[WSBARP] Condo dues lien versus Statute of Limitations

[Eric Nelsen]

Looking for confirmation here that I'm right, or else a stern rebuke for wishful thinking.

Property has about 8 years of back condo dues unpaid.

Condo is organized under the Horizontal Property Regimes Act--the old one. Per RCW 64.34.010(1)<https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.34&full=true#64.34.010>, the lien provisions of the 1990 Act, RCW 64.34.364<https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.34&full=true#64.34.364>, apply to this condo.

RCW 64.34.364 has a 3-year statute of limitations on back dues:

(8) A lien for unpaid assessments and the personal liability for payment of assessments is extinguished unless proceedings to enforce the lien or collect the debt are instituted within three years after the amount of the assessments sought to be recovered becomes due.

But it also has this, which says "all" unpaid dues:

(12) ....In a voluntary conveyance, the grantee of a unit shall be jointly and severally liable with the grantor for all unpaid assessments against the grantor up to the time of the grantor's conveyance....

In this context, "all" just means the most recent three years of dues, because collection of the older dues is barred by statute of limitations, right? Section 12 can't possibly mean that in a voluntary conveyance the statute of limitations under (8) does not apply?

[Note--it looks like the statute of limitations is changed to six years under the new UCIOA, RCW 64.90.485(9)<https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.90&full=true#64.90.485>. But the "all" language is carried over into the new act as well, RCW 64.90.485(17).]

Sincerely,

Eric

Eric C. Nelsen
SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC
1417 31st Ave South
Seattle WA  98144-3909
phone 206-625-0092
fax 206-625-9040

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