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Written by Alexa Jackson

Category: What We're Thinking About Lately...

Created: 06 October 2020

Condominiums and homeowner/townhome associations can choose to regulate signage in communities, including posters, flags, banners, and other displays. 

During election season, it is especially important for board members and property managers to establish and communicate regulations. 

Below are seven best practices to reference when discussing political signage policy:

1. Establish common areas, including lobbies, business centers, gyms, laundry rooms, elevators, recreation areas, and other shared spaces, as neutral zones where political signs are banned. 
2. To avoid eyesores, establish rules about the types of signs that owners may display. 
3. Establish rules about appropriate sign dimensions to prevent disruptively or dangerously large signs. 
4. Establish rules that stipulate a specific amount of signs that can be kept on display. 
5. Some locations are unsafe to post signs. Establish rules around where signs are allowed and where they are not.
6. Following Election Day, set clear time frames for how long signs are allowed to stay up.
7. Ban and remove any political signs with offensive language or explicit imagery. 

Learn more here. 

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Written by Alexa Jackson

Category: What We're Thinking About Lately...

Created: 29 September 2020

 It is likely that any some point you’ll have at least one disruptive neighbor. 

While this may be an inevitable cost of communal living, there are some situations that cross the line and become harassment. 

Unfortunately, harassment can often be difficult to identify and harder to prove.  

In Illinois, if harassment is taking place in a community common area, it is the board’s responsibility to regulate behavior and prohibit it. Most condo declarations in Illinois have anti-nuisance provision, allowing boards to take action in situations that cause disturbance to unit owners in common areas.

Housing providers and employers, co-ops, condominiums, and housing associations can also find themselves in the middle of discrimination and harassment suits. Board members are particularly prone to being targeted by and accused of harassing behavior. Each of these cases will require a different approach to resolution and will need to be treated on a case by case basis. 

Learn more here. 

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Written by Alexa Jackson

Category: What We're Thinking About Lately...

Created: 22 September 2020

COVID-19 has changed everything, including the budgets for condos, townhomes, and homeowner's associations.

In this CAI-IL Q&A webinar, the panelists discuss a wide array of budget items that might need to be added or adjusted as a result of COVID-19. Topics include sanitation, amenities, owner loss of income, security, insurance, and more.

Watch the webinar, here. 

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Written by Alexa Jackson

Category: What We're Thinking About Lately...

Created: 14 September 2020

Illinois currently has an Eviction Moratorium in place, but it is set to expire on September 19th. It is likely that the IL Governor will extend the Moratorium until the end of the year. However, if he does not, then the CDC Eviction Moratorium Order will take its place. 

Under this Order, tenants must send a declaration stating…

1. The individual has made their best efforts to obtain government assistance for rent/housing.
2. The individual either expects to earn no more that $99,000/year for the 2020 calendar year, or was not required to report any income in 2019 to the IRS, or received a stimulus check pursuant to Section 2201 of the CARES act. 
3. The individual is unable to pay full rent/housing payments due to substantial loss of household income or compensable work hours, a lay-off, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses. 
4. The individual is making their best efforts to make timely partial payments.
5. Eviction would likely render the individual homeless.

This Order does not apply to tenants who engage in criminal activity, threaten the health/safety of others, violate building codes or health ordinances, or violate other contractual obligations outside of the timely payment of rent/housing payments.

The eviction moratorium affects condo owner investors who rent out their units and condo associations addressing delinquent accounts via a forcible (eviction) lawsuit.

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Written by Alexa Jackson

Category: What We're Thinking About Lately...

Created: 08 September 2020

Amidst coronavirus, board members and property managers have begun conducting virtual meetings.

While the switch from in-person to virtual meetings requires some adjustments, the accessibility, affordability, and convenience are hard to overlook. 

Benefits of virtual meetings include…

1. Accessibility. The cost of video conferencing software, such as Zoom or Skype, is low. Additionally, board members will likely already own a smartphone or computer that will allow them to access the applications.
2. Participation. Since virtual meetings don’t require attendees to be in the same place, seasonal owners, owners traveling out of state, and owners with tight schedules can all still participate.
3. Convenience. Virtual meetings are easy to schedule and sending out calendar invites prevents the need to print fliers or post signs. Screen sharing options are also convenient for sharing documents, agendas, etc. without needing to print materials. 
4. Structure. Virtual meetings can be held in the same way that in-person meetings would be, and follow the same rules, ethics, and customs.

Learn more about the benefits of virtual meetings, here. 

You can also check out KSN’s podcast episode on virtual meetings with KSN attorney, Janelle Dixon, here.