Q How can condo owners contest a condo board without hiring a lawyer? Are their rules impeachable? Can we contest a fine? They assess owners to pay legal fees if we start proceedings. Is that fair? —Amazed and confu…
Q Can a condo owner be elected president if they have a lien on their condo due to not paying some of the maintenance fees due to the association. Could this be construed as a conflict of interest? —Curious Board Memb…
Q My condo association has not revealed the bank that we bank at nor has the condo board members treated me fairly in depositing my assessments and pro-rations. What can I do about this without hiring a lawyer? —Financial Exam…
Every condo or homeowners association has its own board and management company to handle the community's day-to-day business and administrative activities but who advocates for those communities at the municipal and state level? Who loo…
Having the same cachet as Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Chicago’s Gold Coast is as affluent as its name suggests: it is the wealthiest residential neighborhood in the Windy City. The landmarked neighborhood for the super-rich go…
Often when we think of the “good old days,” thoughts of a time before cell phones, Facebook and GPS come to mind, when kids played in public parks stocked with swing sets, monkey bars and maybe (if you were lucky) a basketball hoop and …
In Chicagoland, your building maintenance professionals are the chief engineer, head engineer, or sometimes, even the janitor. Regardless of title, these people keep the home fires burning and make sure every apartment building runs sm…
Traditional household cleaners may leave sinks, floors, carpets and countertops gleaming, but they also leave behind traces of toxic chemicals. According to PlanetGreen.com, in any given home in America, you’re likely to find up to 10 g…
As anyone who’s ever had their heat go out in the dead of winter can tell you, condo buildings don’t maintain themselves. It might take a village to raise a child, but it takes a knowledgeable, experienced team comprised of a qualified …
For those who might not know, building facades are the exterior walls of a building—they're important not just for their architectural and aesthetic significance, but because they're built to withstand the elements and preserve the unde…