THIS DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS, AND RESTRICTIONS is made this 4th day of January, 1994, by The Newland Group, Inc., a California corporation, (hereinafter referred to as ``Declarant'').
Declarant is the owner of the real property described in exhibit ``A'' attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. Declarant intends by this Declaration to impose upon the Properties (as defined herein) mutually beneficial restrictions under a general plan of improvement for the benefit of all owners of real property within the Properties. Declarant desires to provide a flexible and reasonable procedure for the overall development of the Properties, and to establish a method for the administration, maintenance, preservation, use and enjoyment of such Properties as are now or hereafter subjected to this Declaration.
Declarant hereby declares that all of the property described in Exhibit ``A'' and any additional property which is hereafter subjected to this Declaration by Supplemental Declaration (as defined herein) shall be held, sold, and conveyed subject to the following easements, restrictions, covenants, and conditions which are for the purpose of protecting the value and desirability of and which shall run with the real property subjected to this Declaration and which shall be binding on all parties having any right, title, or interest in the described Properties or any part thereof, their heirs, successors-in-title, and assigns, successors, and shall inure to the benefit of each owner thereof. This Declaration does not and is not intended to create a condominium within the meaning of the Washington Horizontal Property Regime Act, 64.32.010, et seq.
Where the context permits or requires, the term Neighborhood shall also refer to the Neighborhood Committee (established in accordance with the By-Laws) or Neighborhood. Association (as defined in Article III, Section 3) having jurisdiction over the property within the Neighborhood. It shall not be necessary for any Neighborhood to be governed by an additional owners association except in the case of a condominium or otherwise as required by law. Neighborhoods may be divided or combined in accordance with Article III, Section 3, of this Declaration.
(a) this Declaration as it may be amended from time to time and to any restrictions or limitations contained in any deed conveying such property to the Association;
(b) the right of the Association to limit the number of guests, and to adopt rules regulating the use and enjoyment of the Common Area;
(c) the right of the Board to suspend the right of an Owner to use recreational facilities within the Common Area (i) for any period during which any charge against such Owner's Unit remains delinquent, and (ii) for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days for a single violation, or for a longer period in the case of any continuing violation, of the Declaration, By-Laws, or rules of the Association after notice and a hearing pursuant to the Article III, Section 22 of the By-Laws;
(d) the right of the Association, acting through the Board, to dedicate or transfer all or any part of the Common Area pursuant to Article XIII, Section 5 hereof;
(e) the right of the Association to impose reasonable membership requirements and charge reasonable admission or other fees for the use of any recreational facility situated upon the Common Area;
(f) the right of the Board to permit nonmember use of the Common Area upon payment of use fees established by the Board;
(g) the right of the Association, acting through the Board, to mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any or all of its real or personal property as security for money borrowed or debts incurred subject to the approval requirements set forth in Article XIV, Section 2 hereof: and
(h) the rights of certain Owners to the exclusive use of portions of the Common Areas, designated Exclusive Common Areas, as more particularly described in Section 2 below.
Any Owner may delegate his or her right of use and enjoyment to the members of his or her family, lessees and social invitees, as applicable, subject to reasonable regulation by the Board and in accordance with procedures it may adopt. An Owner who leases his or her Unit shall be deemed to have delegated all such rights to the Unit's lessee.
The initial Common Area shall be conveyed to the Association prior to the conveyance of a Unit to any Unit purchaser other than a builder or developer holding title for the purpose of development and resale.
No Owner, whether one (1) or more Persons, shall have more than one (1) membership per Unit owned. In the event the Owner of a Unit is more than one (1) Person, votes and rights of use and enjoyment shall be as provided herein. The rights and privileges of membership may be exercised by a Member or the Member's spouse, subject to the provisions of this Declaration and the By-Laws. The membership rights of a Unit owned by a corporation or partnership shall be exercised by the individual designated from time to time by the Owner in a written instrument provided to the Secretary, subject to the provisions of this Declaration and the By-Laws.
(a) Class "A". Class "A" Members shall be all Owners with the exception of the Class "B" Member, if any.
Class "A" Members shall be entitled to one (1) equal vote for each Unit in which they hold the interest required for membership under Section 1 hereof: there shall be only one (1) vote per Unit. Unless otherwise specified in this Declaration or the By-Laws, the vote for each Unit shall be exercised by the Voting Member, as defined in Article I, representing the Neighborhood of which the Unit is a part.
In any situation where a Member is entitled personally to exercise the vote for his Unit and more than one (1) Person holds the interest in such Unit required for membership, the vote for such Unit shall be exercised as those Persons determine among themselves and advise the Secretary of the Association in writing prior to any meeting. In the absence of such advice, the Unit's vote shall be suspended if more than one (1) Person seeks to exercise it.
(b) Class "B". Class "B" Member shall be the Declarant. The rights of the Class "B" Member, including the right to approve actions taken under this Declaration and the By-Laws, are specified elsewhere in the Declaration and the By-Laws. The Class "B" Member shall be entitled to appoint a majority of the members of the Board of Directors during the Class "B" Control Period, as specified in Article III, Section 2, of the By-Laws. After termination of the Class "B" Control Period, the Class "B" Member shall have a right to disapprove actions of the Board of Directors and any committee as provided in Article III, Section 3, of the By-Laws. The Class "B" membership shall terminate and become converted to Class "A" membership upon the earlier of:
(i) two (2) years after expiration of the Class "B" Control Period pursuant to Article III of the By-Laws; or
(ii) when, in its discretion, the Declarant so determines.
Each Neighborhood, upon the affirmative vote, written consent, or a combination thereof, of a majority of Owners within the Neighborhood, may request that the Association provide a higher level of service or special services for the benefit of Units in such Neighborhood. The Association shall provide such services and the cost of such services shall be assessed against the benefited Units as a Neighborhood Assessment pursuant to Article X hereof.
The senior elected officer of each Neighborhood Association or Neighborhood Committee shall serve as the Voting Member for such Neighborhood and shall cast all votes attributable to Units in the Neighborhood on all Association matters requiring membership vote, unless otherwise specified in this Declaration or the By-Laws. The next most senior officer shall be the alternate Voting Member and may cast such votes in the absence of the Voting Member. The Voting Member may cast all such votes as it, in its discretion, deems appropriate. Notwithstanding the above, each Voting Member shall cast only one (1) equal vote for election of directors.
Initially, each portion of the Properties which is intended to be subdivided for development as two (2) or more Units at the time it is conveyed by the Declarant or is described on a single plat or series of plats by the same name shall constitute a separate Neighborhood.
The Declarant shall specify the individual Neighborhoods not later than the date of expiration of the Class "B" Control Period in a Supplemental Declaration filed with the Association and in the Auditor's Office of Clark County, Washington. The Supplemental Declaration shall identify each Neighborhood and designate the Units within each Neighborhood. Neighborhoods shall also be designated as single family or multi-family Neighborhoods. Such Supplemental Declaration may be amended from time to time by Declarant, acting alone, at any time prior to the expiration of the Class "B" Control Period. In the event the Declarant fails to specify the identification of Neighborhoods prior to the expiration of the Class "B" Control Period, the right to establish Neighborhoods shall be delegated to the Association.
The developer of any such Neighborhood may apply to the Board of Directors to divide the parcel constituting the Neighborhood into more than one (1) Neighborhood or to combine two (2) or more Neighborhoods into one (1)
Neighborhood at anytime. Upon a petition signed by a majority of the Unit Owners in the Neighborhood, any Neighborhood may also apply to the Board of Directors to divide the property comprising the Neighborhood into two (2) or more Neighborhoods or to combine two (2) Neighborhoods into one (1) Neighborhood. Any such application shall be in writing and shall include a plat of survey of the entire parcel which indicates the boundaries of the proposed Neighborhood(s) or otherwise identifies the Units included within the proposed Neighborhood(s).
A Neighborhood consolidation shall automatically be deemed granted upon the applicant filing the required documents with the Board. A Neighborhood division requested by the Neighborhood or by the Neighborhood developer shall automatically be deemed granted unless the Board of Directors denies such application in writing within thirty (30) days of its receipt thereof. The Board may deny an application for division only upon determining that there is no reasonable basis for distinguishing between the areas proposed to be divided into separate Neighborhoods. All applications and copies of any denials shall be filed with the books and records of the Association and shall be maintained as long as this Declaration is in effect.
(b) Voting Groups. In order to guarantee representation on the Board of Directors for various groups having dissimilar interests and to avoid a situation in which the Voting Members representing similar Neighborhoods are able, due to the number of Units in such Neighborhoods, to elect the entire Board of Directors, excluding representation of others, the Declarant shall establish Voting Groups for election of directors to the Board. The Declarant shall establish Voting Groups not later than the date of expiration of the Class "B" Control Period by filing with the Association and in the Auditor's Office of Clark County, Washington, a Supplemental Declaration identifying each Voting Group and designating the Units within each group. Such designation may be amended from time to time by Declarant, acting alone, at any time prior to the expiration of the Class "B" Control Period and, after the expiration of the Class B Control Period, by the Board of Directors upon the Vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total number of directors. Neither recordation nor amendment of such Supplemental Declaration shall constitute an amendment to this Declaration and shall not require the formality thereof. Until such time as Voting Groups are established by or in the event that Declarant fails to establish
Voting Groups, all Units shall be assigned to the same Voting Group. Each Voting Group shall be entitled to elect the number of directors specified in Article III, Section 6 of the By-Laws. Any other members of the Board of Directors shall be elected at large by all Voting Members without regard to Voting Groups.
Except as otherwise specifically provided, herein, all costs associated with maintenance, repair and replacement of General Common Areas shall be a Common Expense to be allocated among all Units as part of the Common Assessment. All costs associated with maintenance, repair and replacement of Exclusive Common Areas shall be a Neighborhood Expense assessed as a Neighborhood Assessment solely against the Units within the Neighborhood(s) to which the Exclusive Common Areas are assigned, notwithstanding that the Association may be responsible for performing such maintenance hereunder.
The Association shall also be responsible for maintenance, repair and replacement of property within any Neighborhood to the extent designated in any Supplemental Declaration affecting the Neighborhood. The Association may also assume maintenance responsibilities with respect to any Neighborhood in addition to those that may be designated by any Supplemental Declaration. This assumption of responsibility may take place either by agreement with the Neighborhood or because, in the opinion of the Board, the level and quality of service then being provided is not consistent with the Community-Wide Standard of the Properties. All costs of maintenance pursuant to this paragraph shall be assessed as a Neighborhood Assessment only against the Units within the Neighborhood to which the services are provided. The provision of services in accordance with this Section shall not constitute discrimination within a class.
The Association may maintain other property which it does not own, including, without limitation, parks and other property dedicated to the public, if the Board of Directors determines that such maintenance is necessary or desirable to maintain the Community-Wide Standard.
If the conditions of the Planned Unit Development or the conditions for final plat approval of the Properties require maintenance obligations by the Association, then the maintenance obligations of the Association in this Declaration with respect thereto may not be amended without obtaining the written approval of Clark County to any such amendment notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section 2 of Article XIII. The foregoing restriction on amendment shall apply to the By-Laws as well. The foregoing restriction on amendment shall apply, without limitation, to the Association's maintenance obligations of the storm water facility (to the extent that Clark County does not assume maintenance thereof), the three-year monitoring program with respect to the initial plantings and maintenance of the private pedestrian easement during its continuance. Until the Association undertakes the maintenance obligations that are conditions of the Planned Unit Development or conditions for final plat approval, the Declarant shall be responsible for any such maintenance obligations.
Any Neighborhood having responsibility for maintenance of all or a portion of the property within a particular Neighborhood pursuant to additional covenants affecting the Neighborhood shall perform such maintenance responsibility in a manner consistent with the Community-Wide Standard. If any such Neighborhood fails to perform its maintenance responsibility as required herein and in any additional covenants, the Association may perform it and assess the costs against all Units within such Neighborhood as provided in Article X, Section 4 of this Declaration.
(a) General Rules of law to Apply. Each wall or fence built as a part of the original construction the Units which shall serve and separate any two (2) adjoining Units shall constitute a party wall or fence and, to the extent not inconsistent with the provisions of this Section, the general rules of law regarding party walls and liability for property damage due to negligence or willful acts or omissions shall apply thereto.
(b) Sharing of repair and Maintenance. The cost of reasonable repair and maintenance of a party wall or fence shall be shared by the Owners who make use of the wall or fence in equal proportions.
(c) Damage and Destruction. If a party Wall or fence is destroyed or damaged by fire or other casualty, then to the extent that such damage is not covered by insurance and repaired out of the proceeds of insurance, any Owner who has used the wall or fence may restore it. If the other Owner or Owners thereafter make use of the wall or fence, they shall contribute to the cost of restoration thereof in equal proportions without prejudice, however, to the right of any such Owners to call for a larger contribution from the others under any rule of law regarding liability for negligent or willful acts or omissions.
(d) Right to Contribution Runs With Land The right of any Owner to contribution from any other Owner under this Section shall be appurtenant to the land and shall pass to such Owner's successors-in-title.
(e) Arbitration. In the event of any dispute arising concerning a party wall or fence, or under the provisions of this Section, each party shall appoint one (1) arbitrator. Should any party refuse to appoint an arbitrator within ten (10) days after written request therefore by the Board of Directors, the Board shall appoint an arbitrator for the refusing party- The arbitrators thus appointed shall appoint one (1) additional arbitrator and the decision by a majority of all three (3) arbitrators shall be binding upon the parties and shall be a condition precedent to any right of legal action that either party may have against the other.
In addition to casualty insurance on the Common Area, the Association may, upon request of a Neighborhood, and shall, if so specified in a Supplemental Declaration affecting the Neighborhood, obtain and continue in effect adequate blanket all-risk casualty insurance, if reasonably available, on properties within the Neighborhood. If all-risk insurance is not reasonably available, then fire and extended coverage may be substituted. Such coverage may be in such form as the Board of Directors deems appropriate and the face amount of the policy shall be sufficient to cover the full replacement cost of all structures to be insured. The costs thereof shall be charged to the Owners of Units within the benefited Neighborhood as a Neighborhood Assessment, as defined in Article I hereof.
Insurance obtained on the properties within any Neighborhood, whether obtained by such Neighborhood or the Association, shall at a minimum comply with the applicable provisions of this Section 1, including the provisions of this
Article applicable to policy provisions, loss adjustment, and all other subjects to which this Article applies with regard to insurance on the Common Area. All such insurance shall be in a face amount sufficient to cover the full replacement cost of all insured structures. All such policies shall provide for a certificate of insurance to be furnished to each Member insured, to the Association, and to the Neighborhood Association, if any.
The Board shall also obtain a public liability policy covering the Area of Common Responsibility, insuring the Association and its Members for all damage or injury caused by the negligence of the Association, any of its Members or agents or any other Person who has a right to occupy a unit. The public liability policy shall have at least a One Million ($1,000,000.00) Dollar single Person limit as respects bodily injury and property damage, a Three Million ($3,000,000.00) Dollar limit per occurrence, if reasonably available, and a Five Hundred Thousand ($500,000.00) Dollar minimum property damage limit.
Premiums for all insurance on the Area of Common Responsibility shall be Common Expenses of the Association and shall be included in the Common Assessment, as defined in Article I and as more particularly described in Article X, Section 1 provided, in the discretion of the Board of Directors, premiums for insurance on Exclusive Common Areas may be included in the Neighborhood Assessment of the Neighborhood(s) benefited thereby unless the Board of Directors reasonably determines that other treatment of the premiums is more appropriate. The policies may contain a reasonable deductible, and, in the case of casualty insurance, the amount thereof shall not be subtracted from the face amount of the policy in determining whether the insurance at least equals the full replacement cost. The deductible shall be paid by the party who would be liable for the loss or repair in the absence of insurance and in the event of multiple parties shall be allocated in relation to the amount each party's loss bears to the total.
All insurance coverage obtained by the Board of Directors shall be written in the name of the Association as trustee for the respective benefited parties, as further identified in subsection (b) below. Such insurance shall be governed by the provisions hereinafter set forth:
(a) All policies shall be written with a company authorized to do business in Washington which holds a Best's rating of A or better and is assigned a financial size category of XI or larger as established by A. M. Best Company, Inc., if reasonably available, or, if not available, the most nearly equivalent rating which is available.
(b) All policies on the Common Area shall be for the benefit of the Association and its Members; all policies secured at the request of a Neighborhood shall be for the benefit of the Neighborhood Association, if any, the Owners of Units within the Neighborhood, and their Mortgagees, as their interests may appear.
(c) Exclusive authority to adjust losses under policies obtained by the Association on the Properties shall be vested in the Association's Board of Directors; provided, however, no Mortgagee having an interest in such losses may be prohibited from participating in the settlement negotiations, if any, related thereto.
(d) In no event shall the insurance coverage obtained and maintained by the Association's Board of Directors hereunder be brought into contribution with insurance purchased by individual Owners, occupants, or their Mortgagees.
(e) All casualty insurance policies shall have an inflation guard endorsement, if reasonably available, and an agreed amount endorsement with an annual review by one or more qualified Persons, at least one of whom must be in the real estate industry and familiar with construction in the Portland area.
(f) The Association's Board of Directors shall be required to use reasonable efforts to secure insurance policies that will provide the following:
(i) a waiver of subrogation by the insurer as to any claims against the Association's Board of Directors, its manager, the Owners, and their respective tenants, servants, agents, and guests;
(ii) a waiver by the insurer of its rights to repair and reconstruct, instead of paying cash;
(iii) a statement that no policy may be cancelled, invalidated, suspended, or subject to non renewal on account of any one or more individual Owners;
(iv) a statement that no policy may be cancelled, invalidated, suspended, or subject to non renewal on account of the conduct of any director, officer, or employee of the Association or its duly authorized manager without prior demand in writing delivered to the Association to cure the defect and the allowance of a reasonable time thereafter within which the defect may be cured by the Association, its manager, any Owner, or Mortgagee;
(v) a statement that any "other insurance" clause in any policy exclude individual Owners' policies from consideration; and (vi) a statement that the Association will be given at least thirty (30) days prior written notice of any cancellation, substantial modification, or non renewal.
In addition to the other insurance required by this Section, the Board shall obtain, as a Common Expense, workers compensation insurance, if and to the extent required by law, directors' and officers' liability coverage, if reasonably available, a fidelity bond or bonds on directors, officers, employees, and other Persons handling or responsible for the Association's funds, if reasonably available, and flood insurance, if required. The amount of fidelity coverage shall be determined in the directors' best business judgment but, if reasonably available, may not be less than one-sixth (l/6) of the annual Common Assessments on all Units, plus reserves on hand. Bonds shall contain a waiver of all defenses based upon the exclusion of Persons serving without compensation and shall require at least thirty (30) days prior written notice to the Association of any cancellation, substantial modification, or non renewal.
A Neighborhood may have more stringent requirements regarding the standards for rebuilding or reconstructing structures on the Units within the Neighborhood and the standard for returning the Units to their natural state in the event the structures are not rebuilt or reconstructed.
(a) Immediately after damage or destruction by fire or other casualty to all or any part of the Properties covered by insurance written in the name of the Association, the Board of Directors or its duly authorized agent shall proceed with the filing and adjustment of all claims arising under such insurance and obtain reliable and detailed estimates of the cost of repair or reconstruction of the damaged or destroyed Properties. Repair or reconstruction, as used in this paragraph, means repairing or restoring the Properties to substantially the same condition in which they existed prior to the fire or other casualty, allowing for any changes or improvements necessitated by changes in applicable building codes.
(b) Any damage or destruction to the Common Area or to the common property of any Neighborhood Association shall be repaired or reconstructed unless the Voting Members representing at least seventy-five (75%) percent of the total Class "A" vote of the Association, if Common Area, or the Unit Owners representing at least seventy-five (75%) percent of the total vote of the Neighborhood Association whose common property is damaged, if common property of a Neighborhood Association, shall decide within sixty (60) days after the casualty not to repair or reconstruct. If for any reason either the amount of the insurance proceeds to be paid as a result of such damage or destruction, or reliable and detailed estimates of the cost of repair or reconstruction, or both, are not made available to the Association within said period, then the period shall be extended until such funds or information shall be made available; provided, however, such extension shall not exceed sixty (60) additional days. No Mortgagee shall have the right to participate in the determination of whether the damage or destruction to Common Area or common property of a Neighborhood shall be repaired or reconstructed.
(c) In the event that it should be determined in the manner described above that the damage or destruction to the Common Area or to the common property of any Neighborhood Association shall not be repaired or reconstructed and no alternative improvements are authorized, then and in that event the affected portion of the Properties shall be restored to their natural state and maintained by the Association, or the Neighborhood Association, as applicable, in a neat and attractive condition consistent with the Community-Wide Standard.
Whenever all or any part of the Common Area shall be taken (or conveyed in lieu of and under threat of condemnation by the Board acting on the written direction of Voting Members representing at least sixty-seven (67%) percent of the total Class "A" vote in the Association and of the Declarant, as long as the Declarant owns any property described on Exhibits "A" or "B") by any authority having the power of condemnation or eminent domain, each Owner shall be entitled to notice thereof. The award made for such taking shall be payable to the Association as trustee for all Owners to be disbursed as follows:
If the taking involves a portion of the Common Area on which improvements have been constructed, then, unless within sixty (60) days after such taking the Declarant, so long as the Declarant owns any property described in Exhibits "A" or "B" of this Declaration, and Voting Members representing at least seventy-five (75%) percent of the total Class "A" vote of the Association shall otherwise agree, the Association shall restore or replace such improvements so taken on the remaining land included in the Common Area to the extent lands are available therefore, in accordance with plans approved by the Board of Directors of the Association. If such improvements are to be repaired or restored, the above provisions in Article V hereof regarding the disbursement of funds in respect to casualty damage or destruction which is to be repaired shall apply.
If the taking does not involve any improvements on the Common Area, or if there is a decision made not to repair or restore, or if there are net funds remaining after any such restoration or replacement is completed, then such award or net funds shall be disbursed to the Association and used for such purposes as the Board of Directors of the Association shall determine.
Annexation shall be accomplished by filing of record in the Auditor's Office of Clark County, Washington, a Supplemental Declaration describing the property being annexed. Any such Supplemental Declaration shall be signed by the President and the Secretary of the Association, and by the owner of the property being annexed and any such annexation shall be effective upon filing unless otherwise provided therein. The relevant provisions of the By-Laws dealing with regular or special meetings, as the case may be, shall apply to determine the time required for and the proper form of notice of any meeting called for the purpose of considering annexation of property pursuant to this Section 2 and to ascertain the presence of a quorum at such meeting.
The Association, through the Board, by contractor other agreement, shall have the right to enforce county ordinances and to permit Clark County to enforce ordinances on the Properties for the benefit of the Association and its Members.
Common Assessments shall be levied equally on all Units. Neighborhood Assessments shall be levied equally against all Units in the Neighborhood benefiting from the services supported thereby, provided that in the event of assessment for exterior maintenance of structures, or insurance on structures, or replacement reserves which pertain to particular structure, such assessments for the use and benefit of particular Units shall be levied on each of the benefited Units in proportion to the benefit received, if so directed by the Neighborhood in writing to the Board of Directors. Special Assessments shall be levied as provided in Section 4 below.
All assessments, together with interest (at a rate not to exceed the highest rate allowed by Washington law) as computed from the date the delinquency first occurs, late charges, costs, and reasonable attorney's fees, shall be a charge on the land and shall be a continuing lien upon the Unit against which each assessment is made until paid. Each such assessment, together with interest, late charges, costs, and reasonable attorney's fees, shall also be the personal obligation of the Person who was the Owner of such Unit at the time the assessment arose, and his or her grantee shall be jointly and severally liable for such portion thereof as may be due and payable at the time of conveyance, except no first Mortgagee who obtains title to a Unit pursuant to the remedies provided in the Mortgage shall be liable for unpaid assessments which accrued prior to such acquisition of title.
The Association shall, upon demand at any time, furnish to any Owner liable for any type of assessment a certificate in writing signed by an officer of the Association setting forth whether such assessment has been paid as to any particular Unit. Such certificate shall 'be conclusive evidence of payment to the Association of such assessment therein stated to have been paid. The Association may require the advance payment of a processing fee not to exceed Fifty ($50.00) Dollars for the issuance of such certificate.
Assessments shall be paid in such manner and on such dates as may be fixed by the Board of Directors. Unless the Board otherwise provides, the Common Assessment and any Neighborhood Assessment may be paid in monthly installments. Each Owner, by acceptance of a deed to his or her Unit, acknowledges that all Common Assessments and Neighborhood Assessments levied hereunder are annual assessments due and payable in advance on the first day of the fiscal year; nevertheless, the Board may permit any assessment to be paid in installments. If any Owner is delinquent in paying any assessments or other charges levied on his Unit, the Board may revoke the privilege of paying in installments and require annual assessments to be paid in full immediately.
No Owner may waive or otherwise exempt himself from liability for the assessments provided for herein, including, by way of illustration and not limitation, by nonuse of Common Areas or abandonment of the Unit. The obligation to pay assessments is a separate and independent covenant on the part of each Owner. No diminution or abatement of assessment or set-off shall be claimed or allowed by reason of any alleged failure of the Association or Board to take some action or perform some function required to be taken or performed by the Association or Board under this Declaration or the By-Laws, or for inconvenience or discomfort arising from the making of repairs or improvements which are the responsibility of the Association, or from any action taken to comply with any law, ordinance, or with any order or directive of any municipal or other governmental authority.
The Association is specifically authorized to enter into subsidy contracts or contracts for "in kind" contribution of services or materials or a combination of services and materials with Declarant or other entities for the payment of some portion of the Common Expenses.
The Common Assessment to be levied against each Unit for the coming year shall be set at a level which is reasonably expected to produce total income to the Association equal to the total budgeted Common Expenses, including reserves. In determining the amount of assessment, the Board, in its discretion, may consider other sources of funds available to the Association. In addition, the Board shall take into account the number of Units subject to assessment under Section 7 hereof on the first day of the fiscal year for which the budget is prepared and the number of Units reasonably anticipated to become subject to assessment during the fiscal year.
So long as the Declarant has the right unilaterally to annex additional property pursuant to Article VIII hereof, the Declarant may elect on an annual basis, but shall not be obligated, to reduce the resulting assessment for any fiscal year by payment of a subsidy (in addition to any amounts paid by Declarant under Section 1 above); provided, any such subsidy shall be conspicuously disclosed as a line item in the income portion of the Common Expense budget and shall be made known to the membership. The payment of such subsidy in any year shall under no circumstances obligate the Declarant to continue payment of such subsidy in future years.
The Board shall cause a copy of the Common Expense budget and notice of the amount of the Common Assessment to be levied against each Unit for the following year to be delivered to each Owner at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. Such budget and assessment shall become effective unless disapproved at a meeting of the Voting Members by Voting Members or their alternates representing at least a majority of the total Class "A" vote in the Association, and by the Class "B" Member, if such exists. There shall be no obligation to call a meeting for the purpose of considering the budget except on petition of the Voting Members as provided for special meetings in Article II, Section 4, of the By-Laws, which petition must be presented to the Board within ten (10) days of delivery of the notice of assessments.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, in the event the proposed budget is disapproved or the Board fails for any reason so to determine the budget for any year, then and until such time as a budget shall have been determined as provided herein, the budget in effect for the immediately preceding year shall continue for the current year.
The Board shall be entitled to set such budget only to the extent that this Declaration or the By-Laws specifically authorizes the Board to assess certain costs as a Neighborhood Assessment. Any Neighborhood may request that additional services or a higher level of services be provided by the Association, and in such case, any additional costs shall be added to such budget. Such budget may include a capital contribution establishing a reserve fund for repair and replacement of capital items within the Neighborhood, as appropriate. Neighborhood Expenses shall be allocated equally among all Units within the Neighborhood benefited thereby and levied as a Neighborhood Assessment.
The Board shall cause a copy of such budget and notice of the amount of the Neighborhood Assessment to be levied on each Unit in the Neighborhood for the coming year to be delivered to each Owner of a Unit in the Neighborhood at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. Such budget an assessment shall become effective unless disapproved by a majority of the Owners of Units in the Neighborhood which the Neighborhood Assessment applies; provided, there shall be no obligation to call a meeting for the purpose of considering the budget except on petition of Owners of at least ten (10%) percent of the Units in such Neighborhood and provided, further, the right to disapprove shall only apply to those line items in the Neighborhood budget which are attributable to services requested by the Neighborhood.
In the event the proposed budget for any Neighborhood is disapproved or the Board fails for any reason so to determine the budget for any year, then and until such time as a budget shall have been determined as provided herein, the budget in effect for the immediately preceding year Shall continue for the current year.
(a) Entire Membership. The Association may levy Special Assessments from time to time provided such assessment receives the affirmative vote or written consent of Voting Members or their alternates representing a majority of the total Class "A" votes in the Association and the affirmative Vote or written consent of the Class "B" Member, if such then exists. Special Assessments pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable in such manner and at such times as determined by the Board, and may be payable in installments extending beyond the fiscal year in which the Special Assessment is approved, if the Board so determines
(b) Less than all Members. The Association may levy a Special Assessment against any member individually and against such Member's Unit to reimburse the Association for costs incurred in bringing a Member and his Unit into compliance with the provisions of the Declaration, any amendments thereto, the Articles, the By-Laws, or the Association rules, which Special Assessment may be levied upon the vote of the Board after notice to the Member and an opportunity for a hearing. The Association may also levy a Special Assessment against the Units in any Neighborhood to reimburse the Association for costs incurred in bringing the Neighborhood into compliance with the provisions of the Declaration, any amendments thereto, the Articles, the By-Laws, and the Association rules and regulations, which Special Assessment may be levied upon the vote of the Board after notice to the senior officer of the Neighborhood and an opportunity for a hearing.
Such lien, when delinquent, may be enforced by suit, judgment, and foreclosure.
The Association, acting on behalf of the Owners, shall have the power to bid for the Unit at foreclosure sale and to acquire and hold, lease, mortgage, and convey the same. During the period in which a Unit is owned by the Association following foreclosure: (a) no right to vote shall be-exercised on its behalf; (b) no assessment shall be levied on it; and (c) each other Unit shall be charged, in addition to its usual assessment, its equal pro-rata share of the assessment that would have been charged such Unit had it not been acquired by the Association result of foreclosure. Suit to recover a money judgment for unpaid assessments, late charges, interest, costs and attorney's fees shall be maintainable without foreclosing or waiving the lien securing the same.
(a) all Common Area; and
(b) all property dedicated to and accepted by any governmental authority or public utility, including, without limitation, public schools, public streets, and public parks, if any.
All dwellings constructed on any portion of the Properties shall be designed by and built in accordance with the plans and specifications of a licensed architect approved by Clark County and the NCC.
This Article shall not apply to the activities of the Declarant, nor to construction or improvements or modifications to the Common Area by or on behalf of the Association.
The Board of Directors shall have the authority and standing, on behalf of the Association, to enforce in courts of competent jurisdiction decisions of the committees established in Sections 1 and 2 of this Article XI. This Article may not be amended without the Declarant's written consent so long as the Declarant owns any land subject to this Declaration or subject to annexation to this Declaration.
The NCC shall prepare and, on behalf of the Board of Directors, shall promulgate a Development Standards Manual and a Lot Developer's Manual which shall set forth design and development guidelines and application and review procedures. Copies shall be available from the New Construction Committee for review. The guidelines and procedures shall be those of the Association, and the NCC shall have sole and full authority to prepare and to amend them. It shall make the guidelines and procedures available to Owners, builders, and developers who seek to engage in development of or construction upon all or any portion of the Properties and such Owners, builders and developers shall conduct their operations strictly in accordance therewith.
In the event that the NCC fails to approve or disapprove plans submitted to it, or to request additional information reasonably required, within forty-five (45) days after submission thereof, the plans shall be deemed approved.
The MC shall promulgate detailed standards and procedures governing its areas of responsibility and practice, consistent with those of the MC. In addition thereto, the following shall apply. Plans and specifications showing the nature, kind, shape, color, size, materials, and location of such modifications, additions, or alterations, shall be submitted to the MC for approval as to quality of workmanship and design and as to harmony of external design with existing structures, location in relation to surrounding structures, topography, and finish grade elevation. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to limit the right of an Owner to remodel the interior of his Unit, or to paint the interior of his Unit any color desired: provided, modifications or alterations to the interior of screened porches, patios and similar portions of a Unit visible from outside the Unit shall be subject to approval hereunder.
In the event that the MC fails to approve or to disapprove such plans or to request additional information reasonably required within forty-five (45) days after submission, the plans shall be deemed approved.
The Properties shall be used only for residential, recreational, and related purposes (which may include, without limitation, offices for any property manager retained by the Association or business offices for the Declarant or the Association) as may more particularly be set forth in this Declaration and amendments hereto. Any Supplemental Declaration or additional covenants imposed on the property within any Neighborhood may impose stricter standards than those contained in this Article. The Association, acting through its Board of Directors, shall have standing and the power to enforce such standards.
The Association, acting through its Board of Directors, shall have authority to make and to enforce standards and restrictions governing the use of the Properties, in addition to those contained herein, and to impose reasonable user fees for use of Common Area facilities. Such regulations and use restrictions shall be binding upon all Owners, occupants, invitees and licensees, if any, until and unless overruled, cancelled or modified in a regular or special meeting of the Association by the vote of Voting Members representing a majority of the total Class "A" votes in the Association and by the Class "A" Member, so long as such membership shall exist.
(a) Parking. Vehicles shall be parked only in the garages or in the driveways, if any, serving the Units or in appropriate spaces or designated areas in which parking may or may not be assigned and then subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the Board of Directors, or any Neighborhood Association, if any, having concurrent jurisdiction over parking areas within the Neighborhood, may adopt. The Declarant and/or the Association may designate certain on-street parking areas on the private streets within the Properties for visitors or guests subject to reasonable rules.
(b) Prohibited Vehicles. Commercial vehicles, vehicles with commercial writing on their exteriors, vehicles primarily used or designed for commercial purposes, tractors, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, trailers (either with or without wheels), campers, camper trailers, boats and other watercraft, and boat trailers shall be parked only in enclosed garages or areas, if any, designated by the Board or by the Neighborhood Association, if any, having jurisdiction over parking areas within a particular Neighborhood. Stored vehicles and vehicles which are either obviously inoperable or do not have current operating licenses shall not be permitted on the Properties except within enclosed garages. For purposes of this Section, a vehicle shall be considered "stored" if it is put up on blocks or covered with a tarpaulin and remains on blocks or so covered for. fourteen (14) consecutive days without the prior approval of the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, service and delivery vehicles may be parked in the Properties during daylight hours for such period of time as is reasonably necessary to provide service or to make a delivery to a Unit or the Common Areas. Any vehicle parked in violation of this Section or parking rules promulgated by the Board may be towed in accordance with Article III, Section 22 of the By-Laws.
Every Owner shall cause all occupants of his or her Unit to comply with the Declaration, By-Laws, and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and shall be responsible for all violations and losses to the Common Areas caused by such occupants, notwithstanding the fact that such occupants of a Unit are fully liable and may be sanctioned for any violation of the Declaration, By-Laws, thereto and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
No noxious, illegal, or offensive activity shall be carried on upon any portion of the Properties, nor shall anything be done thereon tending to cause embarrassment, discomfort, annoyance, or nuisance to any Person using any portion of the Properties. There shall not be maintained any plants or animals or device or thing of any sort whose activities or existence in any way is noxious, dangerous, unsightly, unpleasant, or of a nature as ,may diminish or destroy the enjoyment of the Properties. No outside burning of wood, leaves, trash, garbage or household refuse shall be permitted within the Properties.
The terms "business" and "trade", as used in this provision, shall be construed to have their ordinary, generally accepted meanings, and shall include, without limitation, any occupation, work or activity undertaken on an ongoing basis which involves the provision of goods or services to Persons other than the provider's family and for which the provider receives a fee, compensation, or other form of consideration, regardless of whether: (i) such activity is engaged in full or part-time; (ii) such activity is intended to or does generate a profit; or (iii) a license is required therefore notwithstanding the above, the leasing of a Unit shall not be considered a trade or business within the meaning of this section. This Section shall not apply to any activity conducted by the Declarant or a builder approved by the Declarant with respect to its development and sale of the Properties or its use of any Units which it owns within the Properties, including the operation of a timeshare or similar program.
(a) Definition: "Leasing", for purposes of this Declaration, is defined as regular, exclusive occupancy of a Unit by any Person or Persons other than the Owner for which the Owner receives any consideration or benefit, including, but not limited to a fee, service, gratuity, or emolument.
(b) Leasing Prohibited in Single-Family Neighborhoods.
In order (i) to protect the equity of the individual property owners of Units within single family Neighborhoods at Clearmeadows at Fisher's Landing; and (ii) to carry out the purpose for which the Properties were formed by preserving the character of the single-family Neighborhoods within the Properties as a homogeneous residential development of predominantly owner- occupied homes and by preventing those Neighborhoods from assuming the character of an apartment, renter-occupied complex, leasing of a Unit within a single-family Neighborhood shall be prohibited, except in the case of undue hardship as provided below, and except in the case of an Owner who is the initial builder or developer of the dwelling on a Unit for a term not to exceed three (3) years from the date of substantial completion of the dwelling; however, should the initial builder or developer sell, transfer or convey the Unit to any other Person, the exception to the leasing prohibition provided in this clause shall end ninety (90) days after the sale, transfer or conveyance of the Unit to such other Person. Leasing in other Neighborhoods shall be permitted subject to the provisions of this Section.
(c) Undue Hardship The Board of Directors shall be empowered to allow reasonable leasing of Units upon written application to avoid undue hardship on an Owner. By way of illustration and not of limitation, examples of circumstances which would constitute "undue hardship" are those in which (i) an Owner must relocate his or her residence outside the metropolitan Portland area, cannot sell his or her Unit within ninety (90) days from the date the Unit was placed on the market, and the Owner continues to offer and advertise the Unit for sale. During all such times the Unit Owner must offer the Unit for sale at a reasonable price no greater than its current appraised market value: (ii) the Owner dies and the Unit is being administered by his or her estate; (iii) the Owner takes a leave of absence or temporarily relocates outside the metropolitan Portland area and intends to return to reside in the Unit; (iv) the Unit is to be leased to a member of the Owner's immediate family (which shall be defined to include a spouse, child, parent, or parent-in-law). Those Owners who have demonstrated that their inability to lease their Unit would result in undue hardship and have obtained the requisite approval of the Board may lease their Units for such duration as the Board reasonably determines is necessary to prevent undue hardship notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b).
Any Owner who believes that he or she must lease his or her Unit to avoid undue hardship shall submit a written application to the Board setting forth the circumstances necessitating the leasing, a copy of the proposed lease, and such other information as the Board may reasonably require. Leasing in the case of undue hardship shall be permitted only upon the Board's written approval of the Owner's application. When an Owner's right to lease is approved by the Board a copy of the lease, signed by the lessee and lessor, shall be submitted to the Board within ten (10) days after it has been signed by both parties.
The Board shall have the power to make and enforce reasonable rules and regulations and to fine, in accordance with the Declaration and By-Laws, in order to enforce the provisions of this section. Any transaction which does not comply with this section shall be voidable at the option of the Board of Directors.
(d) Leasing Provisions Such leasing as is permitted by this Section 27 shall be governed by the following provisions.
Any written lease used in connection with the rental of a Unit in the Properties shall be deemed to contain the following provisions, whether or not expressly therein stated, and each Owner covenants and agrees that any lease of a Unit shall contain the following language and agrees that if such language is not expressly contained therein, then such language shall be incorporated into a lease by existence of this covenant on the Unit. Any lessee, by occupancy in a Unit, agrees to the applicability of this covenant and incorporation of the following language into the lease.
(i) General. Units may be rented only in their entirety: no fraction or portion may be rented. There shall be no subleasing of Units or assignment of leases unless approved in writing by the Board of Directors. No transient tenants may be accommodated in a Unit. All leases shall be in writing and in a form approved by the Association. All rentals must be for a term of no less than one (1) year. The Unit Owner must make available to the tenant copies of the Declaration, By-Laws, and the rules and regulations.
(ii) Liability of Assessments. Lessee agrees to be personally obligated for the payment of all assessments against the Owner which become due during the term of the lease and any other period of occupancy by the lessee or which become due as a consequence of lessee's activities which violate provisions of the Act, the Declaration, the By-Laws, or the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. The above provision shall not be obligation, construed to release the Unit Owner from any including the obligation for assessments, for which he or she would otherwise be responsible.
When a Unit owner who is leasing his or her Unit fails to pay any annual or special assessment for a period of more than thirty (30) days after it is due and payable, then, upon request by the Board of Directors, lessee shall pay to the Association all unpaid annual and special assessments, as lawfully determined and made payable during the term of the lease and any other period of occupancy by lessee: provided, however, lessee need not make such payments to the Association in excess of or prior to the due dates for monthly rental payments unpaid at the time of the Association's request. All such payments made by lessee shall reduce, by the same amount, lessee's obligation to make monthly rental payments to lessor. If lessee fails to comply with the Board's request to pay assessments, lessee shall pay to the Association all late charges, fines, interest, and costs of collection, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney's fees actually incurred, to the same extent lessee would be required to make such payment to the Association if lessee were the Owner of the premises
during the term of the agreement and any other period of occupancy by lessee.
(iii) Compliance with Declaration, By-Laws and Rules and Regulations.
Lessee shall abide by and comply with all provisions of the Declaration, By-Laws, and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto and shall control the conduct of all other occupants and guests in order to ensure compliance with the foregoing. Lessee acknowledges that the violation by lessee or any occupant living with lessee of any provision of the Declaration, By-Laws, or rules and regulations adopted there under shall constitute a default under this lease. Owner shall cause all occupants of his or her Unit to comply with the Declaration, By-Laws, and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and is responsible for all violations and losses caused by such occupants, notwithstanding the fact that such occupants of a Unit are fully liable and may be sanctioned for any violation of the Declaration, By-Laws, and rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. In the event that the lessee, or a Person living with the lessee, violates the Declaration, By-Laws, or a rule and regulation for which a fine is imposed, such fine shall be assessed against the lessee: provided, however, if the fine is not paid by the lessee within the time period set by the Board of Directors, the Owner shall pay the fine upon notice from the Association of the lessee's failure to pay the fine. Unpaid fines constitute a lien against the Unit. Any lessee charged with violation of the Declaration, By-Laws, or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto is entitled to the same procedure to which an Owner is entitled prior to the imposition of a fine or other sanction.
(iv) Use of Common Areas. The Owner transfers and assigns to the lessee, for the term of the lease, any and all rights and privileges that the owner has to use the common area of the Properties, including, but not limited to, the use of any and all recreational facilities and other amenities.
Thereafter and otherwise, this Declaration may be amended only by the affirmative vote or written consent, or any combination thereof, of Voting Members representing seventy-five (75%) percent of the total Class "A" votes in the Association, including seventy-five (75%) percent of the Class "A" votes -held by Members other than the Declarant, and the consent of the Class "B" Member, so long as such membership exists. In addition, the approvalrequirements set forth-in Article XIV hereof shall be met if applicable. Notwithstanding the above, the percentage of votes necessary to amend a specific clause shall not be less than the prescribed percentage of affirmative votes required for action to be taken under that clause. Any amendment to be effective must be recorded in the Auditor's Office of Clark County, Washington.
If an Owner consents to any amendment to this Declaration or the By-Laws, it will be conclusively presumed that such Owner has the authority so to consent and no contrary provision in any Mortgage or contract between the Owner and a third party will affect the validity of such amendment.
No amendment may remove, revoke, or modify any right or privilege of Declarant without the written consent of Declarant or the assignee of such right or privilege.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, there are hereby reserved for the local water supplier easements across all Units and the Common Areas for ingress, egress, installation, reading, replacing, repairing, and maintaining water meter boxes. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section, no sewers, electrical lines, water lines, or other utilities may be installed or relocated on the Properties, except as may be approved by the Association's Board of Directors or as provided by Declarant.
Should any entity furnishing a service covered by the general easement herein provided request a specific easement by separate recordable document, the Board of Directors shall have the right to grant such easement over the Properties without conflicting with the terms hereof. The easements provided for in this Article shall in no way adversely affect any other recorded easement on the Properties.
The Board shall have, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, the power to dedicate portions of the Common Area to Clark County, Washington, entity, or to any other local, state, or federal governmental subject to such approval requirements as may be contained in Article XIV, Section 2 of this Declaration.
(a) any condemnation loss or any casualty loss which affects a material portion of the Properties or which affects any Unit on which there is a first Mortgage held, insured, or guaranteed by such eligible holder;
(b) any delinquency in the payment of assessments or charges owed by an Owner of a Unit subject to the Mortgage of such eligible holder, where such delinquency has continued for a period of sixty (60) days: provided, however, notwithstanding this provision, any holder of a first Mortgage, upon request, is entitled to written notice from the Association of any default in the performance by an Owner of a Unit of any obligation under the Declaration or By-Laws of the Association which is not cured within sixty (60) days:
(c) any lapse, cancellation, or material modification of any insurance policy maintained by the Association; or
(d) any proposed action which would require the consent of a specified percentage of eligible holders.
Notwithstanding any provisions contained in the Declaration to the contrary, so long as construction and initial sale of Units shall continue, it shall be expressly permissible for Declarant to maintain and carry on upon portions of the Common Area such facilities and activities as, in the sole opinion of Declarant, may be reasonably required, convenient, or incidental to the construction or sale of such Units, including, but not limited to, business offices, signs, model units, and sales offices, and the Declarant shall have an easement for access to and use of such facilities. The right to maintain and carry on such facilities and activities shall include specifically, without limitation, the right to use Units owned by the Declarant and any clubhouse or community center which may be owned by the Association, as models and sales offices, respectively.
So long as Declarant continues to have rights under this paragraph, covenants, no Person shall record any declaration of conditions and restrictions, or declaration of condominium or similar instrument affecting any portion of the Properties without Declarant's review and written consent thereto, and any attempted recordation without compliance herewith shall result in such declaration of covenants, conditions and restrictions, or declaration of condominium or similar instrument being void and of no force and effect unless subsequently approved by recorded consent signed by the Declarant.
This Article may not be amended without the express written consent of the Declarant: provided, however, the rights contained in this Article shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) twenty (20) years from the date this Declaration is recorded, or (b) upon recording by Declarant of a written statement that all sales activity ban ceased.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Declarant has executed this Declaration this ____ day of ____________, 20___.
By: ______________________ (SEAL)
Its: ______________________
Attest: ______________________ (SEAL)
Its: ______________________
STATE OF WASHINGTON
COUNTY OF CLARK
TO WIT:
I, _____________________ a notary public in and for the State and County aforesaid, do certify that ___________________, whose name as Vice President of the ________________, Inc., is signed to the writing above, bearing the date on the _______ day of _____________, had acknowledged the same before me in my county aforesaid. Given under my hand and official seal this ______ day of _____________, 20___. My term of office expires on ________________________.
__________________________ NOTARY PUBLIC