Few things can raise one's blood pressure like signing a big contract. That can be especially true for board members or managers signing sometimes mammoth contracts on behalf of a co-op or condo association, obligating their neighbors, fri…
Much like corporations and charity organizations, condos, co-ops and HOAs across the nation are helmed by groups of residents who volunteer to serve their communities, and who are elected to their post by their neighbors. This is of course…
A quote often attributed to the Prussian statesman Otto von Bismarck in the mid-1800s says something to the effect that laws are like sausages—it's better not to see either of them being made. It's a clever quip, and it's not entirely inac…
A group of unit owners in my building formed a committee in reaction to some rules the board had made. We are worried we might get into a lawsuit with the board, and we want to know if the association’s insurance would cover us against this…
Ask people to list the household chores they dislike most, and chances are, doing laundry will consistently rank among the top ten. The need and appreciation for clean clothes gets overshadowed by the hassle of having to constantly wash an…
The Windy City has always been known for its fantastic, innovative architecture—much of it displayed in residential buildings. But while a lot of people appreciate the grandeur of a building like the Public Library or the Wrigley Building,…
The dust has mostly settled from the recession, and the market sector that caters to clientele with deep pockets is becoming one of the strongest parts of the American economy. Bigger is better, and glamor definitely sells when it comes to…
Sixty years ago, work and play were very different. A majority of women remained in the home, in both urban and suburban settings. The mostly male heads of households went off to work, and children went off to school and play. Since then, …
The sudden emergence of Kermit the Frog as a box office draw is not an accident—it seems that everywhere, everybody is 'going green.' The term is shorthand for a movement of environmental awareness, and it involves everything from the way …
My condo board rarely enforces rules, especially with respect to certain unit owners. Some are now renting, and I would like my family to be able to do so also. It is really bizarre because the board members, who are adamant about no renter…