Media room, game room, common room, party room—regardless of what you call them, the purpose of these shared spaces in co-ops  and condos is to give residents a place to gather; to hold an in-house meeting,  throw a graduation party or sc…

 While the basics of preventing—and surviving—relatively common disasters like fires or severe weather events should be well  known to anybody living in a community association or planned development, the  reality is that each building com…

 It’s been a very rough few years for the real estate market in Chicago—the ongoing recession and sluggish resale market are unfortunately still news  and both buyers and sellers are watching the situation closely for any signs of  improve…

 Back in the 1980s, McGruff the Crime Dog taught children and parents alike to “Take a bite out of crime.” The tough but affable, anthropomorphic bloodhound was created by the Ad Council  for the National Crime Prevention Council and used …

The issue of intellectual property and an individual’s right to privacy has become a greater concern since more and more people conduct their lives online—whether for banking, social media or dating. While the aforementioned generally h…

 For most people, nothing is more important than knowing that they and their  families are safe and secure in the place they call home. Boards, management  and security firms all must work together seamlessly and cohesively to create  that…

The discovery of fire is considered a major turning point in man's evolution from cave dweller to outer space explorer. Control of fire allowed early man warmth for his habitat, a way to cook his meals, and light for his surroundings. …

 The winds were a bit chilly but the sun was shining brightly on the Navy Pier as  more than two thousand enthusiastic attendees packed The Chicagoland Cooperator’s 2nd Annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo to meet with nearly 250 exhibitors, att…

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 Our upstairs neighbors always have loud noises coming from their unit: TV,  music, video games, etc. Our condo building is older and everything can be  heard from above. Our bylaws don’t really specify any rules about noise except that …