Sequim Homeowner Associations

Tell me about Sequim Homeowner Associations.  This is a question I get often.  Today I received this great question from a client about Sequim Homeowner Associations.  “Chuck, One thing that I really want to avoid (aside from a wood stove with that god-awful stovepipe to the ceiling) is an HOA.  I’ve been dealing with one for almost 30 yrs and am looking forward to leaving them.  Is that a realistic hope?  I’ve found a few homes that were possibilities, but dropped them from my list when I was able to confirm either HOA or CC&Rs.  Or there was mention of things like community pool, rec center, etc that generally translate to association fees.”

Should I Avoid Sequim Homeowner Associations?

More than a few people have had bad experiences with Sequim Homeowner Associations (HOA), so this is a legitimate issue for retirees who want to move to Sequim and retire in peace without contentious neighbors or an AFL-CIO labor negotiator running a HOA like a dictator.  When you’re looking at property in Sequim, you can tell me what your preferences are with respect to your intended property use and the restrictions you do not want, and I can help you do your due diligence on an HOA and the CC&Rs. 

Sequim Homeowner Associations – Answers

This client’s question on Sequim Homeowner Associations and CC&Rs is more common than one might think.  Here’s my answer.  Nearly all existing homes are in some kind of Homeowner’s Association. But not all HO Associations are functioning or have dues or even a duly appointed board of directors.  And many short plats have an authorized HO Association in the original recorded documents (CC&Rs), but have not officially created it and have no intention of doing so.  Some HO Associations are non-profit and some are profit corps, partly because it does not make much difference from a tax perspective, and partly because it is more expensive to create a non-profit corporation. 

Almost every subdivision has a set of CC&Rs these days, but not all subdivisions have used or enforced them.  Some have a very simple set of CC&Rs that were created a few decades ago, and some have recent CC&Rs.  Some are very restrictive, like Bell Hill or Sunland, and other subdivisions have bare bones CC&Rs with restrictions that are minimal and don’t effect the average homeowner negatively.

Most of the areas in the Sequim and Port Angeles area that do have CC&Rs are so lenient, you won’t find any adverse impact for your intended use.  I am quite familiar with HO Association problems, because when I was practicing law, I had many occasions to work with Sequim Homeowner Associations or individual homeowners.  After many bad experiences, I eventually refused to represent them or do work for or against a HO Association.  They are one of the most difficult clients to work with, and they always seem to start the conversation with, “We don’t have much money to pay you.”

Sequim Homeowner Associations Recommendation

What I would recommend is looking at homes and filtering the ones that look the best, and then I can tell you something about the HO Association and we can look at the CC&Rs, if there are any, and talk about how that would effect you.  Very few HO Associations here are run by dogmatic board members who are control freaks, and very few CC&Rs are so restrictive that they would adversely effect your use of the property.  But I can help with all that when you need to learn more about Sequim Homeowner Associations.

Last Updated on February 9, 2013 by Chuck Marunde