Washington • Special assessment notice
Special assessment from your Washington condo or HOA — what can the board actually do?
Washington recently modernized its community-association law, so the first question is which rulebook governs your building — and the second is whether your reserves were ever actually funded. Those two answers usually explain a special assessment here.
The short answer
In Washington the board can usually levy a special assessment unless your declaration requires a member vote, and there's no statutory cap. Reserve studies are required but funding them isn't — so underfunding quietly drives surprise assessments. CondoSignal reads your notice and resale certificate against Washington's law (WUCIOA or the older acts) to tell you what's normal. Free.Washington at a glance
Owner vote required?
Per declaration
No statutory default vote.
Assessment cap
None
Only the declaration may cap it.
Reserve study
Required (~3 yrs)
Funding to the study is not mandated.
Resale cancel
5 business days
After the condo resale certificate (RCW 64.34.425).
Which law governs you
Communities created on or after July 1, 2018 fall under WUCIOA (RCW 64.90); older condos under RCW 64.34 and older HOAs under RCW 64.38. Across all of them, the board can levy a special assessment unless your declaration requires a member vote, and there's no statutory cap on the amount or frequency. The limits, if any, are in your governing documents.
Reserve studies required, funding optional
Washington requires reserve studies for significant-asset associations and updates roughly every three years — but it does not require the association to actually fund reserves to the study's recommendation. That gap is the most common driver of special assessments here: a building that studied its needs but never funded them eventually assesses to catch up.
Disclosure and the super-lien
For condos, the resale certificate must disclose existing and scheduled special assessments, and you get five business days to cancel after receiving it (RCW 64.34.425). The association's lien gets six-month priority over the first mortgage for regular dues (condos, judicial foreclosure) — but pre-2018 HOAs have no super-lien, which affects how delinquency plays out.
Your rights in Washington
As a Washington condo owner you're entitled to a resale certificate disclosing scheduled and existing special assessments, plus a 5-business-day cancellation right (RCW 64.34.425), and to the association's reserve study. Pre-2018 HOAs have fewer statutory protections. None of this is legal advice — confirm which act applies and check the current statute and Washington counsel.
What to check
- Confirm whether WUCIOA or the older condo/HOA act governs your building.
- Read the declaration for any member-vote requirement on specials.
- Compare the assessment to the reserve study and how much was actually funded.
- Pull the resale certificate for scheduled special assessments.
- Check the master-policy earthquake/flood coverage and deductible.
- For a pre-2018 HOA, note there's no super-lien on dues.
Sources
- RCW 64.34.425 — condo resale certificate(High)
- RCW 64.90 — Washington UCIOA(High)
- RCW 64.34.364 — condominium liens(High)
Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Washington-licensed professional.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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