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. While that's definitely accurate, landscaping doesn…

Patches of green, living things are pretty rare in the city—aside from tiny front yards and the occasional back garden, many Chicagoans don’t get a lot of leafy goodness in their lives. Some co-op and condo buildings—and some whole neighbo…

In a city known for its expanses of steel and concrete, it can be easy to forget the importance that greenery plays in the life of Chicago residents. For many co-op and condo residents, the flowers, shrubs, grasses and trees that surround …

I was wondering if you had any information about whether a co-op management company is required by law to answer questions of random fees on a monthly statement. I've been struggling for 6 months with my management company and they 1) won't…

Q I am the vice president of a small condo community and we are trying to find out if non-homeowners can serve on the board. Several of the homeowners would like renters to have a proxy vote. However, being a proxy and voting for an absen…

It is the hometown of current mayor Rahm Emanuel, actor Rainn Wilson and actress Virginia Madsen. But with its 14 miles of brick-paved streets, circa1925 street lamps, a plethora of trees, a top notch school system and a sprawling lakefron…

Of all the responsibilities that come with being a board member or manager of a residential building, few are as important as ensuring the safety of your residents. Making and clearly communicating emergency plans, marking entrance/egress …

When it comes to work in, on, or around a residential building, there’s really no such thing as a small job. Whether a minor fix or a major capital improvement, there are a slew of factors that determine the success of a project, particula…

Walk down any street in Chicago and you’re likely to go under or around one of the ubiquitous steel-and-plywood structures that shade the city’s sidewalks, more often than not festooned with wheat-pasted posters for everything from the hot…

Remember the old jingle, ‘it takes a licking and keeps on ticking’? It was the famous tagline from the Timex watch advertisements. The gist of the ad is that no matter what you threw at it, a Timex watch kept working. If you think ab…