Lake Alice Water Association

How we prepare for Washington’s WUCIOA rules

Washington is standardizing the rules for associations like ours. This page explains what is changing, what stays the same for water service, and how the Board and membership should proceed.

Common interest community (CIC) Membership transfers with lot sale Target: ready by 2028

What is WUCIOA?

WUCIOA is the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (RCW 64.90). It is the statewide rulebook for common interest communities (CICs)— places where owning a home or lot ties you into shared costs and an owners’ association.

For LAWA we are planning on that basis: your membership and water rights run with the lot and transfer when the lot is sold (when recorded on Association books).

What this is about

  • Clearer meeting notices and open Board meetings
  • Fairer collection and lien procedures
  • Member access to records and the member list
  • Budget review by the membership
  • Standard paperwork when a lot is sold

What this is not

  • Not changing the purpose of LAWA (community water)
  • Not removing backflow, meter, or health-safety rules
  • Not a rate increase by itself (rates stay a separate Board decision)
  • Not finished legal advice—final text should be reviewed by counsel

Timeline

When What it means for LAWA
Now (2026) Key practices already expected under accelerated state law: open Board meetings, at least 15 minutes for member comment, proper meeting notice, and at least one fee-free way to pay assessments.
Through 2027 Update Rules (Board + notice to members), then amend Bylaws (member vote). Align collection letters, budgets, and resale paperwork.
January 1, 2028 Full WUCIOA applies. Anything in our old documents that conflicts with the statute is unenforceable. Clean documents avoid confusion at sale time and in disputes.

What members should know

  • Your membership goes with the property. When you sell, water membership transfers to the buyer (on Association books). Unpaid bills can still follow the seller personally and may remain a lien on the lot.
  • You will get more notice of Board meetings and time at the start of meetings to speak about agenda items.
  • You can review Association records (including a member name/address list for Association purposes—not for commercial use).
  • Budgets will come to the membership for a ratification meeting after the Board proposes them.
  • If you fall behind on payments, collection must follow statutory steps (clear notices before serious lien/foreclosure action). Water shutoff for nonpayment may still apply after proper notice.
  • Board elections and major document amendments use secret ballots; election ballots include a write-in line.

Water operations stay. Backflow devices, no secondary water source on Association lines, meter access, and similar safety rules remain. Only the governance and collection process is being modernized.

What the Board should do

  • Start (or keep) open Board meetings with 14-day member notice and a 15-minute comment period.
  • Offer at least one no-fee payment method (e.g. check/mail/ACH without a convenience fee).
  • Stop withholding the member list from members who request it for proper Association use.
  • Update delinquency letters to match statutory preforeclosure content before aggressive collection.
  • Adopt Rules amendments first (easier), then schedule a Bylaws amendment vote.
  • Have association counsel review the draft language in the edit/ folder before final adoption.

Recommended action plan

  1. Practice first (can start immediately) Open meetings, comment period, fee-free pay, member-list access, modern collection notices. No document rewrite required to begin better practice where the statute already controls.
  2. Counsel review of drafts Use the proposed Rules and Bylaws text in this folder. Confirm wording and resale-certificate process for lot sales.
  3. Amend the Rules Board sends proposed text to members → comment date → Board adopts → send final Rules. Priority fixes: member list (§29), collections (§27), fines with hearing, rulemaking notice.
  4. Amend the Bylaws 14–50 days’ notice with full text; member vote by secret ballot. Covers meetings, elections, records, transfers with lot sale, assessments, audit/financials, plus new budget and payment clauses.
  5. Light Articles cleanup (optional / when restating) Say “members” not “shareholders”; state that membership runs with the served lot and transfers on sale. Update registered agent if needed.
  6. Before first sales under full 2028 rules Resale certificate process ready; books can produce assessment status quickly; Board and members know the new meeting and budget calendar.

Highest-priority document fixes

# Document Issue today Direction
1 Rules §29 Member list kept private Members may inspect (with privacy redactions)
2 Rules §27 Old lien / late-fee path Statutory notices and foreclosure thresholds
3 Bylaws 7.1 Board may meet “without notice” Open meetings + advance notice + comment
4 Bylaws 4.3 10-day member meeting notice 14–50 days
5 Bylaws 4.2 Special meeting needs 25% 20% of votes is enough to call
6 Bylaws 8.E Suspend membership for nonpay Lien / judgment / lawful shutoff instead
7 Bylaws 2.2 / 3.2 Transfer only if “free of debt” Transfer with sale; debt stays as lien/personal liability
8 Rules §19 / §26 $500 fines, no process Notice and hearing first

New items to add (not just rewrite)