Category: On The Board

Whether you preside over a tight-knit, eight-unit condo on a quiet street in Andersonville, a sprawling association in Edgewater, or a legacy co-op building on the Gold Coast, building credibility and trust with residents is crucial to your…

According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI), legal disputes in condo associations and HOAs most commonly erupt over things like unpaid fees, installing a fence of the wrong height, or painting a house an unapproved color—and the…

In a densely-populated high-rise or condo association where people share walls, halls, and amenities, residents' behavior can impose itself on neighbors every bit as much as noise and odors.  When disruptive or unsafe behavior is caused by…

Each and every multifamily community is different, with unique needs, expectations, and challenges. If you’re a regular reader of this publication, you’ve heard that refrain many times, across a broad range of contexts—including board gover…

Every year brings a new slate of legislation at both the local and state levels with implications for Chicagoland’s condo, HOA, and co-op communities. So far, the measures being proposed and enacted for 2026 are heavy on transparency, reser…

With many associations currently earning significant interest income on their reserve accounts, it may come as a surprise that associations have to pay federal income taxes on that income. Even more surprising is that the applicable tax rat…

Conflict management skills are part of every good manager and board member’s toolkit - especially in this era of social media and heightened cultural tensions. Between defusing hostility at meetings, coping with the impact of platforms like…

Maintaining your building's masonry is every bit as crucial to safety, comfort, and value as maintaining your boiler or furnace—but major masonry repair and restoration projects can be daunting for building owners and boards who are unfamil…

As your building ages, maintaining a roof eventually becomes too costly or bothersome and roof replacement is considered. As a property manager or owner, understanding current standards per typical building codes and manufacturer requiremen…

With premiums spiralling and policies becoming more complex, it’s more crucial than ever for boards to understand the basics of their community’s insurance coverage. This presentation will explain Actual Cash Value (ACV) vs. Replacement Cos…