HB 1501 — Concerning inquiries into association governance or operations by unit owners in common interest communities.

H-0496.1ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL 1501 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Representatives Reed, Entenman, Gregerson, Peterson, Fosse, Farivar, Doglio, Alvarado, Hill, Berry, Lekanoff, Simmons, Ormsby, and Macri Read first time 01/22/25.

The association must either give a substantive response to the inquirer or notify the inquirer that additional time is reasonably necessary to respond, such as when a legal opinion or other third-party professional opinion has been requested.

(2)For Ifthe apurposes legalof opinionthis orsection, othera third-party"substantive opinionresponse" isincludes, requested,but theis associationnot mustlimited provideto, thea inquirerfactual withexplanation, areference substantiveto response,governing indocuments, thestatement form of acurrent record,association withinpractices, 60or daysother afterresponsive receiptinformation ofreasonably available to the inquiry.association.

1 HBEHB 1501 (3) An association'sassociation failureis not required to provideobtain a substantivelegal responseopinion toor another inquirythird-party asprofessional providedopinion in thisorder sectionto precludesprovide thea associationsubstantive fromresponse recoveringunless attorneys'reasonably feesnecessary andto costsaddress in any subsequent dispute arising out of the inquiryinquiry. including, but not limited to, any litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.

(4)(2) TheIn associationany mayaction adoptor reasonableproceeding rulesarising andout regulationsof regardingan theinquiry frequencysubject andto mannerthis ofsection respondingincluding, tobut inquiries,not onelimited ofto, whichany maylitigation, bemediation, thatarbitration, theor associationadministrative isproceedings, onlythe obligatedprevailing toparty respondis entitled to onerecover writtenits inquiryreasonable perattorneys' unitfees inand anycosts. 30-day period.

(3) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one written inquiry per unit in any 30-day period.

The association must either give a substantive response to the inquirer or notify the inquirer that additional time is reasonably necessary to respond, such as when a legal opinion or other third-party professional opinion has been requested.

(2)For Ifthe apurposes legalof opinionthis orsection, othera third-party"substantive opinionresponse" isincludes, requested,but theis associationnot mustlimited provideto, thea inquirerfactual withexplanation, areference substantiveto response,governing indocuments, thestatement form of acurrent record,association withinpractices, 60or daysother afterresponsive receiptinformation ofreasonably available to the inquiry.association.

(3) An association'sassociation failureis tonot providerequired a substantive response to anobtain inquirya aslegal providedopinion inor thisother sectionthird- precludesparty theprofessional associationopinion fromin recoveringorder attorneys'to feesprovide anda costssubstantive inresponse anyunless subsequentreasonably disputenecessary arisingto outaddress of the inquiryinquiry. including, but not limited to, any litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.

(4)(2) TheIn associationany mayaction adoptor reasonableproceeding rulesarising andout regulationsof regardingan theinquiry frequencysubject and manner of responding to inquiries,this onesection ofincluding, whichbut maynot belimited thatto, theany associationlitigation, ismediation, onlyarbitration, obligatedor toadministrative respondproceedings, tothe oneprevailing writtenp. inquiry per apartment in any 30-day period.

2 EHB 1501 party is entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs.

(3) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one written inquiry per apartment in any 30-day period.

Nothing p.in this section precludes an apartment owner from asking more than one question as part of a single inquiry.

2(4) HBThis 1501 in this section precludesexpires anJanuary apartment1, owner2028. from asking more than one question as part of a single inquiry.

(5) This section expires January 1, 2028.

The association must either give a substantive response to the inquirer or notify the inquirer that additional time is reasonably necessary to respond, such as when a legal opinion or other third-party professional opinion has been requested.

(2)For Ifthe apurposes legalof opinionthis orsection, othera third-party"substantive opinionresponse" isincludes, requested,but theis associationnot mustlimited provideto, thea inquirerfactual withexplanation, areference substantiveto response,governing indocuments, thestatement form of acurrent record,association withinpractices, 60or daysother afterresponsive receiptinformation ofreasonably available to the inquiry.association.

(3) An association'sassociation failureis not required to provideobtain a substantivelegal responseopinion toor another inquirythird-party asprofessional providedopinion in thisorder sectionto precludesprovide thea associationsubstantive fromresponse recoveringunless attorneys'reasonably feesnecessary andto costsaddress in any subsequent dispute arising out of the inquiryinquiry. including, but not limited to, any litigation or mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.

(4)(2) TheIn associationany mayaction adoptor reasonableproceeding rulesarising andout regulationsof regardingan theinquiry frequencysubject andto mannerthis ofsection respondingincluding, tobut inquiries,not onelimited ofto, whichany maylitigation, bemediation, thatarbitration, theor associationadministrative isproceedings, onlythe obligatedprevailing toparty respondis entitled to onerecover writtenits inquiryreasonable perattorneys' unitfees inand anycosts. 30-day period.

In(3) suchThe aassociation case,may adopt reasonable rules and regulations regarding the associationfrequency mustand respondmanner of responding to anyinquiries, additionalone inquiryof orwhich inquiriesmay inbe that the subsequentassociation 30-dayis period,only orobligated periods,to asrespond applicable.to one written inquiry per unit in any 30-day period.

In such a case, the association must respond to any additional inquiry or inquiries in p.

3 EHB 1501 the subsequent 30-day period, or periods, as applicable.

(5)(4) This section expires January 1, 2028.

(1) When an owner or the owner's authorized agent files a written inquiry by certified mail with a homeowners' association regarding one or more topics related to either association governance or operations, or both, the association must respond, in the form of a record, to the owner or the owner's authorized agent within 30 days p.after receipt of the inquiry.

3The HBassociation 1501must aftereither receiptgive ofa substantive response to the inquiry.inquirer or notify the inquirer that additional time is reasonably necessary to respond, such as when a legal opinion or other third-party professional opinion has been requested.

TheFor associationthe mustpurposes eitherof givethis section, a substantive"substantive responseresponse" toincludes, thebut inquireris ornot notifylimited theto, inquirera thatfactual aexplanation, legalreference opinionto governing documents, statement of current association practices, or other third-partyresponsive opinioninformation hasreasonably beenavailable requested.to the association.

(2)An Ifassociation is not required to obtain a legal opinion or other third-party professional opinion isin requested,order theto association must provide the inquirer with a substantive response,response inunless thereasonably formnecessary ofto aaddress record, within 60 days after receipt of the inquiry.

(3)(2) AnIn association'sany failureaction toor provideproceeding aarising substantiveout responseof to an inquiry assubject providedto in this section precludesincluding, thebut associationnot fromlimited recoveringto, attorneys' fees and costs in any subsequentlitigation, disputemediation, arisingarbitration, outor ofadministrative proceedings, the inquiryprevailing including,party butis notentitled limitedto to,recover anyits litigationreasonable orattorneys' mediation,fees arbitration,and orcosts. administrative proceedings.

(4)(3) The association may adopt reasonable rules and regulations regarding the frequency and manner of responding to inquiries, one of which may be that the association is only obligated to respond to one written inquiry per lot in any 30-day period.

(5)(4) This section expires January 1, 2028.

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