Harbor Lights West
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Answer two questions and get the tier, the vote threshold, the bid requirement, the notice deadline, and the clause it rests on. Built from the recorded Declaration, the Bylaws as amended, and the Washington statutes that now override both.
The dollar amount is the second question. The first is what kind of work it is — because Declaration §10.4.1(i) exempts repair and replacement from owner votes entirely, while new additions are capped at $5,000.
Two questions in order — classify the work, then apply the tier. Class R and S have no owner-vote ceiling at any amount; Class N and P hit the Declaration's hard caps.
| Class | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| R Repair / Replace | Returning an existing common-area component to service, including like-for-like replacement and code upgrades incidental to it | Deck resurfacing, roof replacement, water intrusion, repiping, garage podium, painting |
| N New / Addition | Something that does not exist today, or materially better/different than what it replaces | EV charging, A/C additions, new cameras, lobby redesign |
| P Property | Acquiring real or personal property by lease or purchase — §10.4.1(l) | Equipment purchase, storage lease |
| S Services | Goods and services for operating the Common Area — §10.4.1(e),(f),(k) | Management, janitorial, insurance, utilities, legal, elevator service |
| Tier | Amount | Who approves | Bids |
|---|---|---|---|
| R0 / S0 | ≤ $1,000 budgeted | President alone (or 3Stripe under the management agreement) | — |
| R1 / S1 | $1,000 – $5,000 | President + Treasurer, both | 2 quotes if discretionary |
| R2 / S2 | $5,000 – $25,000 | Board majority, open meeting | 3 bids |
| R3 / S3 | > $25,000 | Board majority + owner information package | 3 bids, formally compared |
| Tier | Amount | Who approves | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| N0 / P0 | ≤ $1,000 budgeted | President alone | Board authority |
| N1 / P1 | $1,000 – $5,000 | President + Treasurer | Board authority |
| N2 / P2 | > $5,000 | Majority of Owners — 15 of 29 | §10.4.1(i) / (l) |
| N3 / P3 | > $25,000 | 75% of voting power — 22 of 29 | §10.4.1(i) / (l) |
| Tier | Trigger | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| A | Any special assessment | RCW 64.90.525(3) negative ratification — passes unless 15 units reject at a meeting 14–50 days out. No quorum needed. |
| B | Borrowing secured by assessments | Board authority under §10.4.2 ⚠️ owners may individually remove their unit from the lien |
| C | Encumber, sell, partition any Common Area | 75% of first Mortgagees or Owners + unanimous consent of those affected — §18.4 |
| E | Emergency — incl. risk of substantial economic loss | President commits immediately; 2/3 board vote imposes a special assessment effective at once, no owner ratification; reserves available — RCW 64.90.502 |
RCW 64.90.445(2)(l) gives a 90-day window after minutes are approved for anyone to challenge a board action. A complete contemporaneous record is the defense. Saved in this browser.
Washington has no competitive-bidding statute for condominiums and the Declaration imposes none — this is entirely our policy. Which also means a court would hold us to whatever we write, so the exceptions are explicit.
Dated obligations that arrive whether or not anyone is watching for them.
Every item below must appear in the budget delivered to owners. Items (d)–(f) are the ones boards most often omit, and they are the enforceable transparency hook on reserve underfunding.