Attorney Joseph McCarthy was interviewed by television station KIRO 7 in Seattle for a segment titled “Law meant to protect Wash. homeowners instead pushing up condo prices.” The piece discusses how the Washington Condo Act, which was enacted to provide protections to condominium owners for construction defects and other issues, has also resulted in a risk of lawsuits that is pushing developers to concentrate on building apartments, which do not fall under the act.
In the last five years, 1,235 condo units were registered by developers as being built in King County, while 34,100 apartment units were registered. Some condo owners have argued the act needs to stay in its current form as protection for the consumer, but developers, many of whom have been sued by condo associations, suggest that the act, which McCarthy says is vague and does not explicitly state what is warranted, should be revised to clarify the way it describes a condo warranty. “It’s vague, uninsurable, and expensive,” he said.
Watch the KIRO 7 news segment here.