Who is legally responsible for A) coordinating the treating for and B) paying for the said treating, in regard to bed bugs in a condominium unit? If one of the condo units is rented out to a tenant by the unit owner, does that affect things…
Q We have a very small pool in our community—so small that it would be impossible for all the homeowners to utilize it simultaneously. I had asked if we could get a lifeguard instructor who could offer a class for adults in water aerobics…
Big or small, disasters most often strike out of the blue. They catch us unaware, flatfooted and feeling helpless at their impact. This is especially true when these disasters hit us at home or within our shared co-op or condo communities.…
As the holiday season approaches in the Windy City, many Chicagoans may be preoccupied with choosing gifts for picky family members, finding a parking spot downtown, or snagging that coveted new smartphone. Those who live in multifamily bu…
Property managers know that whether they're running a small, contained walk-up building, a multi-unit high rise, or a sprawling condo development in the suburbs, materials, capital and personnel all fall under their administrative jurisd…
Of all the modern conveniences we take for granted, perhaps none is as profoundly basic—and indispensable—as indoor plumbing. Carrying fresh water into our homes and taking waste water away, the pipes in our buildings are the fine line tha…
The rarely stated—but all too well understood—Murphy’s Law for Boilers—asserts that if your boiler quits working, it will do so on Christmas or New Year’s Eve, or at 4:45 p.m. on the coldest day of the year. With some planning, though, tha…
From the outside, the structure of a condo or co-op building may appear to be monolithic; just one big piece of brick and steel, punctuated with some glass here and there. That's an oversimplification, however. A multifamily building is pe…
My condo board recently voted to approve an audit for the association, but I found out our own CPA—who has handled our finances for five years—will be conducting the audit. Is that a sound decision? Are there any legal issues with conflict …
Q I believe as a board member that since shareholders are lessees/renters, and the corporation is the lessor/landlord, the corporation should bear responsibility for the maintenance and repair or replacement of the entire facade of the bu…