Property managers in Illinois have until October 1, 2012 to prove that they have met licensing requirements enabling them to perform the services of a community association manager. Discussed for many years in the state legisl…
At any given time, there are dozens of housing-related bills—both major and not-so-major—being debated by lawmakers in Chicago, Springfield, and Washington, DC. This legislation can have a huge impact condo residents, boards, and those wh…
You may think it’ll never happen to you. You're the nicest person around. You love your neighbors, and have never quarreled with the board of your condo community over anything. This is all great—but unfortunately, it doesn't amount to …
Along with property managers, attorneys may be keepers of some of the best stories to come out of Chicagoland's condos and HOA communities. They hear and see (and litigate) it all, from the crazy cat lady who diversifies into African g…
Think about this: according to the United States Department of Labor, each year nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence. Fraud committed by employees cost American companies approximately $20 …
Fans of the television show Mad Men, set in the mid-1960s, are often shocked by the near-constant presence of smoldering cigarettes in nearly everyone's hands. Indeed, if if you told any of the show's characters that in just a few decad…
With harsh winters and blistering hot summers, those living in Chicagoland’s condominium and townhome communities understand the importance of properly working heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. That’s w…
You don't have to walk far to find architectural gems in Oak Park. With its patchwork of stucco, frame and brick homes punctuated by Victorian and Prairie Style structures, the community is an architecture geek's dream. "Oak Park is an…
Q Our board is planning to sell a basement apartment that had been a rental apartment. On the recommendation of the management company, the board authorized the demolition of the internal and perimeter walls, ceiling and wood floors. A…
Q I am the president/secretary of our condo association in Chicago. We have a unit that was foreclosed by the bank last summer and the owner moved out. We only have outdoor parking. The assigned space for this unit is right outside the …