The effect of divorce and death shall be covered by the membership guidelines
approved by the Board of Trustees.
Article I, Section 7
This Chapter addresses the effect of a dissolution of marriage or registered domestic partnership on the members holding a joint membership (of any category). The effect on a couple who are on the Active wait list is addressed in Chapter 142.
1. Members Required to Give Notice. In the event of a legal dissolution of a marriage or domestic partnership or a legal separation (each hereinafter referred as a “Dissolution”), the members holding a joint membership must notify in writing the STC Membership Manager within thirty calendar days of the entry of the decree of dissolution of marriage or domestic partnership or the decree of legal separation. Failure to notify the Club within this time period will subject the members to possible disciplinary action pursuant to the Seattle Tennis Club Bylaws Article II, Section I. (See Chapter 241).
7/30/15: Adopted rule (i) treating a legal separation the same as a dissolution and (ii) requiring members to notify the Club of a dissolution. 8/25/22: Made non-substantive wording changes.
2. Basic Rules. Whether or not one or both of a couple who are joint members will continue to be members after a Dissolution depends on whether they are a "One Member Couple," a "Two Member Couple," a "Pre Membership Couple" or a "Two Social Couple," as those terms are defined below. Subject to the other policies below, on a Dissolution affecting:
(a) a Two Member Couple, both shall continue as members, subject to the initiation fee rule at Section 4;
(b) a One Member Couple, the Original Member shall continue as a member and the other shall cease to be a member when the Dissolution is effective; or
(c) a Pre Membership Couple or a Two Social Couple, the two individuals will determine which shall continue as a member and the other shall cease to be a member when the Dissolution is effective.
A "Two Member Couple" is one where both individuals were Active-Type Members immediately before they were married or became registered domestic partners.
A "One Member Couple" is one where only one individual was an Active-Type Member immediately before they were married or became registered domestic partners, or neither was an Active-Type Member and only one was a Social-Type Member. "One Member Couples" include, without limitation, a couple made up of an Active-Type Member and a member who was a Social-Type member immediately before they were married or they became registered domestic partners.
A "Pre Membership Couple" is one where neither was an Active-Type Member or a Social-Type Member immediately before they were married or became registered domestic partners.
A "Two Social Couple" is one where both were Social-Type Members immediately before they were married or became registered domestic partners.
"Original Member" refers to the individual who was an Active-Type Member immediately before they became a One Member Couple (or was a Social-Type Member immediately before they became a One Member Couple in which neither spouse was an Active-Type Member).
A person is an "Active-Type Member" whenever such person is one of the following: (i) an Active member (Joint or Single, Resident or Nonresident), (ii) a Social member (Joint or Single, Resident or Nonresident) who was an Active member immediately before becoming a Social Member, (iii) a Junior Member with Senior Privileges (Resident or Nonresident), (iv) a Junior Member (Resident or Nonresident), (v) an Emeritus Member (Joint or Single) or (vi) a World Class Tennis Player Member or the spouse or partner of a World Class Tennis Player Member. In clause (ii) above, the reference to "Active member" is intended to refer only to an Active member; the broader term "Active-Type Member" is not intended.
A person is a "Social-Type Member" whenever such person is not an Active-Type Member, but is a Social Member (Joint or Single, Resident or Nonresident).
3. Twenty Year Rule. Upon a Dissolution affecting a One Member Couple, a Pre Membership Couple or a Two Social Couple where each individual has been a member for a total of 20 years after attaining the age of 21 years, the individual who would otherwise cease to be a member under the basic rules at Section 2 above shall instead have the option of continuing to be a member by paying, within 90 days after the Dissolution is effective, the full initiation fee in effect at that time. Such a person shall not be required to rise to the top of the wait list, nor to be approved by the Membership Committee or the Board of Trustees. Twenty years of membership need not be continuous, and time accrued in membership categories that are not Active-Type does apply toward the 20-year minimum.
4/28/11: Adopted 20-year period in place of previous 25-year period; 5/26/11: that change made "retroactive to January 21, 2011," which is now much more than 90 days in the past.
4. Initiation Fee Rule. Upon a Dissolution affecting a Two Member Couple, in order to continue as a member, each spouse must pay, within 90 days after the Dissolution is effective, the following amount:
(a) all initiation fees that would have been payable before the Dissolution if he or she had never been a joint member, but had become, at age 25, a single member in the category he or she will have after the Dissolution;
(b) less all initiation fees he or she paid before he or she became a joint member;
(c) less one-half of all initiation fees he or she and his or her spouse or partner paid while they were joint members.
In addition, in order to continue as a member, each individual who continues to be a member after a Dissolution must pay all initiation fees that fall due after such Dissolution, as if such persona had never been a joint member.
consider two Joint Active members who were Junior members, JSPs and Single Active members before they were married:
the husband was born in June 1967;
the wife was born in June 1973;
they were married in December 1998; and
their marriage is dissolved in December 2003.
When the husband transferred from JSP to Single Active membership in June 1992, the initiation fee was $5,000.
It has all been paid:
$1,000 at 25 in 1992,
$2,000 at 30 in 1997 and
$2,000 at 35 in June 2002.
When the wife transferred from JSP to Single Active membership in June 1998, the initiation fee was $6,000.
She paid $1,000 in June 1998, but did not pay the $2,000 that would have been payable in June 2003 had she remained single,
and did not pay the $3,000 that would become payable in June 2008.
In order to continue as a member, at Dissolution:
the husband must pay $1,000 ($5,000 ‑ $3,000 ‑ ½ * $2,000), and
the wife must pay $1,000 ($3,000 ‑ $1,000 ‑ ½ * $2,000). In addition, when she turns 35 in June 2008, the wife must pay a further $3,000.
5. Category After Dissolution and Special Rules. Except as set forth below, a person who continues to be a member after a Dissolution shall continue in the same membership category he or she was in immediately before Dissolution (but will be Single, rather than Joint).
(a) A person who was a Joint Active Member or a JSP immediately before a Dissolution and who continues to be a member shall be: (i) a Single Active Member, if he or she is 25 or older, or (ii) a JSP, if he or she is 21 or older but under 25. If he or she is under 21, he or she shall be a Junior member, but only if at least one parent is an Active member. If not, he or she shall cease to be a member, notwithstanding the basic rules in Section 2.
(b) On a Dissolution affecting a Two Social Couple (or a One Member Couple in which one spouse was an Active-Type Member immediately before they married or became registered domestic partners, and the other a Social-Type Member), the individual who does not continue to be a member may become a Single Social Member without payment of the initiation fee, but shall be subject to the same approval by the Membership Committee and the Board of Trustees as is required of applicants for Social membership generally.
(c) On a Dissolution affecting a couple where one individual is an Emeritus Member and the basic rules in Section 2 or the 20-year rule in Section 3 provide that the other individual will continue to be a member, such other individual shall be treated in the same manner as the surviving spouse or domestic partner of a deceased Emeritus Member.
(d) A Dissolution affecting a Pre-Membership Couple where one individual is (or was) a World Class Tennis Player Member shall be treated as if they were a One Member Couple in which the World Class Tennis Player Member was the Original Member.
(e) On a Dissolution where only one individual is a member of the Club, that person’s membership shall be unaffected.
(f) Spouses or domestic partners of Junior Development members and Complimentary members are not, by virtue of being a couple, members of the Club. If the Club extends any of the privileges of membership to such a spouse or partner, those privileges shall cease upon Dissolution of the couple.
6. Time of Dissolution; Other States. In all cases, Dissolution of a couple is only considered effective as of the date the relevant court enters a decree. Prior to that date, all financial obligations are obligations of the marital community or domestic partnership.
If members are residents of a state other than Washington (or termination of their marriage or domestic partnership is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of courts other than those of Washington State), references to "dissolution," "decree of dissolution" "legal separation" and the like are intended to refer to the similar process and events under the laws that are applicable to such couple.
7. Later Couple. A person who remains a member after a Dissolution, and who later remarries or enters into a registered domestic partnership, may have his or her new spouse or partner apply for membership in accordance with the guidelines and policies applicable generally to a new spouse or partner of a member.
8. New Application. A person who ceases to be a member upon a Dissolution may apply for membership in accordance with the guidelines and policies applicable generally to persons applying to become a member of the Club; such application would be subject to ordinary guidelines and policies with respect to the wait list, approval by the Membership Committee and Board of Trustees and payment of initiation fees in effect at the time of admission to membership (except as otherwise provided in Section 5(b)).
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2002: Policy adopted with "Effective Date. The change in policy effected in 2002 only applies to marriage dissolutions that are effective after May 23, 2002. The former 1998 policy applies to marriage dissolutions that are effective on or before that date."
8/25/05: modified (modifications are reflected above); 3/3/11: modified to add references to registered domestic partners; 5/26/11 and 4/28/11: modified as noted above; 7/30/15: Modified as noted above.
8/25/22: Chapter 145 approved by the Board, making non-substantive wording changes.