What Landlords Need to Know About This Recent Appellate Court Ruling CARES Act The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was enacted to provide economic relief during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. CARES Act covered properties include properties with federally-backed mortgage loans. The CARES Act provides required notice periods, stating that a landlord “may not require the tenant to vacate the covered dwelling unit before the date that is 30 days after the date on which the lessor provides the tenant with a notice to vacate.” Section 4024 of the CARES Act. Over th ..read more

On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) voted 3-2 to approve final regulations (“Rule”) that would ban most non-compete agreements nationwide. Non-compete agreements bar a company’s workers from taking jobs with competitors or starting new competing businesses after they leave their employment with the company. According to the FTC, roughly 18% of U.S. workers are covered by non-competes—around 30 million people. The Rule would prohibit entering into non-compete agreements with employees and independent contractors. Additionally, the Rule invalidates all existing non-competes ..read more

Under the Residential Landlord Tenant Act, cities may require landlords to obtain a certificate of inspection as part of their business licensing or rental property registration requirements. See RCW 59.18.125. Olympia recently enacted local legislation requiring landlords operating in Olympia to register their properties and permit inspection. Inspection and registration requirements can present roadblocks for Washington landlords seeking to evict tenants, making compliance with these requirements important. As such, additional information regarding Olympia’s new requirements and the similar ..read more

Washington landlords can breathe a sigh of relief as the sweeping changes to the Residential Landlord Tenant Act (“RLTA”) included in HB 2114 have died in the Washington Senate. HB 2114 passed a vote in the House of Representatives and was introduced in the Washington Senate. However, as of the date of this post, the bill failed to pass out of committee. Among other changes, HB 2114 would have restricted a landlord’s ability to increase rent, charge fees, and even provided a per se consumer protection act finding for violations of certain chapters of the RTLA. Although this bill will not be ..read more

On March 19, 2024, Governor Inslee signed Substitute Senate Bill 5787 into law, which adopts the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act (the “Act”). As a result, common estate planning documents such as trust agreements, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and guardian nominations can now be signed electronically and given legal effect. Wills are considered testamentary documents which are specifically excluded from the Act and governed by the Uniform Electronic Wills Act (RCW.11.12.410 through 11.12.491). Which Estate Planning Documents can be Signed Electronically? The Act ..read more

On March 1, 2024, in National Small Business United v. Yellen, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama held Congress exceeded its constitutional authority by enacting the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). This article discusses the decision and its implications. Background The CTA, which went into effect on January 1, 2024, is designed to limit money laundering and other fraudulent acts by requiring certain entities to disclose their beneficial owners to the United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).Generally, any entity created ..read more

What Landlords Need to Know If you are a landlord in Shoreline, you will want to be familiar with Shoreline’s new tenant protections. On December 11, 2023, the Shoreline City Council passed Ordinance Number 996. Ordinance Number 996 establishes a new Chapter, Chapter 9.35 Residential Tenant Protections, of the Shoreline Municipal Code. This ordinance is currently in effect. Below is a summary of the changes Chapter 9.35 makes to current residential landlord-tenant law in the City of Shoreline. What Notice is Required for a Rent Increase? Chapter 9.35 requires landlords to provide adequate wri ..read more

On December 12, 2023, the Seattle City Council passed at full council Council Bill 120643 to establish limits on certain financial obligations of commercial tenants that landlords may require in or as a condition of commercial leases in the City of Seattle. The Ordinance will become law on January 29, 2024 and will have significant impacts on many Seattle commercial landlords and tenants. To What Financial Leasing Obligations does the Ordinance Apply? The Ordinance relates to three financial obligations of tenants that are commonly included or incorporated as a condition in commercial leases ..read more

There is a common misconception when it comes to estate planning: only people with significant wealth need an estate plan. In fact, an estate plan is simply a set of documents that tells the world what we want to happen to our bodies and with our finances when we are unable to do so ourselves. In that sense, nearly any adult can benefit from an estate plan, including our youngest adults. When a child turns 18, the legal decision-making authority regarding the child’s health and finances shifts from that child’s parents to the child. While no parent takes joy in planning for their child’s pot ..read more

The PUMP Act expands the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Act (the Break Time Law), passed in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act.  Under the Break Time Law, employers were required to provide nursing mothers reasonable break time to nurse and a private place to pump.  However, because the Break Time Law was placed in the provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that sets overtime, exempt employees not entitled to overtime pay were also excluded from the Break Time Law’s breastfeeding protections. Under the Pump Act, the almost 9 million previously excluded exempt employe ..read more