64.34.268 - Termination of condominium.

Termination of condominium.

(1) Except in the case of a taking of all the units by condemnation under RCW 64.34.060, a condominium may be terminated only by agreement of unit owners of units to which at least eighty percent of the votes in the association are allocated, or any larger percentage the declaration specifies: PROVIDED, That the declaration may specify a smaller percentage only if all of the units in the condominium are restricted exclusively to nonresidential uses.

     (2) An agreement to terminate must be evidenced by the execution of a termination agreement or ratifications thereof, in the same manner as a deed, by the requisite number of unit owners. The termination agreement must specify a date after which the agreement will be void unless it is recorded before that date and shall contain a description of the manner in which the creditors of the association will be paid or provided for. A termination agreement and all ratifications thereof must be recorded in every county in which a portion of the condominium is situated and is effective only upon recording. A termination agreement may be amended by complying with all of the requirements of this section.

     (3) A termination agreement may provide that all the common elements and units of the condominium shall be sold following termination. If, pursuant to the agreement, any real property in the condominium is to be sold following termination, the termination agreement must set forth the minimum terms of the sale.

     (4) The association, on behalf of the unit owners, may contract for the sale of real property in the condominium, but the contract is not binding on the unit owners until approved pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) of this section. If any real property in the condominium is to be sold following termination, title to that real property, upon termination, vests in the association as trustee for the holders of all interests in the units. Thereafter, the association has all powers necessary and appropriate to effect the sale. Until the sale has been concluded and the proceeds thereof distributed, the association continues in existence with all powers it had before termination. Proceeds of the sale must be distributed to unit owners and lien holders as their interests may appear, in proportion to the respective interests of unit owners as provided in subsection (7) of this section. Unless otherwise specified in the termination agreement, as long as the association holds title to the real property, each unit owner and the owner's successors in interest have an exclusive right to occupancy of the portion of the real property that formerly constituted the owner's unit. During the period of that occupancy, each unit owner and the owner's successors in interest remain liable for all assessments and other obligations imposed on unit owners by this chapter or the declaration.

     (5) If the real property constituting the condominium is not to be sold following termination, title to all the real property in the condominium vests in the unit owners upon termination as tenants in common in proportion to their respective interests as provided in subsection (7) of this section, and liens on the units shift accordingly. While the tenancy in common exists, each unit owner and the owner's successors in interest have an exclusive right to occupancy of the portion of the real property that formerly constituted the owner's unit.

     (6) Following termination of the condominium, the proceeds of any sale of real property, together with the assets of the association, are held by the association as trustee for unit owners and holders of liens on the units and creditors of the association as their interests may appear. No such proceeds or assets may be disbursed to the owners until all of the creditors of the association have been paid or provided for. Following termination, creditors of the association holding liens on the units, which were recorded or perfected under RCW 4.64.020 before termination, may enforce those liens in the same manner as any lien holder.

     (7) The respective interests of unit owners referred to in subsections (4), (5), and (6) of this section are as follows:

     (a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, the respective interests of unit owners are the fair market values of their units, limited common elements, and common element interests immediately before the termination, as determined by one or more independent appraisers selected by the association. The decision of the independent appraisers shall be distributed to the unit owners and becomes final unless disapproved, within thirty days after distribution, by unit owners of units to which twenty-five percent of the votes in the association are allocated. The proportion of any unit owner's interest to that of all unit owners is determined by dividing the fair market value of that unit owner's unit and common element interest by the total fair market values of all the units and common elements.

     (b) If any unit or any limited common element is destroyed to the extent that an appraisal of the fair market value thereof before destruction cannot be made, the interests of all unit owners are their respective common element interests immediately before the termination.

     (8) Except as provided in subsection (9) of this section, foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against the entire condominium does not of itself terminate the condominium, and foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against a portion of the condominium, other than withdrawable real property, does not withdraw that portion from the condominium. Foreclosure or enforcement of a lien or encumbrance against withdrawable real property does not of itself withdraw that real property from the condominium, but the person taking title thereto has the right to require from the association, upon request, an amendment excluding the real property from the condominium.

     (9) If a lien or encumbrance against a portion of the real property that is withdrawable from the condominium has priority over the declaration, and the lien or encumbrance has not been partially released as to a unit, the purchaser at the foreclosure or such purchaser's successors may, upon foreclosure, record an instrument exercising the right to withdraw the real property subject to that lien or encumbrance from the condominium. The board of directors shall reallocate interests as if the foreclosed portion were condemned.

     (10) The right of partition under chapter 7.52 RCW shall be suspended if an agreement to sell the property is provided for in the termination agreement pursuant to subsection (3) of this section. The suspension of the right to partition shall continue unless and until no binding obligation to sell exists three months after the recording of the termination agreement, the binding sale agreement is terminated, or one year after the termination agreement is recorded, whichever first occurs.

[1992 c 220 § 12; 1989 c 43 § 2-118.]