New to condominium living?
Here’s What To Expect!
If you are moving into your first condominium, either from an apartment or from a house, some aspects of condo life will feel familiar to you, and some won’t. The differences may surprise you!
The State of Washington laws regarding the governing of condominium properties form the core of the set of rules that Owners agree to when they buy a unit at Markland Woods (or at any other condominium property in the state). These are contained in the Declaration and Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions and Reservations (CC&Rs), Bylaws, and House Rules documents every owner receives (and which are available to download from this site at the Governing Docs tab).
First, the basics:
The Markland Woods Condominiums community consists of 19 residential buildings, the Rec Center, and multiple carports, storage units and garages.
When you buy a residential unit at Markland Woods, you are also buying a percentage of the property as a whole, which is administered by the COA on behalf of all owners.
The property is organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit Condominium Owners Association (COA), and is run by a five member elected and unpaid Board of Directors drawn from the pool of unit Owners.
This is a multi-million dollar non-profit business and needs the participation of all the Owners to operate effectively.
Every Owner gets a voting percentage based on the square footage of their unit. Owners must vote to approve the annual budget, to approve changes to the CC&Rs, and to approve property improvements.
Owners are encouraged to participate fully in the monthly Board meetings in order to stay current with everything going on at Markland Woods. And with 16.7 acres of property, three Critical Habitat Areas (including the East and West Branches of Lyon Creek) and 157 units - there’s always a lot going on!
Governing Documents
Unlike living in either an apartment or a single family home, living in a condominium complex involves knowing the Governing Documents that cover many aspects of condominium unit ownership, including each owner’s rights, responsibilities, and restrictions on what can and can’t be done with your unit or the property. The Governing Documents include the CC&Rs, the Bylaws, and the House Rules.
The CC&Rs and Bylaws grant authority to the Board to create property-specific rules called the House Rules. These House Rules set standards for the external appearance of the community, pet ownership, parking, noise limits, and other rules necessary for community living, and are based on the CC&Rs plus local ordinances that may be applicable.
The House Rules at Markland Woods address site-specific concerns that may not be shared by other condominium properties. For instance, the property lies in a wetlands/Lake Washington watershed area, between the East Branch of Lyon Creek that runs through the lower level and the West Branch of Lyon Creek on the upper level. This means there are additional rules Owners here must adhere to in order to protect the three designated Critical Habitat Areas and official Wildlife Corridor.
One example: no car maintenance or car washing is permitted anywhere on the property.
The Board, by law, is responsible for: maintaining and repairing the common assets of the property; managing its finances including the federally required Reserve Fund; running business affairs which includes obtaining insurance, making sure legally required inspections are done, and reviewing and approving vendor contracts; enforcing the Governing Documents when needed; ensuring the House Rules address specific property concerns and then enforcing them; and performing all necessary maintenance of the buildings and property for the common good of all Owners.
A CONDOMINIUM IS LIKE A SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOUSE:
1. You own your unit and pay property taxes on it.
2. You are responsible for maintaining your unit, including the appliances, interior plumbing, heating, lighting, windows, hot water heaters, toilets, and sliding glass doors. You control your wall and floor coverings (some exceptions apply to upper units).
3. You are responsible for making sure you have the necessary insurance coverage in the event some element in your unit fails. Toilet supply lines are a major source of damage, as are leaky hot water heaters
5. When it snows, you are responsible for clearing off the sidewalk in front of your unit. You will have help, but it’s still a fact of home ownership that clearing sidewalks has to be done.
6. You can paint your walls any color you want - there’s no landlord to answer to.
4. You are responsible for making sure you know and follow all City of Mountlake Terrace building permit requirements if you make any changes or improvements to your unit.
A CONDOMINIUM IS LIKE AN APARTMENT:
1. Instead of rent (and in addition to your mortgage payment), you pay monthly dues to the COA. That money is used to fund the Reserves (which will eventually pay for a new roof, siding, gutters, etc.), and to pay the operating costs associated with keeping the property and structures safe and looking fresh and welcoming.
2. You’re living in close proximity to your neighbors, who may be above, below, on either side or on both sides of your unit.
3. Noise travels easily between units. Markland Woods structures are all wood framed, and that means each building is essentially a giant audio speaker. Particularly when television and A/V speakers are wall-mounted, or noisy fans and unbalanced washing machines are running on the floor, that noise is transmitted throughout the building.
4. Because of the noise transmission issues and the proximity to others, there are designated “quiet hours” (10 pm to 7 am) during which certain noisy activities are not permitted. Insomnia? Sorry, no tuba playing at 2am to help you sleep, and no catching up on laundry!
5. You have assigned parking that is specific to your unit. Some units have garages, some units have carport spaces, some units have open parking spaces, some have a combination. There are visitor spots available for visitors to use.
6. You are not responsible for the landscaping. The Board hires landscapers who maintain the common area plantings, mow the grassy areas, handle the irrigation/sprinkler systems, prune the trees, and remove/replace plants as needed.
7. Your unit ownership does not extend beyond your deck or patio. The Common Area starts where the dirt starts, and Board permission is needed to make any changes to that area immediately adjacent to your unit.
8. Any interior remodeling of your unit except for minor surface treatment changes (painting, texturing, changing out plush carpet for berber, and the like) and swapping out of appliances requires prior written Board approval to ensure no accidental damage is done to adjacent units.
9. You are not allowed to make any major changes to the exterior of your unit. One of the things that draws people to Markland Woods is the uniformity of the look, and the Board is obligated to keep the community looking its best, which includes maintaining the established exterior color scheme.
The Board is responsible for maintaining the uniformity of the community as seen from the outside, and protecting the integrity of the building structures. This means there are limitations on what kind of internal structural renovations are allowed and personalization of entry ways, patios, and decks just as there would be in an apartment complex.
For more information, please see the Governing Documents tab.
PEA PATCH GARDENS
There are 23 pea patch gardens on the property that are available for residents to rent on an annual basis for growing vegetables and flowers.
The Pea Patch Rental Agreement (which includes the rules about gardening and the current rental fees) is available for download here, and is also available at the Cabana.
There are 18 pea patches on the lower level (16 large, 2 small) and 5 container pea patches on the upper level.
Landscaping
We are on 16.7 acres with protected waterways and woods. We are very fortunate with all the space for walking and meeting with friends not found in many newer condominium complexes. There are also designated pea patches that can be rented on a yearly basis.
Trees and garden areas are living things and need ongoing care. Green areas are the responsibility of the board. We are continually looking to keep our area fresh and updated with the advice of landscapers.
