There was a time when most large residential developments relied on glaring floodlights to brighten parking lots, front porches and entryways. Today, there is more to exterior lighting than just chasing shadows away and discouraging cr…
When you consider all the different exterior components that a condo association has to deal with, decks are sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of the list—they rarely get any respect. “Decks are definitely something that peop…
More often than not, when boards or associations broach the issue of their buildings “going green,” images of bamboo flooring, hemp drapes, or solar panels on the roof suddenly spring to mind. The impression seems to be that in a condo,…
Q How can condo owners contest a condo board without hiring a lawyer? Are their rules impeachable? Can we contest a fine? They assess owners to pay legal fees if we start proceedings. Is that fair? —Amazed and confu…
Q Can a condo owner be elected president if they have a lien on their condo due to not paying some of the maintenance fees due to the association. Could this be construed as a conflict of interest? —Curious Board Memb…
Q My condo association has not revealed the bank that we bank at nor has the condo board members treated me fairly in depositing my assessments and pro-rations. What can I do about this without hiring a lawyer? —Financial Exam…
Every condo or homeowners association has its own board and management company to handle the community's day-to-day business and administrative activities but who advocates for those communities at the municipal and state level? Who loo…
Having the same cachet as Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Chicago’s Gold Coast is as affluent as its name suggests: it is the wealthiest residential neighborhood in the Windy City. The landmarked neighborhood for the super-rich go…
Often when we think of the “good old days,” thoughts of a time before cell phones, Facebook and GPS come to mind, when kids played in public parks stocked with swing sets, monkey bars and maybe (if you were lucky) a basketball hoop and …
In Chicagoland, your building maintenance professionals are the chief engineer, head engineer, or sometimes, even the janitor. Regardless of title, these people keep the home fires burning and make sure every apartment building runs sm…