Articles

The answer is “yes and no.” Condominium associations in the City of Chicago certainly do have an obligation under the Chicago Building Code (§13-196-410) to provide heat to any unit where owners do not have individual control of the heat. This becomes a problem in...

We are all generally aware of the requirements for associations in Illinois to maintain a reserve account (reminder – if it’s a condominium association, the requirement is set by law, but for homeowners’ associations, it may be required by the governing documents)....

You might be wondering what “committees” and “commissions” have to do with community associations. The quick answer is that they are both administrative/advisory bodies to which the board may delegate some of its work. Think of them as a way for non-elected...

Many boards struggle with whether to put up holiday decorations in association lobby or common elements and the best practice for regulating those displays. Questions include: Should we put up only secular decorations? Is a Christmas tree OK? Or a Menorah? A Kwanzaa...

A common problem in the age of Amazon delivery, Instacart Grocery, and Pea Pod, and especially around the holidays, is what an association should do with all the packages that arrive on an hourly basis for the residents. While many larger associations have receiving...

We are often asked how a board should handle non-owners, such as tenants, visitors and guests attending (and disrupting) board meetings. Whether or not to prohibit non-owners from attending board meetings is purely a judgment call for the board to make. Technically,...

Budgets are required and, if using a good template, not very difficult to prepare, distribute and adopt. While your association’s governing documents will include some basic requirements, most of the process is dictated by the Illinois Condominium Property Act...

Here’s the situation – a unit owner has leased his/her unit to a problematic tenant. The unit owner lives elsewhere, so it’s become the board job to “babysit” the tenant, dealing with violations, loud parties, or destruction of common elements, etc. Despite the...