At last, it's that time of year again! After its blockbuster debut last year,  The Chicagoland Cooperator’s annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo is returning to the Navy Pier Convention Center in Chicago on  Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 10…

Q We are an established vintage lakefront condominium property. Since conversion to a condominium form of ownership, the association has adopted several policies according to the state condominium act. They are given to each new owner a…

Q I am the president in our condo community, which has a swimming pool. The question has come up as to whether or not a lifeguard is required by law. One of the other board members is insisting that because we are a private community, …

It goes without saying that individuals and associations alike need to be properly covered by insurance; that's just common sense. But the wide variety of choices can make obtaining that coverage a daunting process. To help boards and HOAs…

 When the power goes out and city dwellers are left in the dark, people assume  they won’t be stuck in cold apartments for days. Just as we expect our hospitals to have  backup power generators to save patients who are on life support syst…

 Noise is a key quality-of-life problem for almost anyone living in a  densely-packed urban environment. It's the bane of many a condo-dweller’s existence, and over the years engineers, architects, and designers have tried  any number of w…

 One of the trickier problems to deal with when you live in a co-op or condo is  dealing with board members who sometimes let the power go to their heads. Even  though they are entrusted with a great deal of responsibility to keep their  a…

 Remember your first day at a new school? Most likely, you didn’t know a soul, had no idea what the students were learning and you probably felt  nervous, intimidated or maybe even afraid. In most cases, this is what it’s like to be a new …

 Legendary funny man Benny Goodman once said, “I don’t want to tell you how much insurance I carry with the Prudential, but all I can  say is: when I go, they go, too!” The comedian hits on all-important issue: how much insurance is too mu…

 Insurance is designed to be there for us when we need it most. Without knowing  the full extent of our coverage, though, we may find ourselves with less  protection than we thought. For condominium owners, it is imperative to  understand …