While nowhere near as prevalent as it was in the 1980s (when it seemed as if one couldn’t find a clean wall in the city), graffiti has never completely disappeared from Chicago...or any metro area, for that matter. In fact, the city’s sanit…

In the past, when it came time to do a remodeling project, no one really ever had much of an idea as to how things would turn out. Architects and designers would come by with blueprints or swatches of color and fabric and ask you to just im…

In the past, developers would throw a few chairs and tables into a large room and call it a common area or a recreation room and leave it at that. Today, however, there's more to designing, maintaining and upgrading a successful common area…

One universal truth on which we all can agree is that kids like to play. They love little more than getting together and having a bang-up good time. And in almost any cooperative, condominium or homeowners’ association, there is likely to b…

Q. We have a serious problem in our co-op building. No. 1, for as long as I can remember, there have been no annual meetings for years. Secondly, there have been no elections and the same people are entrenched on the board of directors an…

Q. After this winter, a concrete walkway in our condo property was completely ruined. A few unit owners say there was evidence of rock salt being used to manage the walkways, rather than the usual calcium chloride. It’s not going to be ch…

Spring cleaning isn't just for unit owners. As we move out of the winter months, now is a great time to make sure your property is “spic and span” for the rest of 2016. The Chicagoland Cooperator recently spoke with property managers Bill W…

In this challenging economy, many co-op and condo buildings are struggling to pay their bills while planning for future needs. Still, most building boards and HOAs are loathe to raise maintenance fees or levy special assessments on their re…

When most people think of landscaping, they think of shrubs, trees, meticulously laid-out and maintained flowerbeds, and artful plantings scattered around a building or development. However, landscaping doesn’t need to end with the things t…

It’s no secret that residents in co-ops or condos can be a fickle bunch, and many times decide to undertake a repair or remodeling project themselves, without going through the proper channels.  Maybe it’s a new owner who wants to make maj…