The Chicagoland Cooperator and Yale Robbins, Inc. welcome you to The Chicagoland Cooperator’s third annual Chicagoland Condo, HOA, & Co-op Expo. The Chicagoland Expo is the largest expo in the state entirely dedicated to connecting c…
There’s nothing worse than being a unit owner in a building and seeing someone breaking a rule and seemingly getting away with it. It's even worse if that person happens to be on the building's board. Some board members believe that …
Finding the right balance of involvement between homeowner associations, co-op boards, condo boards and residents can be like maintaining a healthy relationship with a significant other: you want to be compassionate, responsive and attenti…
You may love your building. You may even love your neighbors and the members of your board. But there are few people who can say that they love their monthly board meetings or annual shareholder meetings. That’s because many of these meeti…
Living in a condo means putting up with certain occasional inconveniences: that curious odor emanating from the neighbor’s unit, the downstairs saxophone player who practices every Tuesday afternoon, or that one resident that insists at ev…
Any building in Chicago taller than, say, five stories usually has an elevator—and often, new buildings of even three stories have an elevator. If you live in a high rise co-op or condo building on Lake Shore Drive or elsewhere in Chicagol…
Someone once said, "People who say that small things don't bother them have never tried to sleep in a room with a mosquito." The truth is that there are little irritations—otherwise known as pet peeves—about a job, relationship, or o…
Many aspects of the American work landscape have changed radically in the last two decades. As the service and information economies have overtaken manufacturing and other more traditional forms of labor, the old 9-to-5, office-bound workd…
Time was that a nice, spacious condo unit with a good location, a good view and several basic amenities such a laundry room, a doorman and maybe a fitness room were what Chicagoland buyers wanted. But as more buildings are constructed or r…
Modern cities are amazing creations, pulsing with life 24 hours a day, and built to cater to every need of residents. Take away just one of any city dweller’s basic necessities like plumbing, electricity or heating/air conditioning, though…
Whether indoors or out, few design elements are as dramatic and arresting as a waterfall, water wall, Koi pond, reflecting pool or statuesque fountain. These water features add beauty and value to any Chicagoland property or building, whet…
Read any of the major business publications or websites and you’re bound to find articles on the importance of delegating. It’s one of the most fundamental skills for a successful business owner to have. A simple Internet search finds scor…
Differences and disputes happen. We’re only human, and that’s why laws and rules are in place. But, the federalist system of government we use in this country is far from the most efficient system. Layers and layers of laws, statutes, and …
A key to success and functionality in any relationship is clear and regular communication. In a residential community, part of achieving functionality is managing the information in the governing documents and records which detail the comm…
When it comes to ensuring that important association documents are private and secure, board members and managers have to follow specific protocols. However, thanks to ignorance or negligence those guidelines aren’t always followed. And pr…
Bucktown, a Polish neighborhood north of Wicker Park, has been transformed from an agrarian community into a residential haven with a mix of older single family homes and new condos with edgy architecture and converted industrial lofts. …
Altered Without Consent Q I am writing to you regarding an issue that I have in my condominium. A few years ago, our board undertook extensive roof repairs to fix leaks and various deficiencies. However, when the work was completed …
My question is if there is damage to my roof and it leaks into my condominium unit and I reported it to the board three times with no repairs made, can I repair it myself and deduct the cost from my common charges? Please advise. —A …