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Condominium and Cooperative Law in Washington

Cooperative and condominium communities are examples of a class of housing developments known 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 accountable for taking maintaining the common areas in their communities, such as lawns, gardens, swimming pools, and the like. This responsibility is usually taken care of by charging the residents a periodic maintenance fee, to pay for the upkeep of the common areas.

Just 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 distinct to one type of cooperative community, but not the other. The significant 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 Vancouver, Washington

Various Vancouver, Washington laws affect common-interest communities. However, almost all of these laws govern real estate more generally, and there are very few laws written particularly for common interest communities. Such generally-applicable laws include zoning regulations, contracts, and the relations between landlords and tenants.

The daily lives of residents, and what they are and aren't allowed to do in their residences, will be far more heavily impacted by rules and regulations that the homeowner's association, or the owner of the land, has imposed.

The manager or owner of the land on which your residence is located will likely have a lot of rules concerning what can and cannot be done in and near the houses. These rules usually mandate cleanliness, keeping noise to a minimum, and regulate the presence of pets.

Some rules set by property owners or managers may not be enforceable, however. For instance, in Vancouver, Washington, any rule which purports to exclude residents based on race, color, national origin, or religion will not be legitimate. There are likely some others, as well.

Can a Vancouver, Washington Attorney Help?

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

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Vancouver

Vancouver, WA is a city in Clark County, Washington. It has a population of about 162,000 people, making it the 4th largest city in the state of Washington.

Vancouver, Washington was founded in the early 1800s as a fishing, logging, and fur-trading center. Obviously, the economy of the region, including Vancouver, WA has evolved over the decades. Now, Vancouver's economy largely parallels that of the rest of the region: it is now a center of the American high-tech industry. The Hewlett-Packard computer company is one of the largest employers in Vancouver, WA. The economy is also heavily based on services, including retail, medicine, and legal services and attorneys.

Because of its diverse and service-based economy, Vancouver, WA attorneys are skilled in a large number of different practice areas, because they have to be in order to stay competitive.

So, if you are facing a legal issue in the Vancouver area, you're going to want to consult a Vancouver, WA attorney as soon as possible.

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