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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>The problem is that WAC 480-110-205 says that the rules in Chapter 480-110 apply to Water Companies. Good try on the suggestion.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Nestor Gorfinkel, Attorney at Law<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Licensed in Washington & Florida<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Florida Civil-Law (International) Notary<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>ATTENTION - This e-mail message and any attachment to this e-mail message may contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not review, retransmit, convert to hard copy, copy, use or disseminate this e-mail or any attachments to it. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail or by telephone at the phone numbers provided herein and delete this message. Please note that if this e-mail message contains a forwarded message or is a reply to a prior message, some or all of the contents of this message or any attachments may not have been produced by the sender.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:#009900'>P</span></b><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;color:#009900'> </span></b><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#009900'>Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Century Schoolbook",serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Paul Neumiller<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 25, 2019 4:06 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Real Property Listserv <wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Cutting Off Water OK?<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Well, this has been interesting. I appreciate all who have chipped in (especially Rob and Eric (who always give great advice based on knowledge and experience)), including those who have emailed me off-line humorously because they didn’t want to get “publicly flogged.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>A great suggestion was to follow the guidelines set forth in WAC 480-110-355(3) if the Association insists on cutting off the water. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a name="Paul_A__Neumiller"><img width=250 height=150 style='width:2.6041in;height:1.5625in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D4FB8F.71F2CE20" alt="Paul A Neumiller"></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Eric Nelsen<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, April 25, 2019 12:26 PM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBARP] Cutting Off Water OK?<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Please, colleagues, Paul is just asking a question about the scope of legal authority. He's already made clear that he understands it's a bad idea but his question is about what is legally possible, not what is advisable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Paul, I know of no authority that would prevent a water purveyor from suspending service for non-payment. There is a generalized "duty to provide service" per </span><a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.leg.wa.gov%2Fwac%2Fdefault.aspx%3Fcite%3D246-290%26full%3Dtrue%23246-290-106&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ceca144c339aa48f6b4ed08d6c9b48b25%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636918174592813897&sdata=pu4XO4jxm8k547oz9bfKQf9YvR3NZzaXlftHdvtdnBQ%3D&reserved=0">WAC 246-290-106</a><span style='color:#1F497D'>, but that relates more to <u>offering</u> service if a consumer is within the water system's area. I don't know what interaction there may be between water purveyor regulations, and old-style condos that can control the water supply to individual units. Probably none, but it's the only source of legal authority re access to potable water supply that I can think of.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>You might call DOH and ask them if there's any prohibition on, say, one of the Group B water systems suspending service to a house if the water bill hasn't been paid. They might give some guidance that's not directly applicable but helpful in assessing whether or not any actual legal impediment exists.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>phone 206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>fax 206-625-9040<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><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'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'> </span><a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'> [</span><a href="mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>mailto:wsbarp-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Paul Neumiller<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, April 24, 2019 5:01 PM<br><b>To:</b> </span><a href="mailto:wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'>wsbarp@lists.wsbarppt.com</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif'><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBARP] Cutting Off Water OK?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Listmates, I represent a Condo Association formed under the Horizontal Property Regimes Act. Assume they have not elected to be governed by any later Act. They ask if they <i>really</i> have the power to cut off water to a unit that is behind in the payment of assessments. The Declaration says that “the Board shall have the right after having given ten (10) days notice to any unit owner who is delinquent in paying his assessments or charges, to cut off any or all utility services to the delinquent owner’s unit until such assessments or charges are paid.” Also, RCW64.32.200 gives the same right (“ten days notice shall be given the delinquent apartment owner to the effect that unless such assessment is paid within ten days any or all utility services will be forthwith severed and shall remain severed until such assessment is paid.) Later condo acts did not carry on this express provision. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>OK, I guess I have a fear of the unknown. After reviewing about fifty cases (using the words “condominium” and “utilities” for search parameters), I have found no reported WA cases that address this issue. I know this is a draconian act but the client has asked the question anyway. The local municipality that provides the water says <i>they</i> will not shut off the water without a court order but they have no control over a shut off valve that is <i>beyond</i> the municipality’s meter. Assume the Condo Association does have its own shut-off valve. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I know, I know. What if a disabled person lives there? What if a person lives there that relies on water for medical treatment, etc. Any thoughts or war stories?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>