Condominium and Cooperative Law in Washington

Cooperative and condominium communities are examples of a class of housing developments identified as "common interest communities."

This is a type of community in which the individual residents rent or own residential units in a building, or collection of buildings, but are collectively responsible for taking maintaining the common areas in their communities, such as lawns, gardens, swimming pools, and the like. This responsibility is typically taken care of by charging the residents a periodic maintenance fee, to pay for the upkeep of the common areas.

Simply looking at the outside (or inside, for that matter) of a condo or cooperative community, you likely can't tell which it is.

This is because there are no defining physical characteristics which are unique to one type of cooperative community, but not the other. The important differences aren't embodied in physical characteristics, but in the legal ownership arrangement governing the communities: in a condominium community, the residents own the units they live in. In a cooperative community, the units are rented.

Laws and Regulations Concerning Common Interest Communities in Sunnyside, Washington

There are many laws in Sunnyside, Washington that might be applicable to common interest communities. But most of these laws are not unique to common-interest communities. Rather, they usually concern zoning, land use, and contract law, which are applicable to most other types of real estate, as well.

Usually, the rules established by the owner of the property, or the entity tasked with managing it, are going to have much more of a day-to-day effect on your life than any state laws governing these types of communities.

The land on which these communities sit is private property, so the owners have substantial leeway when it comes to setting rules regarding what tenants can and can't do on the property. These rules usually govern things like noise levels, cleanliness, long-term guests, and pets. They are often designed with the goal of balancing residents' rights to a clean and quiet neighborhood, with their individual autonomy.

Some of these rules, however, may not be enforceable, if push came to shove. This would depend on the specific laws of Sunnyside, Washington which regulate landlords and tenants.

Can a Sunnyside, Washington Attorney Help?

If you have a dispute with a neighbor, your landlord, or your homeowners' association, a knowledgeable Sunnyside, Washington real estate attorney can be instrumental in obtaining a desired outcome.