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New COVID-19 Mitigation Measures Affect Associations in Cook and Collar Counties Due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Illinois, new mitigation measures have been implemented in many areas of the state, including all of Cook County, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. The new restrictions affect community associations as they limit gatherings to 25 […]

In light of an increased number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, and an increase in the COVID-19 testing positivity rate in the City of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced new guidelines for Chicago.  These new guidelines are designed to reduce transmission of COVID-19 from sources that contact-tracing has identified as contributing to these increased metrics, […]

A condo’s governing documents control much of the relationship between the association and the individual members. In referring to condo documents, one may be referring to one of four different sets of legal documents.  Here, our Chicago condo lawyers highlight four key types of documents, which govern condos in Illinois. Condo Governing Documents: Explained The […]

A homeowners’ association (HOA) is a private association with common interest rules.  The board of the HOA is responsible for keeping running the affairs of the community.  Among other things, this duty often involves hiring vendors, suppliers, and other contractors.  This raises an important question:  How do you make sure you have reliable and effective […]

A homeowners’ association is a type of private association community. Along with several other tasks, it is the HOA’s job to enforce its own recorded and unrecorded governing documents.  This occasionally involves determining what individual property owners (members) can and cannot do. This raises an important question: How much power does an HOA have? The […]

A community association board has a duty to act in the best interest of the community. Many of the issues boards/managers need to handle are complex. In certain circumstances, there are sensitive issues that need to be addressed — and a closed-door meeting may be appropriate. In Illinois, HOA boards and condo boards both have […]

At the April 23, 2020 daily briefing, Governor J.B. Pritzker indicated that, on May 1, 2020, he will sign an executive order extending Illinois’ stay-at-home mandate for another month, through Saturday, May 30, 2020. Changes to the Order: When the new order is signed next week, it will include the following changes to existing restrictions: […]

COVID-19 is everywhere around us. It has changed our daily lives in so many unimaginable ways. Therefore, we should not be surprised that it affects the general day to day operations of an association. Here is how our lives within community associations are changing. Stay at Home Order This afternoon Governor Pritzker announced he will […]

Low HOA/Condo fees are great — at least until something goes wrong. It is the duty of an association to bring in enough funds in assessment to cover the members’ collective costs. If your HOA is charging assessments that are too low, it is setting itself up for huge financial headaches in the future. Here, […]

This afternoon, to stop the spread of COVID-19, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a shelter-in-place order for Illinois. Under this order, Illinois residents are to self-isolate in their residences from 5 p.m., Saturday, March 21, 2020 to the end of the day on April 7, 2020. Individuals should only leave their residences for essential purposes, […]

Although the buildings are often virtually identical from the outside, there are legal and organizational differences between condominiums and apartments. Here, our Chicago condo law attorneys provide a brief explanation of the most important difference. The Key Difference Between Condos and Apartments: Scope of Ownership The apartments within a building are typically owned and rented […]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to issue guidance regarding actions necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19. Recently, the CDC has discouraged gatherings of more than ten (10) people. Therefore, Keough and Moody is recommending against any in-person board or member meetings until further notice. As a result, boards and management should […]

The number of Coronavirus cases, officially called COVID-19, is increasing within the United States. As of March 11, 2020, Illinois has twenty-five (25) confirmed cases and the number appears to be increasing daily. At this point, we must be prepared for increasing transmissions of Coronavirus in Illinois. While there is no need to panic, associations […]

In Illinois, condo owners may be forced to sell as part of a deconversion sale, even if they strongly object to the deal. Here, our Illinois condo law attorneys explain Illinois law regarding forced condo sales. Illinois Condo Deconversion: 75 Percent Approval from Individual Owners   According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional […]

Condominiums (condos) are private real estate units that are owned within a larger building or complex.  As part of a condo association, individual members own their specific units and they have a joint ownership interest in the common areas.  Condo law is the body of law that governs the rights and responsibilities of individual owners […]

Managing an association’s finances and budget are among the most important duties of an HOA/condo board.  At some point, your association may want to seek a professional, independent evaluation from a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a reliable accounting firm. According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), timely and accurate financial statements […]

According to data provided by the Homeowners Protection Bureau (HOPB), nearly one in four Americans currently lives in a condo association, a homeowners’ association, or another type of private community.  While these types of communities have become more common, there is often confusion over the differences between condos and HOAs.  While these terms are sometimes […]

For condo associations, assessments are the fuel that keeps the lights on. Without collecting the income owed by individual condo owners, an association will be unable to fulfill its duties. This raises an important question: What action can a condo association take against a delinquent member to collect the unpaid assessments? Illinois Law: Condo Owner […]

January 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its guidelines related to requests for an animal as a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act. These guidelines contain step-by-step instructions regarding what information may be requested when considering such a request. In addition, HUD finally addressed under what situations an […]

Collecting assessments and protecting financial assets is one of the most important functions of an association’s board of directors. It is crucial your board has the proper structure and protocols in place to collect the funds owed and to secure those funds. Here, our Chicago condo and HOA lawyers highlight some of the most important […]