The annual election is probably the biggest event in the administrative life of the condominium, homeowners or cooperative community. For board members and residents alike, it's their most important performance. The board member…
Rachel recently bought a condo in Chicago’s bustling Lakeview neighborhood—and from the outset, she didn’t take the process of purchasing a home lightly. “I’m a first time homebuyer,” says Rachel, “and I was pretty specific abou…
As the old saw goes, one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. The same idea often holds true for residents who choose to ignore bylaws or house rules, even if they are well-intended and in place to serve the greater good of the communi…
Everybody sometimes disagrees with the decisions of their condo or HOA board. Maybe the choice to rearrange the garbage receptacles out front seems ridiculous, or the ongoing clattering of machinery on the roof is driving the top-floor…
Disorganized and poorly-run board meetings are time-wasters that can make even the most ardent board member cringe at the thought of an upcoming session. On the flip side, a well-run board meeting can be a productive hour or two or thr…
In a community association or HOA meeting, without procedural rules and organization, it’s amazing how quickly a room full of adults can devolve into a room full of toddlers—everyone talking over one another and no one listening, insuri…
Most people assume that as soon as they buy their first home, they will finally have the freedom to paint their decks purple, to hang fluorescent window treatments and colorful sconces, or to litter their lawns with political or yard s…
It’s time for the big election. And no, we’re not talking about Washington. We’re talking about the one that takes place annually in every co-op, condo building and homeowners association. It’s the election where unit owners have to appo…
Many condo owners want to get involved in their community but they soon find out that being on the board is no picnic. Soon neighbors are pestering them asking for feuds to be settled, decisions that affect all resident’s lives have to …
Wires and drywall were all that remained in a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath Wrigleyville condominium unit that its owner abandoned in 2009. The owner wasn’t paying on his mortgage or his monthly condo association assessments, prompt…