Blog

Over the past year, we have said many times, that community association living has become very tense. It is unfortunately a time when community associations which never experienced any issues are now dealing with many personality challenges. People are less respectful to one another and quick to “fight” with one another. Perhaps it is a […]

From COVID-19 to the Surfside tragedy, a number of things have occurred over the past year and a half, which have taught us new lessons to be applied to community living. In this seminar, Dawn and Gabby will discuss those lessons and how to apply them to your communities (either as a community association manager […]

The city of Chicago announced today an indoor mask mandate for all individuals two (2) years and older, regardless of vaccination status. This mandate will become effective on Friday, August 20, 2021. To learn more, click here.

On July 21, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) updated its public health regulations, due to the increase in transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant throughout the United States. To learn more, click here.

The State of Illinois is prepared to move into phase 5. What Does this mean for community associations? To learn more, click here.

In our last email newsletter, we discussed recent changes to masking guidelines announced by the Centers for Disease Control. At that time, Illinois had not officially taken a position on masks, other than to vaguely indicate that new orders consistent with the CDC guidelines would be forthcoming. On May 17, 2021, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-10. Shortly […]

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 […]