In any large city, parking is a big deal—it’s often hard to find, and when you do find a spot, it can be very expensive. Parking spaces not only provide urban drivers with freedom and mobility in the crowded cityscape, but they can be a ser…

Trees may seem like the ultimate in low-maintenance landscaping; they’re naturally occurring, live for decades (sometimes centuries), don’t really require much in the way of watering, and sometimes don’t even need pruning. But while all tha…

Building maintenance follows a schedule based on the seasons, each of which presents a unique set of challenges to a co-op or condo. At certain times of the year, it just makes sense to do certain regular maintenance projects: weatherizing,…

Q. A unit owner is using really foul language at some other owners continually. He goes as far as telling them they should die and fall down the stairs. The association has been notified many times and says they can’t do anything. The rul…

Q. If a condo association in Chicago wanted to buy a unit, what percentage of ownership is required to have this purchase be approved?  I hear it is 75 percent, but another association said it was 67 percent. Also, if it changed from 67 p…

Q. I am a unit owner in a condominium association containing 189 units. We manage ourselves and wouldn’t ever want to have a management company manage our property. However, the question has often  been asked as to what happens when a man…

The most basic structure of our right to own and enjoy our homes emanates from two sources: legislation, and case law. At times, case law is the direct reflection of statutes passed by federal, state, and local levels of our government; at …

No matter what time of year, the addition of natural light into a living space can do more to boost the spirits of its occupants than just about anything else. For a dark kitchen, a gloomy study or a bedroom that lacks that special somethin…

Despite rain being essential to life on Earth, the consensus is that it’s mostly a bummer. And the only thing worse than rain outdoors is rain that gets indoors. In a multifamily condo or co-op property especially, where one leak can affect…

Constructed as they are out of materials like brick, concrete, or even stone, the exterior walls of an apartment building or row of townhomes might seem nearly indestructible. But despite their hardiness, walls are not immune to assaults fr…