Why Washington owners are getting these bills
Unless it is exempt (for example, it has only nominal reserve costs, or a study would cost more than 10 percent of the annual budget) or your governing documents require otherwise, the association must prepare a reserve study, update it every year, and have a reserve study professional update it with a site visit at least every third year. The annual budget must also say whether the association has a qualifying reserve study and show any current reserve funding deficiency per unit. RCW 64.90.365 applies the reserve-study rule to communities created before July 1, 2018, for events since then.
RCW 64.90.545; 64.90.525(2); 64.90.365Does the board need an owner vote?
A special assessment the board proposes takes effect only if the board follows the budget-ratification procedure and owners of a majority of all votes (or a larger percentage in your declaration) do not reject it at a meeting held 14 to 50 days after the budget or proposal is provided; in a declared emergency, a two-thirds board vote can make one effective immediately. This is chapter 64.90 (the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act), which governs communities created on or after July 1, 2018, and RCW 64.90.365 applies this section to older condos for events since then without invalidating existing provisions of their declarations. Chapter 64.90 takes over all older communities on January 1, 2028.
RCW 64.90.525(1), (3); 64.90.502(6); 64.90.365What notice must owners get?
Within 30 days after the board adopts a budget, it must give every owner a copy and set an owners' meeting 14 to 50 days later to consider ratifying it, and a board-proposed special assessment must follow the same procedure. Notice of any owners' meeting must be given 14 to 50 days ahead and state the time, date, place and agenda.
RCW 64.90.525(1), (3); 64.90.445(1)(c)Your right to see the records
You can examine and copy the association's records, including budgets, financial statements, contracts and minutes, in reasonable business hours or at a mutually convenient time; executive-session records, privileged material and similar items must be redacted. The older condo act (RCW 64.34.372) sets no number of days for the association to respond, while condos under chapter 64.90 must make records available on 10 days' notice and no later than 21 days without a court order. Chapter 64.90 governs communities created on or after July 1, 2018.
RCW 64.34.372(3)-(5); 64.90.495(2)Payment plans, late fees and liens
The association must mail a notice of delinquency within 30 days after an assessment is past due; until the 15th day after that notice it may take no other collection action, and its charges are limited to mailing costs, a fee of up to $10 and one late fee of up to $50 or 5 percent of the unpaid assessment, whichever is less. It cannot start foreclosure unless you owe at least the greater of three months of assessments or $2,000 of assessments (not counting fines, late charges, interest and fees), a second notice has been mailed at least 90 days after the assessment was past due and at least 60 days after the first, at least 90 days have passed since that minimum amount accrued, and the board has approved foreclosure on your unit. Under chapter 64.90 interest cannot exceed the maximum rate under RCW 19.52.020, and under the older condo act that rate applies only if the association sets no other nonusurious rate; the sections cited do not require a payment plan.
RCW 64.90.485(18), (21), (22); 64.34.364(13), (17), (18)Owner vote
A special assessment the board proposes takes effect only if the board follows the budget-ratification procedure and owners of a majority of all votes (or a larger percentage in your declaration) do not reject it at a meeting held 14 to 50 days after the budget or proposal is provided; in a declared emergency, a two-thirds board vote can make one effective immediately. For plat communities created before July 1, 2018 that were under the old HOA Act (chapter 64.38), RCW 64.90.365(2) says this rule overrides contrary provisions in their governing documents for events since then, though small plat communities described in RCW 64.90.360(4) are treated differently. Chapter 64.90 takes over all older communities on January 1, 2028.
RCW 64.90.525(1), (3); 64.90.502(6); 64.90.365(2); 64.38.025(3)Notice
The board must give every owner a copy of the budget within 30 days after adopting it and set a ratification meeting 14 to 50 days later, and a proposed special assessment follows the same procedure. Notice of an owners' meeting must be given 14 to 50 days ahead and state the time, date, place and agenda.
RCW 64.90.525(1), (3); 64.90.445(1)(c)Records
You can examine and copy the association's records, including its budget, financial statements, contracts and minutes, in reasonable business hours or at a mutually convenient time; executive-session records, privileged material and similar items must be redacted. The older HOA Act (RCW 64.38.045) sets no number of days for the association to respond, while associations under chapter 64.90 must make records available on 10 days' notice and no later than 21 days without a court order.
RCW 64.38.045(4)-(6); 64.90.495(2)Payment, late fees and liens
If your governing documents give the association a lien, it must mail a notice of delinquency within 30 days after an assessment is past due; until the 15th day after that notice it may take no other collection action, and its charges are limited to mailing costs, a fee of up to $10 and one late fee of up to $50 or 5 percent of the unpaid assessment, whichever is less. It cannot start foreclosure unless you owe at least the greater of three months of assessments or $2,000 of assessments (not counting fines, late charges, interest and fees), a second notice has been mailed at least 90 days after the assessment was past due and at least 60 days after the first, at least 90 days have passed since that minimum amount accrued, and the board has approved foreclosure on your lot. Associations under chapter 64.90 follow the same rules in RCW 64.90.485(21)-(22).
RCW 64.38.100(1)-(2); 64.90.485(21), (22)Summarised from the statutes in November 2026. Not legal advice; your declaration and bylaws may add more rules.