Download this article as a PDF here. Most property managers (and many board members) have, at some point, received some notice of foreclosure related to a unit within an association. Sometimes the notices go directly to the board or manager. Other times, they go to...
News & Events
Altus Legal – February 2019 Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter full of helpful tips and advice for Illinois condominium and homeowner associations. This month: Investing Reserve Funds: How aggressively can the board Invest? Heating Requirements: Does the City of Chicago Heating Ordinance apply to...
Legal Tips – Do Associations have to provide heat and A/C?
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...
Legal Tips – Investing Reserve Funds: How Much Risk is Appropriate?
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)....
Altus Legal – January 2019 Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter full of helpful tips and advice for Illinois condominium and homeowner associations. This month: Document and Record Requests: So is the sky falling now or what? Committees vs. Commissions: What are they and what’s the difference? Free DecSpeak...
Legal Tips – Committees vs. Commissions: What Are They and How Are They Used?
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...
Legal Tips – Holiday Decorations in the Common Elements (Condo Associations)
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...
Legal Tips – Should the Association Accept Packages on Behalf of Residents?
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...