(1) Commencing not later than the
time of the first conveyance of a unit to a person other than a
declarant, the association shall maintain, to the extent
reasonably available:
(a) Property insurance on the condominium, which may, but
need not, include equipment, improvements, and betterments in a
unit installed by the declarant or the unit owners, insuring
against all risks of direct physical loss commonly insured
against. The total amount of insurance after application of any
deductibles shall be not less than eighty percent, or such
greater amount specified in the declaration, of the actual cash
value of the insured property at the time the insurance is
purchased and at each renewal date, exclusive of land,
excavations, foundations, and other items normally excluded from
property policies; and
(b) Liability insurance, including medical payments
insurance, in an amount determined by the board of directors but
not less than the amount specified in the declaration, covering
all occurrences commonly insured against for death, bodily
injury, and property damage arising out of or in connection with
the use, ownership, or maintenance of the common elements.
(2) If the insurance described in subsection (1) of this
section is not reasonably available, or is modified, canceled, or
not renewed, the association promptly shall cause notice of that
fact to be hand-delivered or sent prepaid by first-class United
States mail to all unit owners, to each eligible mortgagee, and
to each mortgagee to whom a certificate or memorandum of
insurance has been issued at their respective last known
addresses. The declaration may require the association to carry
any other insurance, and the association in any event may carry
any other insurance it deems appropriate to protect the
association or the unit owners.
(3) Insurance policies carried pursuant to subsection (1) of
this section shall provide that:
(a) Each unit owner is an insured person under the policy
with respect to liability arising out of the owner's interest in
the common elements or membership in the association;
(b) The insurer waives its right to subrogation under the
policy against any unit owner, member of the owner's household,
and lessee of the owner;
(c) No act or omission by any unit owner, unless acting
within the scope of the owner's authority on behalf of the
association, will void the policy or be a condition to recovery
under the policy; and
(d) If, at the time of a loss under the policy, there is
other insurance in the name of a unit owner covering the same
risk covered by the policy, the association's policy provides
primary insurance.
(4) Any loss covered by the property insurance under
subsection (1)(a) of this section must be adjusted with the
association, but the insurance proceeds for that loss are payable
to any insurance trustee designated for that purpose, or
otherwise to the association, and not to any holder of a
mortgage. The insurance trustee or the association shall hold
any insurance proceeds in trust for unit owners and lienholders
as their interests may appear. Subject to the provisions of
subsection (7) of this section, the proceeds must be disbursed
first for the repair or restoration of the damaged property, and
unit owners and lienholders are not entitled to receive payment
of any portion of the proceeds unless there is a surplus of
proceeds after the property has been completely repaired or
restored or the condominium is terminated.
(5) An insurance policy issued to the association does not
prevent a unit owner from obtaining insurance for the owner's own
benefit.
(6) An insurer that has issued an insurance policy under
this section shall issue certificates or memoranda of insurance
to the association and, upon written request, to any unit owner
or holder of a mortgage. The insurer issuing the policy may not
modify the amount or the extent of the coverage of the policy or
cancel or refuse to renew the policy unless the insurer has
complied with all applicable provisions of chapter 48.18 RCW
pertaining to the cancellation or nonrenewal of contracts of
insurance. The insurer shall not modify the amount or the extent
of the coverage of the policy, or cancel or refuse to renew the
policy without complying with this section.
(7) Any portion of the condominium for which insurance is
required under this section which is damaged or destroyed shall
be repaired or replaced promptly by the association unless: (a)
The condominium is terminated; (b) repair or replacement would be
illegal under any state or local health or safety statute or
ordinance; or (c) eighty percent of the unit owners, including
every owner of a unit or assigned limited common element which
will not be rebuilt, vote not to rebuild. The cost of repair or
replacement in excess of insurance proceeds and reserves is a
common expense. If all of the damaged or destroyed portions of
the condominium are not repaired or replaced: (i) The insurance
proceeds attributable to the damaged common elements shall be
used to restore the damaged area to a condition compatible with
the remainder of the condominium; (ii) the insurance proceeds
attributable to units and limited common elements which are not
rebuilt shall be distributed to the owners of those units and the
owners of the units to which those limited common elements were
allocated, or to lienholders, as their interests may appear; and
(iii) the remainder of the proceeds shall be distributed to all
the unit owners or lienholders, as their interests may appear, in
proportion to the common element interests of all the units. If
the unit owners vote not to rebuild any unit, that unit's
allocated interests are automatically reallocated upon the vote
as if the unit had been condemned under RCW 64.34.060(1), and the
association promptly shall prepare, execute, and record an
amendment to the declaration reflecting the reallocations. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, RCW 64.34.268
governs the distribution of insurance proceeds if the condominium
is terminated.
(8) The provisions of this section may be varied or waived
as provided in the declaration if all units of a condominium are
restricted to nonresidential use.
[1992 c 220 § 18; 1990 c 166 § 4; 1989 c 43 § 3-114.]
NOTES:
Effective date -- 1990 c 166: See note following RCW 64.34.020.