Discrimination in Washington State

[gordon smith]

We live in a small private development on an Island in Washington State. We currently have a group of property owners on the Architectural committee that want to eliminate manufactured homes from our community. They say that modular homes are ok or stick built but not Manufactured homes. We are aware of the new law in our state that prohibits discrimination against Manufactured Homes by towns, cities, or counties, however they say this law doesn't apply to us since we are a small housing development not a town city or county. The law I refer to is RCW 43.22.335. This group has joined the Architectural committee that approves new homes and is stating that since the original CCRs from 1975 say no mobile homes are allowed that this applies to manufactured homes as well. We got approval for our manufactured home from the previous Architectural committee 3 years ago. We believe that this constitutes discrimination against Manufactured homes. This could possibly affect keeping our home. What is your opinion?

[rmurray]

Homeowners associations can be very controlling...A property owner would have to be willing to commit the resources to challenge the committee in court..Few property owners will commit this kind of time or money..You are right to be concerned..This board is risking your whole association's treasury and therefore your...All property owners are liable for damages by the courts if they were to lose....The best way to to overcome these homeowners association Nazis is the become active in your group..Get other like minded landowners to actively join as well and vote these folks off the committee..Of course if you do this you must be ready to step in and take on a responsibility on the Board of Directors yourself...Go to meeting..speak up..be ready to be elected yourself to a time consuming volunteer job...Your concerns are correct...In most states all property owners are liable for the mistakes of the group....Go to the meetings..get others to come...speak up....Good Luck...

Be glad you do not have many more association rules..Mine has a length of grass rule..We had an overzealous President who went around and measured folks grass to be sure it was not over 3 inches high..He wanted to impose fines to all those whose grass was slightly higher..Some of us went to the meetings and spoke up only to be elected officers...Good Luck