Are you in the process of developing real estate in Seattle? Are you from out-of-state? It is likely that your lender will require a loan opinion letter. Loan opinion letters are provided by legal counsel for borrowers and provide a number of opinions including the assurance that loan documents will be binding under the law of the jurisdiction, the borrower and guarantor entities have the necessary signing authority, and that such entities have been properly formed.

As noted in our previous blog, the best way to prevent a corporate business dispute is to prepare for it with your partners. But, that doesn’t always happen, and when a disagreement occurs, things can get ugly, fast. If you’re in the beginnings of a dispute, how do you prepare for it and weather through with success? Holmquist & Gardiner provide some essential Do’s (and one Don’t) based on years of experience both inside and outside the court room.

Partnership disputes aren’t something individuals who own companies think will happen to them, but when they do, things can get messy. One minute you are thriving and growing a strong company together as a team, and the next, you are on opposing sides of the courtroom, knee-deep in costly litigation proceedings.

Oftentimes, landlords require income verification from prospective tenants to better understand tenants’ financial circumstances and ability to make monthly rent payments. If you require such information from tenants, you should carefully review the new statewide “Source of Income” law (RCW 59.18.255) that becomes effective September 30, 2018. This new regulation includes guidelines and prohibitions for landlords when a prospective tenants’ source and amount of income is requested.

With the increase in housing prices in the Seattle area, homeowners are finding that their annual property tax bill is increasing by a much larger percentage than in the past.  For example, property taxes on a median-valued home in King County has increased 42.6% in the last four years! This is a huge increase, no matter your financial situation. You might be wondering what you can do to contest your property tax assessment? Indeed, you do have options.

In October 2017, the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division 2 ruled on the proper procedures for a tenant to temporarily halt an eviction. The case was Randy Reynolds & Associates, Inc. v. Harmon, 1 Wn. App. 2d 239, 404 P.3d 602 (2017).