A fire left two units uninhabitable in a condo building in Wheaton Wednesday afternoon. The fire broke out around 3 p.m. in the 1600 block of Thames Court. Fire officials say the blaze started in the building’s laundry area. Firefighters put out the flames “within minutes,” a news release said.    Read the article…………………………….

Q. Our condominium association board recently approved a bank loan to pay for a large common element replacement project. A majority of the board approved both the loan and the project at an open board meeting. Our board president, however, was not in favor of the loan and voted against it. The board president has now threatened that he will not sign the documents necessary to close the loan. What can the board do when a board president or other ...

Fishing in ponds owned by homeowners associations could get residents ticketed by police, the Oswego Village Board decided.  Trustees unanimously approved a trespass ordinance at its April 22 Village Board meeting to allow Oswego police to immediately ticket people who don’t follow an HOA’s rules.    Read the article…………………………….

Q. I am a unit owner in a condominium association and have read that Illinois case law prohibits the board of directors from email or text discussions of board business outside of a board meeting because unit owners would not be privy to those discussions. When I raised this issue with my condominium board, the response was that email and text communications are allowed pursuant to the Condominium Act.   Read the Q&A………………………………..

The ex-director of the Trump Tower condo board in Chicago accused the owners and managers of the skyscraper of fraud in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, alleging they retaliated against him for speaking out about alleged financial malfeasance and had him arrested while he was taking a steam in the tower’s spa.  The complaint, which lists Trump Inc., the building management and the current president of the tower’s condo association as defendants, alleges that management operated the building at the ...

As previously mentioned in this column, the new Section 18.12 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act (the “Act”) went into effect Jan. 1, 2025. This new law addresses accessible parking for individuals with disabilities within condominium associations.  The primary impact of the new law requires condominium boards to adopt a written policy and procedure to accommodate requests for accessible parking from disabled owners.    Read the article…………………………….

The city of Peoria will host its semi-annual HOA Academy on Saturday, April 5, from 8 a.m. to noon, in the Development and Community Services Building at City Hall, 9875 N. 85th Ave. This program is designed to educate HOA board members, management teams, and homeowners on best practices for maintaining and governing homeowners associations.    Read the article…………………………….

The president of the Bayles Lake Homeowners Association’s board of directors gave a firm, one-word reply — “No” — when asked if he agrees with Iroquois County officials’ suggestion that the private subdivision west of Loda, rather than the county’s highway department, should be responsible for making safety improvements along a dangerous stretch of County Highway 10 where two vehicles have crashed into the lake’s waters in recent years, resulting in one drowning.    Read the article…………………………….

Late last week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, announced yet another change in policy concerning the Corporate Transparency Act. FinCEN stated that it will not issue any fines or penalties or take any other enforcement actions against any companies (which includes not-for-profit condominium, townhouse and homeowner associations) based on any failure to file or update the Beneficial Ownership Information reports pursuant to the CTA by the current deadlines (March 21).      Read ...

Late last week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, announced yet another change in policy concerning the Corporate Transparency Act. FinCEN stated that it will not issue any fines or penalties or take any other enforcement actions against any companies (which includes not-for-profit condominium, townhouse and homeowner associations) based on any failure to file or update the Beneficial Ownership Information reports pursuant to the CTA by the current deadlines (March 21).   Read the ...

On March 2, 2025, the Treasury Department announced the suspension of the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) against U.S. citizens and domestic reporting companies. The Treasury Department will be issuing proposed rules that will narrow the scope of the CTA to foreign reporting companies only.   Read the article…………………………….

A country club groundskeeper is accused of using the community association’s commercial account to fraudulently purchase e-gift cards, Palos Heights police said. Christopher Mashburn, 44, of Sauk Village, is facing a felony count of online theft by deception.   Read the article…………………………….

On February 19, 2025, FinCEN issued guidance that the Department of the Treasury recognizes that reporting companies may need additional time to comply with their BOI reporting obligations, and FinCEN is generally extending the deadline 30 calendar days from February 19, 2025, for most companies:    Read the article…………………………….

Q. I am a unit owner in a condominium association and have read that Illinois case law prohibits the board of directors from email or text discussions of board business outside of a board meeting because unit owners would not be privy to those discussions. When I raised this issue with my condominium board, the response was that email and text communications are allowed pursuant to the Condominium Act.   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) and its mandatory reporting requirements are back in effect, this time with a new reporting deadline of March 21, 2025.  Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas reinstated the CTA’s reporting obligations, reversing a previous nationwide injunction that had temporarily paused these requirements. This decision means that all entities subject to the CTA, including most condominium and community associations and co-ops, are once again ...

On February 17, 2025, a federal judge lifted the stay in Smith v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, effectively reinstating the nationwide injunction that prevented the government from enforcing the Federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).  Due to this court decision, the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements under the CTA are back in effect.     Read the article…………………………….

On February 17, 2025, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted the government’s motion to stay the nationwide injunction that previously halted enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (this was the second case with a nationwide injunction having been issued). The Court cited the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision to stay the preliminary nationwide injunction in the Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., as precedent for their decision in the second case.     Read ...

Q. We have questions regarding our condominium association in Darien: How do we know if our condominium association is considered a “common interest community association?” Our association does not have solar panels. Would the Illinois Homeowners Solar Rights Act apply if we were considering solar panels? Finally, how do we know if our condominium association is a not-for-profit corporation?    Read the Q&A………………………………..

A Homeowners Association (HOA) in Iroquois County is calling for action after the latest crash on a road just outside their neighborhood.  Last month, WCIA reported on 18-year-old Elaine Carmen-Loveless, who was driving on County Road 200 North in Loda when she lost control of her car and ended up in Bayles Lake. Now, people living around the road are asking the county for something to be done.   Read the article…………………………….

Q. I live in a large condo association. As long as I have lived here, the association has used a studio condo unit as an office owned by the association. For the majority of that time, we had a full-time property manager who worked out of that office. About two years ago, the board decided to use an off-site manager and have retained the studio condo office for storage, board meetings and contractors.   Read the Q&A………………………………..

Amends the Common Interest Community Association Act. Authorizes the imposition of a reasonable fee that may not exceed $375 for the cost of retrieving and copying association records that are properly requested. Authorizes the board to charge an additional rush fee of not more than $100 if the records are needed within 72 hours of the request being made.   Read the article…………………………….

The fire broke out at 11:30 a.m. at a six-unit condominium building in the 15300 block of Treetop Drive.  The Orland Park Fire Protection District responded and found fire in a second-floor unit when they arrived.   Read the article…………………………….

Residents from the Summit Condominium Association filled the Rockton Village Hall on Tuesday evening, Jan. 21, 2025.  Back in June 2024, complaints from the group had prompted the Village of Rockton to include flying objects, such as golf balls, in their nuisance ordinance.  Now Richard Barnes, the owner of the adjacent Red Barn Golf Course, was asking permission to build residential units there, saying the golf course couldn’t stay in business if he were fined for every errant ball from ...

A Homeowners Association (HOA) in Iroquois County is calling for action after the latest crash on a road just outside their neighborhood.  Last month, WCIA reported on 18-year-old Elaine Carmen-Loveless, who was driving on County Road 200 North in Loda when she lost control of her car and ended up in Bayles Lake. Now, people living around the road are asking the county for something to be done.    Read the article…………………………….

Q. Our snowplow contractor claims they cannot remove snow from the common element guest parking spaces in our condominium. Can the board of our condominium association prohibit parking in guest parking during the winter months?   Read the Q&A………………………………..

On January 23, 2025, the Supreme Court stayed the injunction blocking the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act. This means that corporate entities, including most community associations, subject to the Corporate Transparency Act are again required to submit Beneficial Ownership Information (“BOI”) reports with Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).    Read the article…………………………….

The Orland Fire Protection District (OFPD) responded to a fire in a 12-unit multi-family condo building……Crews found the fire adjacent to the furnace involving insulation and structural members. The fire was quickly brought under control.    Read the article…………………………….

Richard Barnes stands with his right hand in the air. The Red Barn Golf Course owner takes an oath before speaking in front of the Village of Rockton Zoning Board of Appeals.  As he faces board members, a crowd of mostly Summit Condos residents fill every seat – with overflow spilling into the Village Hall entrance.   Read the article…………………………….

A man has been charged with starting a fire in a Springfield condo complex that that left dozens of people displaced.  The Springfield Fire Department told WAND News the man was a resident of the complex.    Read the article…………………………….

An early morning fire at a condo complex in Springfield leaves 15-20 residents displaced.  Fire crews responded to a fire on Taylor Avenue at 5 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Springfield Fire Department.  Heavy fire was visible from the second floor as crews arrived.    Read the article…………………………….

It’s was a long, cold night for some people with no power in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood:  ComEd crews were able to restore the power at two South Shore condo buildings Monday morning.  The outage in the area forced at least 183 customers into cold and darkness. They were without heat, electricity, or working elevators, all while temperatures were plunging overnight.  Read the article…………………………….

It’s was a long, cold night for some people with no power in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood:  ComEd crews were able to restore the power at two South Shore condo buildings Monday morning. The outage in the area forced at least 183 customers into cold and darkness. They were without heat, electricity, or working elevators, all while temperatures were plunging overnight.   Read the article…………………………….

…….with the new year, there are often new laws from Springfield and/or Washington D.C. that affect community associations. This year is no different. Here is a very brief list and description of some more important laws that will affect either condominiums, townhouses or homeowner associations. There are certainly other new laws the affect associations and those will arise in future columns.   Read the article…………………………….

The Chicago Fire Department is responding to a fire at a large residential tower in the Gold Coast neighborhood Thursday morning.  Crews responded to the 1000 block of North State Street, near the intersection with West Maple Street.  The fire appeared to be burning on the 12th floor of the building.   Read the article…………………………….

We have yet another wild development with the Corporate Transparency Act: Filings are now voluntary and not subject to fines for failure to comply.  On December 26, 2024, the full panel of judges of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order vacating the stay of a preliminary injunction halting reporting compliance under the Corporate Transparency Act.    Read the article…………………………….

In light of a recent federal court order, reporting companies are not currently required to file beneficial ownership information with FinCEN and are not subject to liability if they fail to do so while the order remains in force. However, reporting companies may continue to voluntarily submit beneficial ownership information reports.    Read the article…………………………….

Harrowing tales of escape are emerging after a ferocious fire tore through a Carriage Manor condominium building earlier this month. Nineteen residents of the building are now trying to rebuild their lives after losing everything they owned but the clothes on their backs.   Read the article…………………………….

On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). The injunction temporarily halted community association board members across the U.S. from filing the required beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting.  On December 6, 2024, the government filed a notice of appeal seeking to challenge the injunction.  On December 23, 2024, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on the injunction previously granted ...

…..joins the show to discuss condo insurers dropping coverage in Illinois and what the ramifications will be.   Watch the video………………………….

Nineteen people won’t be spending the holidays in their homes in southwest suburban Crestwood, after an accidental fire consumed their condo building earlier this month.  One woman who lives in the building at 5700 W. 128th St. had to jump from her third-floor balcony to escape the flames and not only save her life, but her dog, Poquito.    Read the article…………………………….

Q. Our association has received all the necessary board and owner approvals for an amendment to the declaration. Now we need to send the amendment to mortgage holders and then, 10 days later, the secretary needs to sign an affidavit that the mailing was done.   Read the Q&A………………………………..

A recent election at 175 East Delaware Place has left residents at the Hancock Center homeowners association scratching their heads over voting results.  On October 8, Salvi Gupta was initially declared the winner of a seat on the 48-member condominium board. She even received a congratulatory email from the property manager, along with a welcome packet for new board members.  However, hours later, Gupta’s victory was snatched by the discovery of a “sorting error” in an Excel spreadsheet. Another candidate, ...

In a significant development, a Texas federal district court has issued a nationwide injunction temporarily blocking enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). This decision, handed down on December 3 in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Merrick Garland (Case No. 4:24-cv-478), deems the CTA and its implementing rules likely unconstitutional.    Read the article…………………………….

On December 3, 2024, a federal court in Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc v Garland, No. 4:24-CV-478, 2024 WL 4953814, at *37 (ED Tex, December 3, 2024), temporarily halting the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act.  Read the article…………………………….

Featured on WGN Radio’s Home Sweet Home Chicago on 12/07/24: Real Estate Attorney Dave Schlueter with the Law Offices of Dave Schlueter Ltd. joins the show to discuss condo insurers dropping coverage in Illinois and what the ramifications will be.     Listen to the podcast…………………………..

A fire ripped through a 12-unit condominium building late Wednesday afternoon in Crestwood, leaving the building uninhabitable, fire officials said.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but according to neighbors on neighborhood social media, an explosion was heard right before the fire broke out.     Read the article…………………………….

On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a NATIONWIDE preliminary NATIONWIDE injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act (Act). See Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al. In the underlying case, the Plaintiff argued that Congress essentially “overreached” its authority over the States in compelling them to adopt the requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act.     Read the article…………………………….

On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a decision in Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al., granting a preliminary nationwide injunction against the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).  This court ruling impacts condominium, homeowner (HOA), and townhome community association across the U.S. by blocking the U.S. Department of Treasury from enforcing the CTA’s beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements.   Read the article…………………………….

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) — “considered one of the world’s worst aquatic weeds” — has been discovered in DuPage County.  According to Naperville-based The Conservation Foundation, IDNR was notified of the invasive species by a homeowner’s association on Ginger Creek in Oak Brook.    Read the article…………………………….

Q. Our board meetings are mostly in person these days, as many owners don’t have access to technology needed for a video meeting. Can a unit owner video record a board meeting? Can this be done without the permission of the board and other owners who are attending the board meeting?   Read the Q&A………………………………..