As an attorney and an apartment dweller, Michelle F. has seen it all when it comes to living with difficult residents. “I lived next door to twin toddlers whose parents were both attorneys,” says Michelle, who in addition to being a real…
Energy efficiency has become a “buzz word” over the past couple years throughout Chicagoland and more and more gadgets and devices have come on the market that are specifically designed to use less energy. Saving energy does a lot more …
We as a culture produce a lot of trash—and not just in the form of reality television shows, late night infomercials and bad romance novels. Whether it’s the candy wrappers we toss into the trash bins outside on the sidewalk, the newspa…
Going green doesn’t have anything to do with choosing a natural paint color for your kitchen, or planting herbs in your community garden. But the phrase can have many different meanings across a broad spectrum. Turning off lights in roo…
With the green movement in full swing across the country, it is not surprising that incorporating energy saving and improved efficiency measures has trickled into condominium development. Today, many buildings in the Chicagoland area p…
At last, it's that time of year again! After its blockbuster debut last year, The Chicagoland Cooperator’s annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo is returning to the Navy Pier Convention Center in Chicago on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 10…
Q We are an established vintage lakefront condominium property. Since conversion to a condominium form of ownership, the association has adopted several policies according to the state condominium act. They are given to each new owner a…
Q I am the president in our condo community, which has a swimming pool. The question has come up as to whether or not a lifeguard is required by law. One of the other board members is insisting that because we are a private community, …
It goes without saying that individuals and associations alike need to be properly covered by insurance; that's just common sense. But the wide variety of choices can make obtaining that coverage a daunting process. To help boards and HOAs…
When the power goes out and city dwellers are left in the dark, people assume they won’t be stuck in cold apartments for days. Just as we expect our hospitals to have backup power generators to save patients who are on life support syst…