Incorporating Lessons Learned The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and responsive government measures to reduce the spread and curb the impact of the virus have led to unprecedented questions regarding the enforceability of contractual obligations. Many issues regarding non-performance remain unresolved.…
Read MoreOne Step Closer: Washington State Bill Removing Discriminatory Covenants from Title Passed and Waits for Inslee’s Signature As explained in a previous blog post, Washington State’s Legislature and Judiciary have been grappling with how to remove the monuments of racial…
Read MoreClearing Title: How to eradicate the monuments of racial territoriality from your title As a property owner or real estate professional you have likely stumbled upon something in a deed or title report that made you recoil. “Can they really…
Read MoreOn April 13, 2020, the Seattle City Council passed Council Bill No. 119766, which imposes commercial rent control and other protections for small businesses affected by COVID-19. The ordinance may have significant impacts for commercial landlords renting to small businesses…
Read MoreThe State of Washington imposes a real estate excise tax (REET) on the sale of real property. For many years, the REET was assessed at a flat rate of 1.28% at the state level, and local governments could also tax…
Read MoreYou’re old enough. You’re wealthy enough. People depend on you. There’s no excuse for procrastinating! By Kaity Perez, JD, LLM and James Nevers, CFP A recent Caring.com survey found that nearly four in five millennials (78%) and 64 percent of…
Read MoreA significant term in most commercial leases is the right or obligation of landlord or tenant to remodel the leased premises during the lease term. When negotiating and drafting such a lease provision, it is important to address: (a) which…
Read MoreIn a commercial lease setting, one of the most often overlooked (but critically important) lease provision is the method of allocating and measuring the square footage of the leased premises.
Read MoreOn March 28th, after a year-long lawsuit, the King County Superior Court struck down, as a violation of the state constitution, Seattle’s “first in time” ordinance which required residential landlords to screen rental applications in chronological order and award the…
Read MoreThe American Institute of Architects (AIA) has for nearly 130 years produced standardized form contracts for the construction industry. The AIA reviews and updates its form contracts based on industry trends and important decisions, and in 2017 revealed substantive changes…
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