for its lively music and fantastic atmosphere. Unfortunately, it became the center of an ugly dispute between co-owners (and friends), which culminated in (almost certainly) the end of a friendship and the recent unpublished appellate decision, Brower v. Hoerner, No. 36442-9-III, 2020 WL 1282511 (Wn. App.… Read More

Real estate brokers in Washington frequently confront situations where they must carefully navigate to avoid acting as lawyers.  In Washington, it is a misdemeanor to engage in the “unauthorized practice of law.”  Court rules define the practice of law as “the application of legal principles and judgment with regard to the circumstances or objectives of… Read More

Increasingly, many property owners find themselves living in condominiums governed by associations.  A condominium association typically has several governing documents that enumerate rights and responsibilities of the owners and the Board of Directors, such as a declaration, bylaws, and rules and regulations.  One of the major aspects of community living consists of enforcement of the… Read More

June 25th, 2020 David Tingstad and Bill Kessler speak about the new PPP application for loan forgiveness. Read More

On June 24, 2020, Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman (the “Secretary”) issued an Order requiring “Face Coverings – Statewide” effective June 26, 2020. This blog entry discusses how we got to this point, the Secretary’s authority for the new Order, and an overview of the new facial covering requirements. How Did We Get Here?… Read More

Most property owners have a mortgage.  In the course of property ownership, the owner may end up paying off this mortgage (“deed of trust”), whether by sale of the property to a third party, refinance of the loan, or outright payment with personal finances.  Once the loan is paid in full, this should effectively end… Read More