Living in a condo means putting up with certain occasional inconveniences: that curious odor emanating from the neighbor’s unit, the downstairs saxophone player who practices every Tuesday afternoon, or that one resident that insists at ev…
You may love your building. You may even love your neighbors and the members of your board. But there are few people who can say that they love their monthly board meetings or annual shareholder meetings. That’s because many of these meeti…
Finding the right balance of involvement between homeowner associations, co-op boards, condo boards and residents can be like maintaining a healthy relationship with a significant other: you want to be compassionate, responsive and attenti…
There’s nothing worse than being a unit owner in a building and seeing someone breaking a rule and seemingly getting away with it. It's even worse if that person happens to be on the building's board. Some board members believe that …
According to some condominium and homeowners association managers, it’s getting hot out there. “People have become more litigious, more angry and more surly,” according to Angela Falzone, co-founder of Association Advocates, Inc. and…
Every year the cycle repeats itself in co-ops and condo communities in Chicago: as temperatures drop and snow begins to swirl, flocks of empty nesters and others fortunate enough to own a second home in a warmer climate pack up and head so…
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…