Recent News

New Washington Opinion May Expand Lis Pendens Rights

Washington State Litigation and Real Estate Lawyer Aaron M. Dunn | 7/15/2026
A lis pendens is a document that clouds title to real property and provides notice to potential purchasers and encumbrancers that title to the real property is the subject of pending litigation. Washington law only authorizes a party to record a lis pendens in “an action affecting title to real property.” RCW 4.28.320. What constitutes… Read More

Reminder: Lien Rights are Limited 

Washington State Litigation and Real Estate Lawyer Aaron M. Dunn | 7/15/2026
Under Washington law, “any person furnishing labor, professional services, materials, or equipment for the improvement of real property shall have a lien upon the improvement for the contract price of labor, professional services, materials, or equipment furnished at the instance of the owner, or the agent or construction agent of the owner.” RCW 60.04.021. Filing… Read More

“I Settled, but the Dispute Continues?”

Washington State Litigation and Real Estate Lawyer William O. Kessler | 7/7/2026
Most people think settlement ends a dispute. But a settlement agreement is a legally binding contract, and disputes regarding compliance can arise. A recent decision from the Washington Court of Appeals, Cai v. Wen, illustrates how a settlement compliance dispute unfolds. Following an investment dispute, Daoying Cai and Boheng Wen entered into a settlement agreement… Read More

Solicited to Sell Your Washington Real Estate? Be Aware of Your Rights!

Washington State Real Estate Law Lawyer Babak Shamsi | 7/1/2026
In the Spring of 2025 (with slight modifications made earlier just this last June), the Washington State legislature passed a new statute, RCW 61.40.010, which applies Chapter 19.86 RCW, best known as the Consumer Protection Act, in certain circumstances involving the solicitation of real property. More specifically, RCW 61.40.010 applies to real estate transactions executed on… Read More

“Is My Property Line Off?” The Common Grantor Doctrine

Washington State Real Estate and Litigation Lawyer William O. Kessler | 6/24/2026
Maybe you are in the process of buying a home. Maybe you have lived there for years. At some point, you might have asked yourself is that fence really on the actual property line? Figuring out where your land ends and your neighbor’s begins can be more complex than you think. The recent Washington Court of Appeals… Read More

I Need an Easement! Things to Consider in Washington State

Washington State Real Estate Law Lawyer Babak Shamsi | 6/17/2026
An easement is a nonpossessory right to use or enjoy someone else’s land. In other words, an easement grants the holder a limited privilege to perform certain acts on someone else’s land without owning that land. It is a right to use, but not own (outright), the land owned by another. There are two major… Read More

The End Of Fly-By-Night Bargain Buyers?

Washington State Real Estate Lawyer Andrew M. McKenzie | 6/3/2026
Many property owners are familiar with letter solicitations offering out of the blue to buy real estate.  Almost invariably, these offers propose to purchase property will little to no due diligence and for far below market value.  Solicitations may also come by text, email, cold calls, or even door knocking.  While sellers statistically ignore the… Read More

Five Warning Signs a Real Estate Syndication Is Headed for Litigation

Washington State Litigation and Business Lawyer J Patrick Diener | 5/18/2026
Real estate syndications are often built on optimism. Investors gather around a promising apartment acquisition, development opportunity, or value-add project with the expectation that the sponsor will execute the business plan, distribute returns, and communicate clearly along the way. In strong markets, many problems remain hidden beneath rising property values and easy refinancing conditions. When… Read More