Remember that thick stack of documents you received when you bought your condo  or co-op? If you're like most people, they're probably sitting in a drawer or  in the back of your filing cabinet, communing with the dust bunnies, largely  f…

Q I am three months behind in my association payments. Can the condominium foreclose on my unit? My mortgage payments are up to date, and I called my lender who said no, they cannot foreclose. I wrote a letter to the board asking f…

Q With respect to the exterior of a condominium, who has basic ownership rights and responsibilities for maintenance and repairs—the unit owner or the association? Can a unit owner have an air conditioner installed through a licensed…

Q Does the secretary and treasurer position have to be a board member or can it be delegated/hired? —Curious in Chicago A “Most condominium association bylaws,” says attorney and managing partner Ebony Lucas of Chicag…

 Hyde Park, located on the South Side in Cook County is approximately seven miles  south of the Chicago Loop and one of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods and community areas.    As a neighborhood, Hyde Park's definition has shrunk to a cor…

 Choosing the right property management company is a tedious but important task  for any Board of Directors.    The use of a Request For Proposal (RFP) process by a cooperative board will  greatly enhance the selection of the most a…

There's no denying it: the housing bubble has definitely burst. And while there is still some speculation on how, when and why, most financial experts agree that the correction and balancing process has begun—though it will likely be lo…

 Chicago has a long tradition of being culturally diverse, and that tradition  continues to evolve today.    The Metro Chicago Immigration Fact Book reports that the Chicagoland area added  1.4 million immigrants in the past decade,…

Years ago, when apartment residents wanted to do laundry, they gathered their basket and detergent, loaded up their pockets with quarters and perhaps a good book or their Walkman and trudged downstairs to the dark, dingy laundry room. A…

 As the mass media reminds us almost daily, staying fit (or even just getting fit  in the first place) is on many people's minds. The risks of a poor diet and  sedentary lifestyle are being taken more seriously, and that seriousness is  be…