CooperatorEvents is thrilled to be back at Navy Pier in Chicago on Thursday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for this fall’s Chicagoland Expo, and we think you will be too. If you’ve joined us for previous shows, you know there’s just …

Q. I am a resident owner in a 54-unit condominium association building on the far northwest side of Chicago. I write on behalf of a unit owner friend in the same building, who has been the resident owner since 2005. Her unit is on the sec…

Home ownership has long been a key component of the American Dream– especially after years of renting. But when the faucet leaks in your condo or co-op unit, there’s no more calling the landlord; you’ve got to fix it yourself. In shared int…

Over the past few years, operating expenses for everything from fuel to labor to the cost of cleaning supplies have been steadily rising —and disrupting co-op and condo association budgets—all over the country. The premiums for properly ins…

Unit owners, board members, and even property managers are often confused about their responsibilities regarding damage inside and outside individual units. This confusion arises for several reasons, primarily because a building’s bylaws us…

‘Better to have and not need, than need and not have.’ This adage applies to umbrellas, insurance, and good attorneys. Condominiums, community associations, and co-op boards are volunteers, and rely on their legal counsel to navigate legal …

Everyone wants to be a good neighbor—at least that’s what we’d like to believe.  But, living in spaces where many people share walls, halls, and common areas can (and unfortunately does) lead to occasional conflict. That’s the unintended bu…

When a condo or co-op resident runs for a seat on their board, the decision to do so generally comes from a desire to ‘step up’ and participate in the governance of the place they call home, and the building or association community as a wh…

At the heart of volunteerism is the notion of doing something for the common good. For many, choosing to live in a co-op or condo community is also choosing to volunteer for board service, helping to guide and govern the community they call…

Cleaning products are designed with a straightforward goal: to reduce dirt and grime. But once you delve deeper into their overall purpose, things become more complex. What makes something really clean? Does it just look shinier? Smell bett…