Page 3 - Chicago Cooperator Spring 2019

IN THIS ISSUE OF THE CHICAGOLAND COOPERATOR Publisher Yale Robbins yale@cooperator.com Executive Vice President Henry Robbins henry@cooperator.com Associate Publisher Joanna DiPaola joanna@cooperator.com Senior Editor Hannah Fons hannah@cooperator.com Associate Editors David Chiu david@cooperator.com Pat Gale patgale@cooperator.com Staff Writers Michael Odenthal michael@cooperator.com Alan J. Sidransky alan@cooperator.com Art Director Shirly Korchak shirly@cooperator.com Production Manager Aetna Dowst aetna@cooperator.com Traffic Coordinator Victor Marcos victor@cooperatorcom Vice President Advertising Sales Tom Christmann tom@cooperator.com Advertising Directors Peter Chase peter@cooperator.com T he Chicagoland Cooperator is published monthly by Yale Robbins Publications, LLC, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016, (212) 683-5700. President: Yale Robbins, Executive Vice President: Henry Robbins. Subscriptions are available free by request to co-op and condo board members and homeowner associations. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chicagoland Cooperator, 205 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10016. ©Yale Robbins Publications, LLC 2019. All rights reserved. Application to mail Periodicals postage rates is pending at New York NY. FREE Subscriptions for Board Members, Property Managers and Real Estate Decision Makers. To Subscribe, please visit us at: chicagocooperator.com/subscr ibe TABLE OF CONTENTS THIS MONTH’S FOCUS: EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENTS: 4 Pulse/Calendar 5 Legal Q&A Building Demolition By AJ Sidransky Cities are crowded. That’s a simple fact. In the best of circumstances, there’s noise, dirt, dust, and the usual urban pests. Add to that the construction of a new building next to or nearby yours, and annoyance can quickly become overwhelming. 10 6 Maintaining Exterior Spaces By AJ Sidransky Whether it’s a balcony, terrace, patio or roof deck, outdoor space is many an apartment owner’s dream. Desirable – and valuable – as they are, these spaces do present specific maintenance considerations for individual owners, co-op corporations, and condo associations, however. Oftentimes, these considerations are complicated by the fact that without specific knowledge of engineering and construction, the signs of potential problems in these spaces are too easily missed. Exterior Cleaning By Mike Odenthal Home is where the heart is, sure – but it’s also where most of where any given owner or shareholder’s money is. For most people, their home represents their single biggest investment. And in a community association, both individual units and the entirety of the building or development will determine the owner’s return on investment (ROI). It’s not enough to ensure that everything is operational, though that is of course hugely important; it’s also important to consider the appearance of buildings, grounds, and other exterior elements. 11 Facade Repair and Restoration By Mike Odenthal When you close your eyes and picture any building, you are quite likely imagining its facade – the outer shell which protects and contains all of the hustle and bustle that goes on within. In a residential property, the facade is what separates a building’s occupants from both elements and intruders. As such, it’s imperative that the facade be inspected, maintained and serviced regularly to ensure that it’s secure and functioning as intended. For a community association, the responsibility to do this falls on the board or management. While methods and routines may differ, facade care should be a major priority for every association. 12 CHICAGOCOOPERATOR.COM THE CHICAGOLAND COOPERATOR — SPRING 2019 3 Exterior maintenance is the focus of this latest edition of The Chicagoland Coopera- tor . For instance, regularly maintaining your property’s facade is important both for aesthetic and practical reasons; our story will guide you on when it’s the right time to make the necessary repairs and restoration. Such concern also applies to the mainte- nance of exterior spaces, as it’s crucial to recognize the potential dangers for balconies, terraces and roof decks. And when it comes to a building demolition, those affected are certainly your next-door neighbors; in our article, we look what can be done to mitigate the inconveniences. In addition to the paper you are holding, you’ll find more useful information at The Cooperator Expo Chicagoland on Wednesday, May 8, 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, where there will be over 150 exhibitors providing services for your community association. To register to attend, visit chicagocondoexpo.com. You don’t want to miss this!