RCW 64.90.480

RCW 64.90.480 — Assessments and capital contributions. (1)(a) Assessments for common expenses must be made at least annually based on a budget adopted at least annually by the association in the manner provided in RCW 64.90.525. (b) Assessments for common expenses must commence on all units that have been created upon the conveyance of the first unit in the common interest community; however, the declarant may delay commencement of assessments for some or all common expenses, in which event the declarant must pay all of the common expenses that have been delayed. In a common interest community in which units may be added pursuant to reserved development rights, the declarant may delay commencement of assessments for such units in the same manner. (2) The declaration may provide that, upon closing of the first conveyance of each unit to a purchaser or first occupancy of a unit, whichever occurs first, the association may assess and collect a working capital contribution for such unit. The working capital contribution may be collected prior to the commencement of common assessments under subsection (1) of this section. A working capital contribution may not be used to defray expenses that are the obligation of the declarant. (3) Except as provided otherwise in this section, all common expenses must be assessed against all the units in accordance with their common expense liabilities, subject to the right of the declarant to delay commencement of certain common expenses under subsections (1) and (2) of this section. Any past due assessment or installment of past due assessment bears interest at the rate established by the association pursuant to RCW 64.90.485. (4) The declaration may provide that any of the following common expenses of the association must be assessed against the units on some basis other than common expense liability. If and to the extent the declaration so provides, the association must assess: (a) Expenses associated with the operation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of any specified limited common element against the units to which that limited common element is assigned, equally or in any other proportion that the declaration provides; (b) Expenses specified in the declaration as benefiting fewer than all of the units or their unit owners exclusively against the units benefited in proportion to their common expense liability or in any other proportion that the declaration provides, but if the common expense is for the maintenance, repair, or replacement of a common element other than a limited common element, the expense may be assessed exclusively against them only if the declaration reasonably identifies the common expense by specific listing or category; (c) The costs of insurance in proportion to risk; and (d) The costs of one or more specified services or utilities in proportion to respective usage, whether metered, billed in bulk based on unit count, or reasonably estimated, or upon the same basis as such charges are made by the service or utility provider. (5) Assessments to pay a judgment against the association may be made only against the units in the common interest community at the time the judgment was entered, in proportion to their common expense liabilities. (6) The association may assess exclusively against a unit owner's unit common expenses, including expenses relating to damage to or loss of property, caused by the: (a) Willful misconduct or gross negligence of the unit owner or the unit owner's tenant, guest, invitee, or occupant; (b) Failure of the unit owner to comply with a maintenance standard prescribed by the declaration or a rule, if the standard contains a statement that an owner may be liable for damage or loss caused by failure to comply with the standard; or (c) Negligence of the unit owner or the unit owner's tenant, guest, invitee, or occupant, if the declaration contains a statement that an owner may be liable for damage or loss caused by such negligence. (7) Before an association makes an assessment under subsection (6) of this section, the association must give notice to the unit owner and provide an opportunity for a hearing. The assessment is limited to the expense the association incurred under subsection (6) of this section less any insured proceeds received by the association, whether the difference results from the application of a deductible or otherwise. (8) In the event of a loss or damage to a unit that would be covered by the association's property insurance policy, excluding policies for earthquake, flood, or similar losses that have higher than standard deductibles, but that is within the deductible under that policy and if the declaration so provides, the association may assess the amount of the loss up to the deductible against that unit. This subsection does not prevent a unit owner from asserting a claim against another person for the amount assessed if that other person would be liable for the damages under general legal principles. (9) If common expense liabilities are reallocated, assessments and any installment of assessments not yet due must be recalculated in accordance with the reallocated common expense liabilities. (10) An association must provide at least one method of accepting payment of assessments from unit owners at no charge or as a common expense.