Q: We have a small condo association and it is difficult, as I assume it is for most, to get people to serve on our board. The idea we came up with is to have one person serve as the treasurer/secretary. In Illinois, is this legal? Is it …
Q: I live in an 18-year-old, 40-unit townhome association in the community of Des Plaines. It seems that, according to our declaration and bylaws, the association owns and maintains the entire shingle roof system including the skylights a…
Q: Some years ago, I purchased a two-bedroom condo in downtown Chicago. It was advertised as having two parking spaces. They are piggy-back spaces, as the first car cannot get out until the second car is moved into the spot. From what I u…
Let’s imagine that your boss invites you to a group dinner to celebrate her recent promotion. At dinner, you have a tasty salad and one glass of the house red, but your colleagues all have multiple cocktails; somebody orders the surf-and-tu…
Whether you serve on the board of a co-op, condo or HOA, chances are you and your fellow community administrators are volunteers. Perhaps you're fortunate enough that you or one of your colleagues has professional legal expertise to bring t…
The legislative season is upon us, and in many states, bills specifically dealing with co-ops, condos and HOAs are wending their way through the legislative process. Even when bills aren't aimed directly at those forms of home ownership, ma…
If you’ve never seen an Alfred Hitchcock film and are looking for an entry point, considering adding The Birds to your Netflix queue. As an added bonus, you’ll not only be watching one of Hitch’s classics, you’ll also gain a true appreciati…
Q. Who’s responsible for water leak damage? I am a condo owner in good standing and a former board member in my association. Several months ago my hardwood floors were damaged by a leaking radiator. In our bylaws, it explicitly states tha…
Q. With all of today’s technology available, and with video/audio conferencing by Skype or other means more popular today, I'm thinking that more associations would like to hold their meetings via the Internet or telephone conferencing. I…
Living in a building or association means living in a community where residents get to know each other, attend events together and, sometimes even become close friends. In most cases, the people you meet are regular, down-to-earth folks, bu…