Recent News

In August 2013, Division One of the Washington Court of Appeals held that a borrower whose loan was secured by a deed of trust on owner-occupied residential real property could, depending upon specific facts of the case, recover monetary damages against a trustee who, by acting without lawful authority or in material violation of the… Read More

If you own a company such as a corporation or LLC, or even if you are just an employee of a company, you may sign contracts for the company regularly. Some are large and complex contracts, but many can appear to be simple contracts (such as Purchase Orders, Subcontractor Agreements or Change Orders). Regardless of… Read More

While you probably know about the “just cause” eviction restrictions in Seattle, you may not know about a new Seattle Ordinance pertaining to rental property. If you own a residential rental property in Seattle, then you’ll want to pay attention to the new Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (“RRIO”) . RRIO requires landlords to register all… Read More

Lenders and other creditors are often reluctant to litigate against a debtor, even when liability is clear and the debtor is solvent. Why? Because the creditor fears the debtor will either hide his assets, delay the litigation process, or both. Good news, Washington creditors. In many situations, your attorney may be able to quickly and… Read More

Your crew has done construction or remodel work at a property, but you are not being paid. You want to file a lien against the real estate, but you are not sure you can legally. You are not even sure exactly how a lien might benefit you. Overview of Liens A “mechanic's lien” is the… Read More

In 2011, the state of Washington adopted amendments to the secured transactions provisions of its Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). These amendments were to become effective on July 1, 2013. One of the amendments dealt with identifying individual persons on financing statements filed with the Washington Department of Licensing. When the National Conference of Commissioners on… Read More

In the 2010 case Eastwood, the Washington Supreme Court set forth the Independent Duty Doctrine (the “IDD”).  Under the IDD, when two parties had a contract together, one could only sue the other for a “tort” (such as negligence or fraud) if the tort claim “traces back to the breach of a tort duty arising independently… Read More

Short-term investment gains (that is gains for investments you held for less than a year) are taxed at your ordinary income tax rates. Long-term gains (that is gains on investments you have owned for longer than a year) are taxed depending on your overall income tax bracket. If your overall income falls within the 10%… Read More

Tax Information for 2014 With the New Year upon us, here is some information that may help you with your taxes.  STANDARD MILEAGE RATES 56¢ per mile driven for use of a car (van, pick up truck, or panel truck) for business purposes. 23.5¢ per mile driven for medical expense purposes or household moving expense purposes. 14¢… Read More