Q Is there an expectation of privacy for correspondences sent to the HOA? Is material sent to the board closed to public scrutiny? --Confidentiality in a Condo A “Usually not. I am not aware of any sort of confide…

Q If a co-op gets the run around from its board about finances and there is evidence of mismanagement, how can a shareholder organize to get shareholders to hire their own attorney to represent them? —United We Stand …

Q The tenant below me smokes nonstop. Her windows are always fully open and the smoke travels directly into my apartment above. My apartment smells like an ashtray and of course leaves us vulnerable to second-hand smoke. Even with ou…

Q “We are a 38-unit condo complex. We have had trouble finding owners to serve as board. Can we require owners to serve at least one term on the condo board during the time that they are owners of a unit? Can we permit them to pay a …

Q Are board members allowed to go door-to-door collecting proxies to vote themselves on the board? —Officious Officeholders A “Under applicable law,” says attorney Andrew F. Lampert of the Chicago-based firm …

Q We are shareholders in our co-op. We bought our apartment because of its skylight. It's leaking though and the board refuses to repair the skylight. The board has ruled that if we insist on a repair, the co-op will cover the skyli…

The business of running a condo building or homeowners association—regardless of the size of the community—can often be complex. From interacting with vendors and service providers to handling conflicts between neighbors, managers and bo…

Occupying the lakefront some seven miles from the Loop on Chicago's North Side, Edgewater is one of the city's oldest and most enduring neighborhoods. Bounded by Foster Avenue on the south side, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, Devon Aven…

Though the benefits of condominium and cooperative living are numerous, it’s human nature that where there are people, there will be conflict. Running to a lawyer every time a problem arises is hardly sensible. The legal process is slow…

Every co-op, condominium, and homeowners association has rules and regulations that residents and their guests must abide by. For the most part, they’re usually pretty straightforward and have minimal impact: no 200-pound dogs, no smoki…