Recent News

Even in today’s hot real estate market, many people are still in limbo with a mortgage in arrears and an upside down house. Coming off the disastrous burst of the housing bubble, many people have not paid their mortgages in many months or even several years. They all have one question: What do I do… Read More

Condominiums created in the state of Washington after July 1, 1990 are governed by the Washington Condominium Act, RCW Chapter 64.34 (the “Act”). One requirement for the creation of a condominium is the recording of a declaration in the county in which the condominium will be located. Among the many things required to be included… Read More

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