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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'>Doug,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'> Yes. I did not get into Fillmore because my email was too long already, but the veering off into void/voidable is the real takeaway here. And if what happened in Bilanko was just voidable, and not void, then that is a pretty low bar. Apparently it is within the general power of a corporation to ignore a statute unless the statute specifically says it is not. There are lots and lots of void/voidable cases out there in many different contexts, many of which I think would have been very useful to discuss, but I guess not. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'> I have always wondered how Chiwawa could ignore Fillmore. Fillmore said that an amendment changing use from owner-occupied to leasing was a change in use, and then Chiwawa said that a VRBO is obviously not a different use from owner-occupied.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'> Um, ok. Works for me. I just won a hotly-contested LUPA arguing that a VRBO is not regulated by Mason County differently from owner-occupied. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'>Rob <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'>Robert D. Wilson-Hoss <br>Hoss & Wilson-Hoss, LLP <br>236 West Birch Street <br>Shelton, WA 98584 <br>360 426-2999<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><a href="www.hossandwilsonhoss.com">www.hossandwilson-hoss.com</a><br>rob@hctc.com</span><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><i><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'>This message is intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee, you are hereby notified that any use, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify us by reply e-mail or by telephone (call us collect at the number listed above) and immediately delete this message and any and all of its attachments. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext;text-transform:uppercase'>This office does debt collection and this e-mail may be an attempt to collect a debt, Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. </span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'>To the extent the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692) applies this firm is acting as a debt collector for the condominium/homeowners' association named above to collect a debt owed to it. Any information obtained will be used for collection purposes. You have the right to seek advice of legal counsel.</span><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Doug Schafer<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 28, 2016 1:05 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Bilanko v. Barclay Court Owners Association<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Interesting indeed. In Filmore LLLP v. Unit Owners Ass'n of Centre Pointe Condominiums, 184 Wash.2d 170 (2015), the court held invalid an amendment, adopted by 67% vote, to a condo declaration that limited the leasing of units, since RCW 64.34.264(4) required a 90% vote for amendments altering the use of a unit. The court of appeals opinion stated that the amendment was recorded Oct. 20, 2011. The plaintiff filed suit to challenge it in October 2012, presumably before Oct. 20, since the 1-year statute of limitations was not addressed in either appellate opinion.<br><br>Considering today's Bilanko v. Barclay Court opinion, perhaps a condo declaration could be amended by a mere majority vote at a meeting attended by barely a quorum of unit owners so long as no owner files suit to challenge it within a year of its recording. The amendment would be voidable for one year, but not void ab initio (though arguably void if notice of the meeting was not properly given). Nothing I see in the statute requires the COA officers to notify owners that the amendment was adopted and recorded, so owners who might challenge it might not even get actual notice of it within a year, though the recording is constructive notice.<br><br>Doug Schafer<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On 4/28/2016 10:11 AM, Rob Wilson-Hoss wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> Warning: this is only for people infected with HOA disease. Others are advised to ignore the following. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> OK, campers, in a continuing effect to understand how to advise our clients what the Supreme Court will do about amendments to covenants, we now take a look at today's Bilanko case, filed one hour ago (at least one hour before I started this). </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> You will perhaps remember Chiwawa, the case that said lots of very interesting things about covenant amendments. Such as, (1) amendments have to comply with the general plan of the community, (2) they can't create undue burdens, (3) they can't address new subjects unless the original ones say they can, (4) they have to follow the covenant amendment rules of the covenants themselves, and (5) the Supreme Court will interpret the language of the existing pre-amendment covenants in ways that the 4-vote minority thought were completely irrational, and totally unpredictable. And, I suspect, those involved with dealing with lots of sets of covenants from the 50s and 60s would agree with the dissent. Attributing certain intent to developers who wrote their covenants decades ago ignores the reality that most of them, in my experience, were just copying something they had seen, or had a surveyor copy something he or she had seen, or used some title company form, and really had no thought at all except sell as many lots as possible. Of course, some developments have covenants that were entirely intentional in every aspect. And everything in between.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> Anyway, today the setting is a new act condo amendment; both the covenants and 64.34.264(2) specify that amendments to covenants can only be challenged within one year :</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif";color:#212121'> <b>"(2) No action to challenge the validity of an amendment adopted by the association pursuant to this section may be brought more than one year after the amendment is recorded."</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Here, the original covenants allowed for unrestricted renting of the apartments; the amendment limited rentals to seven apartments, and if you weren't already in the seven, you went on a waiting list. An owner sued because she was on the waiting list and it was pretty long. She said that the amendment was not valid. They did not follow the 90% majority requirement in both the original covenants and in the condo statute. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Under Chiwawa, of course, except for the statute of limitations issue, this amendment would be stricken in a heartbeat. At the minimum, additional burden, general plan of community, and then maybe also that you have to follow your own rules for amendments.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> So, does the statute of limitations apply here? Was the question about the validity of the amendment? Here, the amendment was passed with two-thirds, but changes in use needed 90%, under the existing covenants and the statute. The member thought that was the issue - does the 90% requirement apply to a restriction on leasing as a change in use, and if so, it wasn't met. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Justice Gonzalez, writing for a unanimous court, worked his way through the reasoning, kind of like a kayaker on a Class IV rapid. He did not agree that this was the issue. He thought the issue was, statute of limitations, and is this a void or voidable act, this amendment of the covenants. Statutes of limitations bar claims as to voidable acts, not void ones. So, this is what he said:</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 1. A previous case, Club Envy, 184 Wash App. 593, told some of us that a challenge to an amendment that was not properly passed is not barred by the one-year limitation. The member in Bilanko said this means that the time bar only applies to amendments that are passed in compliance with the part of the statute that says how they have to be passed, and this one did not comply with that part of the statute. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 2. The Court said "invalid" in the statute meant "legally sufficient; binding." Not, out of compliance with the statutory requirement for how an amendment is passed. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 3. The Court said that the previous Club Envy case was infected by really bad facts, including fraud (probably no vote was ever held in the first place), and that this meant that the Club Envy vote was void ab initio. The president there had recorded an amendment that he did not have the legal right to record because no other members had agreed to it, sort of. This is a sharp deviation from the general void ab initio/voidable discussions that we are used to seeing. Void ab initio means, didn't have the legal right to do it in the first place. Period. Outside the authority of the association. Not, yes, the association can amend its covenants, but it did it wrong. That would usually be, voidable, not void. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 4. Since the Club Envy action was void, and not voidable, the time bar did not prevent challenges to it. That reasoning is standard. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 5. In the new case, Bilanko, the Court said that an action of a corporation is voidable, not void, if it fails to observe some statutory requirement while still acting within its corporate powers. If a statute includes language that says that failure to comply makes an act void, then it is void; otherwise, the issue is, is the action within the general powers of the corporation, and if it is, it is just voidable. Can't argue with that.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 6. Then the Court in Bilanko said the test for whether a corporation's action is void and not merely voidable is whether it committed fraud, seriously offended public policy, or exceeded its legal authority. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 7. Then the conclusion: regardless of whether or not the corporation needed 90% or the two-thirds was enough, the amendment was voidable, not void, because an amendment was within the powers of the corporation.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 8. And get this: "Challenges to voidable amendments must be made within the one-year time bar set out in 64.34.264(2) Nothing restricts this to the statute of limitations in 64.34.264(2). To hold otherwise would render the time bar meaningless, for unit owners could challenge amendments years after passage. A statutory time bar is a 'legislative declaration of public plicy which the courts can do no less than respect,' with rare equitable exceptions." <b>THIS HAS TO APPLY TO ALL STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS, INCLUDING THE SIX YEAR STATUTE THAT APPLIES TO WRITTEN INSTRUMENTS (and other associations beyond the new act condo statute, such as HOAs) - CHALLENGES TO COVENANT AMENDMENTS ARE TIME-BARRED AFTER SIX YEARS AS VOIDABLE, NOT VOID, SO LONG AS THE ACTION IS WITHIN THE GENERAL POWER OF THE ASSOCIATION, PUBLIC POLICY IS NOT SERIOUSLY OFFENDED, OR FRAUD IS NOT INVOLVED. </b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> This case was a really good chance for the Court to explain what the real difference is between void and voidable, and it could have, just by discussing previous Washington law. It did not do so. If there is a statute that says that you need 90% approval for a vote changing the use of an apartment, and you vote to change the use from rental to owner-occupied, then under Chiwawa, that is the same thing, and not really a change of use. The Court could at least have said that. But what is the broader rule? What is within a corporation's powers? My reading of the cases is that it is very rare to see a ruling that an act was outside the corporate powers, but it is possible. What about direct violations of statutes? Not here - the statute may have been directly violated, but according to this Court unless the statute says, if I am directly violated by a corporation, then the corporation is acting outside its powers, then a direct statutory violation is within the powers of a corporation.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Yikes. I don't think it really means that.</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> As Firesign Theater famously said, What Does This Mean? For The Straight Poop:</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> 1. If your client has amended its covenants and the amendments do not seriously violate public policy, are not infested with equitable diseases, or are without the general authority of the association, then the amendment is subject to a statute of limitations, whichever one applies. If you are a HOA, it will be six years. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> 2. Under Chiwawa, even though the Court sharply concluded that association had no ability whatsoever to restrict rentals, under Bilanko, restricting rentals is within the authority of the association, so the statute of limitations applies. I can find no discussion of the statute of limitations in Chiwawa, and think this means that the claim was filed within six years of the amendment. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> 3. Previously a way around Chiwawa was ratification - did the member pay dues, serve on the Board or committees, and so on, after knowledge of the change, and if so, did he or she ratify so that he or she is subject to the changes regardless; but ratification is personal, so it does not apply across the board to everyone, it does not apply to subsequent purchasers, it is case by case, and so it is a real mess from that perspective;</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> 4. But now an answer to Chiwawa is the statute of limitations. How long ago was the covenant changed.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> And here is the larger, more interesting question: what about all those other rules, regulations, guidelines to interpretations of rules, resolutions and so on that associations have passed over the years that are not very specifically authorized by the covenants? Look at any website for an older HOA and you will find these everywhere. Are they subject to a six-year statute of limitations? or are they outside the authority of the association, because they are not specifically allowed by the covenants, even given the HOA powers section of RCW 64.38.020? Can the Court read the covenants to include as within the authority of the association, direct violations of covenant and statutory provisions, as Bilanko did, and at the same time, read them to not include within their authority matters within the statutory powers of associations?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> After Chiwawa, I thought that all these rules that were arguably new rules because they did not directly relate to something in the existing covenants were at risk. Now, after six years, who knows?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'>Arf.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'>Rob</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'>Robert D. Wilson-Hoss <br>Hoss & Wilson-Hoss, LLP <br>236 West Birch Street <br>Shelton, WA 98584 <br>360 426-2999</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'><a href="www.hossandwilsonhoss.com">www.hossandwilson-hoss.com</a><br><a href="mailto:rob@hctc.com">rob@hctc.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><i><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'>This message is intended solely for the use of the addressee and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the addressee, you are hereby notified that any use, distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify us by reply e-mail or by telephone (call us collect at the number listed above) and immediately delete this message and any and all of its attachments. Thank you.</span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>This office does debt collection and this e-mail may be an attempt to collect a debt, Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. </span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman , serif","serif"'>To the extent the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692) applies this firm is acting as a debt collector for the condominium/homeowners' association named above to collect a debt owed to it. Any information obtained will be used for collection purposes. You have the right to seek advice of legal counsel.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>WSBARP mailing list<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="mailto:WSBARP@lists.wsbarppt.com">WSBARP@lists.wsbarppt.com</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="http://mailman.fsr.com/mailman/listinfo/wsbarp">http://mailman.fsr.com/mailman/listinfo/wsbarp</a><o:p></o:p></pre></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>