There is always work to be done on a building, whether it’s a simple lobby repair or a major capital improvement, but finding the right contractor for the job takes some work. If the vetting process is not done properly, the results could b…
Exteriors of buildings—condos and HOAs included—aren’t always just smooth brick walls. There are all sorts of indentations and protrusions, from terraces to stonework to cornices. There are also items that are not part of the building, but …
It's easy to take major building features for granted. Consider elevators, for example. A well-maintained elevator can function smoothly for decades, ferrying residents up and down without incident or complaint. Nevertheless, no matter the…
If you think about it, a multifamily building isn’t that much different than the human body—both house important complex operating systems and organ-like pieces of vital equipment, both take in fuel and produce waste, and both require regul…
Q My question relates to the maintenance responsibilities of a unit owner versus the board’s responsibilities. Recently I had an animal crawl into my air conditioner and die. Gross as that sounds, I know, it now smells, and there are magg…
Q This seems to be a perennial problem for anyone living in a multifamily community. Our upstairs neighbors always have loud noises coming from their unit—sometimes it emanates from the television or it could be coming from music and vide…
Q I live in a very small building community in suburban Chicago and our condo board has turned over our building to a manager who is running the condo as he sees fit without any input from the board or from residents. He seems to be runni…
The experience of co-op and condo board members can often feel like a juggling act. There are varied interests in the community that want different things. There's legal counsel, financial advisers, and managers who try to offer the best pr…
Residents of a condominium, cooperative or homeowner's association that literally takes care of itself, from the grounds to the pool to the electrical systems, really have it made in the shade. But those building communities really do not…
In the Chicagoland area, the process of purchasing a condo can make for quite the odyssey. Oh yes…matching budget requirements, securing mortgages, and inspecting reams of paperwork all amount to a rather stressful and tedious adventure. Fo…