Notices.1 — Notice Delivery Address
Notice to Members shall be sent to the Lot address unless the Member notifies the Association of an alternate address. A Member may notify the Association of an electronic address to be used for notice in addition to or in lieu of the mailing address, as described in this article. The Association is not required to give notice by more than one method.
What Changed & Why
The Sound Legal revision gave the Board discretion over whether to use a member's email address even after it was provided. This revision removes that discretion: once a Member provides an electronic address, the Association may use it for notice as described in this article — no further Board action required for each member or each notice cycle.
The Association is still not required to send notice by more than one method. Which method applies to which meeting type is governed by Notices.5. This section establishes the address hierarchy; Notices.5 establishes what gets sent where.
Committee note: Consider whether a default minimum notice period should be stated here or deferred entirely to Notices.5.
Notices.2 — Member Records and Privacy
(a) Persons who acquire ownership shall promptly inform the Board and shall ensure their contact information remains up to date. The Board shall cause a register of Members to be kept.
(b) The Secretary or designated agent shall maintain the Association's official distribution list and meeting calendar. The designated agent shall be clearly identified on the Association's website and in applicable policy documents.
(c) The Association shall maintain a written privacy policy governing the use and sharing of member contact information.
What Changed & Why
The Sound Legal revision required new members to inform the Board at the time of acquisition, but said nothing about keeping that information current afterward. This revision adds an ongoing obligation: members are responsible for keeping their contact information up to date. This matters because notice delivered to the address on file is deemed complete under Notices.3 — an outdated address shifts the risk of non-receipt to the member, not the Association.
New: named custodian. The Sound Legal revision said the Board shall cause a register to be kept, without identifying who manages it day to day. This revision assigns that responsibility to the Secretary or a designated agent and requires that person to be publicly identified on the website — so members know who to contact to update their information.
New: privacy policy requirement. The Sound Legal revision had no provision governing how member contact information may be used or shared with third parties. This revision requires a written policy, protecting members from unexpected use of their addresses and giving the Board a documented standard to follow and reference in disputes.
Committee note: The single entity responsible for sending notices (distinct from maintaining the list) should be designated here or in the Notice and Meeting Procedures Policy under Notices.6.
Notices.3 — Electronic Notice and Delivery Standards
(a) Electronic notice may be provided to any member who has provided at least one email address to the Association. Members may provide additional addresses for noticing purposes; addresses are not limited to those belonging to the member.
(b) Upon receiving a member's email address, the Secretary or designated agent shall send a verification message to confirm deliverability. The email address is not considered valid for noticing purposes until the member completes the verification step, typically by responding to or clicking a link in the automated verification message.
(c) Notice by electronic transmission is deemed delivered when sent to the email address or electronic contact information on file in the Association's records.
(d) Notice by mail is deemed delivered when deposited in the United States mail, addressed to the Member at the address on file in the Association's records.
What Changed & Why
The Sound Legal revision left electronic notice at the Board's discretion even after a member provided an email address. This revision makes email notice automatic: once an address is on file and verified, it may be used. Members may also list additional addresses — including addresses belonging to a spouse, adult child, or property manager — so that the people actually managing a property can receive notices without requiring the recorded member to forward them.
New: email verification step. The Sound Legal revision had no verification requirement. This revision requires the Association to confirm deliverability before treating an address as valid, protecting the Board from unknowingly noticing members at broken or mistyped addresses and then discovering the error when a meeting is challenged.
Delivery standards brought into the bylaws. The Sound Legal revision deferred to the Act for both mail and electronic delivery standards, requiring volunteers to look up statute to answer basic questions. This revision states both standards explicitly: mail is complete on deposit, electronic notice is complete on sending. The risk of an outdated or inactive address falls on the member who failed to update it — not on the Association that sent to the address on file.
Committee note: Consider auto removing the email address after 2 failed sends (mailer daemon replies). More administrative, but fixes a problem which members may not be aware of.
Notices.4 — Compliance with Notice Requirements
(a) All notices shall comply with applicable statutory timing and content requirements, including RCW 64.90 and RCW 24.03A, as amended.
(b) An inadvertent failure to provide notice to an individual member, or a minor defect in the form or delivery of notice, shall not invalidate a meeting or action taken if the Association has substantially complied with this Article and applicable law.
(c) A member who attends a meeting without timely objecting that notice was not properly given waives any objection to notice to the extent provided by applicable law.
What Changed & Why
New addition — no equivalent in the Sound Legal revision. The Sound Legal revision referenced RCW 64.90 in Article 8 (Conflict with Law) but established no standard for what happens when notice is imperfect. This left open whether a single missed notice — or a typo in a meeting date — could invalidate an entire meeting and everything voted on at it.
This section establishes a substantial compliance standard. Inadvertent defects that do not reflect a wholesale failure to notify members do not undo meeting outcomes. This protects volunteer boards from technical challenges while preserving genuine member protections: a board that systematically fails to notice members cannot claim substantial compliance.
The waiver rule in (c) codifies existing legal principles: a member who participates in a meeting without timely raising a notice objection cannot hold that objection in reserve and raise it after seeing the outcome. Participation is a practical election to proceed.
Notices.5 — Tiered Notice Requirements
Advisory Committee Meetings. Advisory committee meetings shall be noticed not less than seven (7) days nor more than fifty (50) days before the meeting by posting to the Association's website and meeting calendar.
Board and Delegated Authority Committee Meetings. Board meetings and meetings of committees delegated authority by the Board shall be noticed not less than fourteen (14) days nor more than fifty (50) days before the meeting by electronic transmission to members who have provided electronic contact information and by posting to the Association's website and meeting calendar.
Annual and Special Member Meetings. Annual and special meetings of the members shall be noticed not less than fourteen (14) days nor more than fifty (50) days before the meeting by mail in accordance with applicable law and by electronic transmission to members who have provided electronic contact information.
Statutory Notices. Statutory notices required under the Association's Delinquency Policy or applicable law shall be provided by first-class mail in accordance with the timelines established by the applicable policy or statute.
What Changed & Why
The Sound Legal revision handled notice requirements case-by-case across Articles 1, 2, and 3, with no unified structure and no standard minimum window for most meeting types. This revision consolidates them into a single tier framework organized by the decision-making authority of the body meeting.
Advisory committees — those that advise but do not act — require only a calendar posting. This reflects the lower stakes involved and reduces the volunteer burden for informal working groups that meet frequently.
Board and delegated-authority committees carry real decision-making power. Their meetings require both email notification and a website posting, giving members meaningful visibility into when binding decisions are being made and enough lead time to attend or submit comment.
Member meetings — where members vote — require mailed notice plus email for those who have opted in. Mail guarantees reach regardless of whether a member monitors the website or their inbox. The 14-day minimum matches RCW requirements and provides adequate time to arrange participation.
Statutory notices (delinquency, enforcement actions, legal proceedings) are governed by their own timelines under RCW and the Association's Delinquency Policy. They are separated here so the tier structure cannot be read to shorten or substitute for legally mandated notice in high-stakes situations.
Notices.6 — Notice and Meeting Procedures Policy
The Board shall establish and maintain a written Notice and Meeting Procedures Policy implementing the notice requirements established by these Bylaws and applicable law. The Policy shall summarize applicable statutory timing and content requirements, identify the Association's official methods of providing notice, and describe operational procedures for preparing and distributing notices. The Policy may be amended by Board resolution to reflect changes in law or administrative practices, provided such amendments do not conflict with these Bylaws or diminish the notice rights established herein.
What Changed & Why
New addition — no equivalent in the Sound Legal revision. Notice procedures in the Sound Legal revision were scattered across Articles 1, 2, and 3, requiring a volunteer board member to cross-reference multiple sections and the Act to understand what was required before scheduling any given meeting type.
This section requires the Board to produce and maintain a single written policy that brings everything together: statutory timelines, approved delivery methods, and step-by-step procedures for preparing and distributing notices. A newly elected board member should be able to read one document and know what is required — not piece it together from bylaws, statute, and institutional memory.
The Policy may be updated by Board resolution, not by bylaws amendment. Notice procedures are operational details that will change as platforms, statutes, and practices evolve. Requiring a 60% member vote to update the email platform used for meeting reminders would be disproportionate. This structure separates the rights — established in the bylaws and protected from casual change — from the procedures, which the Board can keep current without a membership vote, as long as the underlying rights are not diminished.