When one buys a private single-family home, it’s clear who the king or queen of the castle is: the homeowner. When it comes to condominiums and cooperative apartments, however, the relationship between owner and property is a little more co…
Category: On The Board
Noise is an acknowledged part of urban life - particularly apartment living. Some of it - traffic, garbage collection, people shouting on the street - is external, and is controlled (theoretically, anyway) by zoning laws and noise ordinanc…
In our recent article, 'Bulk Sales in Chicago’s Condo Market,' ( https://chicagocooperator.com/article/bulk-sales-in-chicagos-condo-market ), CooperatorNews Chicagoland examined the unique circumstances governing bulk sales in Illino…
CooperatorEvents Presents a VIrtual Town Hall: The Long Haul - Understanding the Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 on Your Co-op or Condo Association. Sponsored by The Building Group, Inc. and Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC. Thursday March 4th, 2021 …
When purchasing a residence in a condominium, homeowners association or a co-op, you by default agree to reside in a community association. You live in relatively close proximity to your neighbors and equally share the right to utilize comm…
Q. I live in a condo and my neighbor downstairs from me is constantly smoking. I brought it to the attention of management and nothing has been done. What are my options as an owner: do I bring legal action against the management, or do I t…
Most condo association and HOA boards are made up of volunteers who may or may not (usually not) be legal professionals. This can lead to even the most well-meaning boards making costly legal blunders. In this short clip, two legal pros dis…
A recent decision in Illinois Appellate Court will bring relief to condominium owners involved in lawsuits with real estate developers over construction defects not disclosed in the engineering reports provided during the purchasing process…
Boards are usually composed of volunteers who work regular jobs when they're not helping to govern their building or association. It's not often that those jobs are as attorneys or other legal professionals, so it's probably not surprising …
It’s a question we’re asked all the time: “Can we use reserves to cover an operating fund shortfall?” Under normal circumstances, our standard response would be an emphatic “No!”—because reserves are for major repair and replacement project…