CIC unit owner inquiries

AN ACT Relating to inquiries into association governance or 1
operations by unit owners in common interest communities; adding a 2
new section to chapter 64.90 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 3
64.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 64.34 RCW; adding a new 4
section to chapter 64.38 RCW; and providing expiration dates.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 64.90 7
RCW to read as follows: 8
(1) When a unit owner or the unit owner's authorized agent files 9
a written inquiry by certified mail with an association regarding one 10
or more topics related to either association governance or 11
operations, or both, the association must respond, in the form of a 12
record, to the unit owner or the unit owner's authorized agent within 13
30 days after receipt of the inquiry. The association must either 14
give a substantive response to the inquirer or notify the inquirer 15
that a legal opinion or other third-party opinion has been requested.16
(2) If a legal opinion or other third-party opinion is requested, 17
the association must provide the inquirer with a substantive 18
response, in the form of a record, within 60 days after receipt of 19
the inquiry. 20
H-0496.1
HOUSE BILL 1501
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Reed, Entenman, Gregerson, Peterson, Fosse,
Farivar, Doglio, Alvarado, Hill, Berry, Lekanoff, Simmons, Ormsby,
and Macri
Read first time 01/22/25. Referred to Committee on Housing.
p. 1 HB 1501
(3) An association's failure to provide a substantive response to 1
an inquiry as provided in this section precludes the association from 2
recovering attorneys' fees and costs in any subsequent dispute 3
arising out of the inquiry including, but not limited to, any 4
litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.5
(4) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations 6
regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of 7
which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one 8
written inquiry per unit in any 30-day period. In such a case, the 9
association must respond to any additional inquiry or inquiries in 10
the subsequent 30-day period, or periods, as applicable. Nothing in 11
this section precludes a unit owner from asking more than one 12
question as part of a single inquiry. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 64.32 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
(1) When an apartment owner or the apartment owner's authorized 16
agent files a written inquiry by certified mail with an association 17
of apartment owners regarding one or more topics related to either 18
association governance or operations, or both, the association must 19
respond, in the form of a record, to the apartment owner or the 20
apartment owner's authorized agent within 30 days after receipt of 21
the inquiry. The association must either give a substantive response 22
to the inquirer or notify the inquirer that a legal opinion or other 23
third-party opinion has been requested. 24
(2) If a legal opinion or other third-party opinion is requested, 25
the association must provide the inquirer with a substantive 26
response, in the form of a record, within 60 days after receipt of 27
the inquiry. 28
(3) An association's failure to provide a substantive response to 29
an inquiry as provided in this section precludes the association from 30
recovering attorneys' fees and costs in any subsequent dispute 31
arising out of the inquiry including, but not limited to, any 32
litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.33
(4) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations 34
regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of 35
which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one 36
written inquiry per apartment in any 30-day period. In such a case, 37
the association must respond to any additional inquiry or inquiries 38
in the subsequent 30-day period, or periods, as applicable. Nothing 39
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in this section precludes an apartment owner from asking more than 1
one question as part of a single inquiry. 2
(5) This section expires January 1, 2028. 3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 64.34 4
RCW to read as follows: 5
(1) When a unit owner or the unit owner's authorized agent files 6
a written inquiry by certified mail with an association regarding one 7
or more topics related to either association governance or 8
operations, or both, the association must respond, in the form of a 9
record, to the unit owner or the unit owner's authorized agent within 10
30 days after receipt of the inquiry. The association must either 11
give a substantive response to the inquirer or notify the inquirer 12
that a legal opinion or other third-party opinion has been requested.13
(2) If a legal opinion or other third-party opinion is requested, 14
the association must provide the inquirer with a substantive 15
response, in the form of a record, within 60 days after receipt of 16
the inquiry. 17
(3) An association's failure to provide a substantive response to 18
an inquiry as provided in this section precludes the association from 19
recovering attorneys' fees and costs in any subsequent dispute 20
arising out of the inquiry including, but not limited to, any 21
litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.22
(4) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations 23
regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of 24
which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one 25
written inquiry per unit in any 30-day period. In such a case, the 26
association must respond to any additional inquiry or inquiries in 27
the subsequent 30-day period, or periods, as applicable. Nothing in 28
this section precludes a unit owner from asking more than one 29
question as part of a single inquiry. 30
(5) This section expires January 1, 2028. 31
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 64.38 32
RCW to read as follows: 33
(1) When an owner or the owner's authorized agent files a written 34
inquiry by certified mail with a homeowners' association regarding 35
one or more topics related to either association governance or 36
operations, or both, the association must respond, in the form of a 37
record, to the owner or the owner's authorized agent within 30 days 38
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after receipt of the inquiry. The association must either give a 1
substantive response to the inquirer or notify the inquirer that a 2
legal opinion or other third-party opinion has been requested.3
(2) If a legal opinion or other third-party opinion is requested, 4
the association must provide the inquirer with a substantive 5
response, in the form of a record, within 60 days after receipt of 6
the inquiry. 7
(3) An association's failure to provide a substantive response to 8
an inquiry as provided in this section precludes the association from 9
recovering attorneys' fees and costs in any subsequent dispute 10
arising out of the inquiry including, but not limited to, any 11
litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.12
(4) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations 13
regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of 14
which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one 15
written inquiry per lot in any 30-day period. In such a case, the 16
association must respond to any additional inquiry or inquiries in 17
the subsequent 30-day period, or periods, as applicable. Nothing in 18
this section precludes an owner from asking more than one question as 19
part of a single inquiry. 20
(5) This section expires January 1, 2028. 21
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