The Association was informed by its attorney that, on March 27, the Governor signed into law SB6175. This new law, in part, governs all Washington Home Owners Associations, whenever created. In particular, according to the attorney’s recent first analysis, Sections 117 and 326 of this HOA law will apply to Sudden Valley as of July 1 this year.

Section 117 makes Section 326 applicable to SVCA. Section 326 requires dues assessments, and special assessments, to be included in, and part of, any proposed budget. Budgets are approved unless a “majority of the votes in the association … reject” it. Therefore, the immediate analysis is that separate voting on “dues and assessments” and “special assessments” is no longer permitted in Sudden Valley, and that the prior 60% approval requirement for all assessments or dues is no longer in effect.

The law is very long, and other sections may also apply to the Association. Therefore, the attorney is analyzing the statute further. He will appear at the first Board meeting in May – the 10th – to update the Board in public session.

To help all Association Members have questions looked at by the attorney, please send any questions you may have about the new law to BOD@SuddenValley.com, or directly to me (BODbrown@SuddenValley.com), no later than the afternoon of Friday, May 4. Those questions can then be researched and addressed as time allows at the May 10 Board meeting.

The Board – assisted by the Finance, and Communications, Committees – will continue working with the Association’s attorney to determine how best to communicate to Members all the impacts of the new law, and how to respond to the law’s new requirements.

-Larry Brown, 2018 Board President