With property taxes on the rise in Washington state, many property owners are looking for creative ways to plan and utilize their land to reduce their tax burden. Washington’s Open Space Taxation Act, Chapter 84.34 RCW (the “Act”), enacted in…
Read MoreWe’ve all heard people say, “You need to have a Will,” or, “You should set up an estate plan,” but what does that actually mean? A typical estate plan goes beyond just making a Will and usually includes several other…
Read MoreOn June 29, 2023, in Groff v. DeJoy, the Supreme Court of the United States clarified for the first time in nearly fifty years the burden an employer must demonstrate to deny an accommodation for an employee’s religious beliefs in…
Read MoreIn 2020, Washington became the first state to pass a law allowing for more environmentally friendly methods to dispose of human remains. Since then, a method known as “human composting” has gained in popularity here and in other states. Alternative…
Read MoreRecent federal court interpretations of Washington’s Noncompetition Covenants Act, Chapter 49.62 RCW, (“Act”) may give employers new confidence in using properly drafted nonsolicitation agreements with their independent contractors, regardless of how much the independent contractors are paid. Some degree of…
Read MoreWashington’s Eviction “Just Cause” Requirement The “just cause” requirement in Washington’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (the “RLTA”) has created unpredictable results that should lead landlords and property owners (collectively, “Landlords”) to tread carefully in considering their basis to pursue an unlawful…
Read MoreGone are the days when daily-rate employees were considered exempt from overtime pay requirements under the FLSA. In February, the United States Supreme Court held in Helix Energy Sols. Grp., Inc. v. Hewitt, 143 S. Ct. 677 (2023) that an…
Read MoreCourt Holds Washington Capital Gains Tax is a Constitutional Excise Tax On March 24, 2023, the Washington Supreme Court (in a 7-2 opinion) held that the controversial capital gains tax enacted by the Washington State Legislature in 2021 (SB 5096;…
Read MoreIn the commercial lease setting, assignment and sublease provisions are often heavily negotiated to determine the scope of, and conditions upon which, the landlord can withhold its consent to an assignment or sublease request. Frequently, little attention is paid to…
Read MoreCo-author: Scott Feir, Partner - Montgomery Purdue PLLC Each Specific Lease’s Allocations of Risks Will Be Critical to Evaluating Landlord Claims for Unpaid Rent or Tenant Claims that Rent Should Be Waived As the commercial landlord-tenant landscape continues to recover…
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