A number of buildings have been affected recently by heavy storms and rain. Many climatologists believe that as a result of climate change, more frequent, severe weather will be part of our lives going forward.

As a result, everyone from realtors, homebuyers, and insurance companies to managing agents, board members, and attorneys are now grappling with how to protect properties from future storms. Condominiums, cooperatives, and homeowners associations have the same concerns.

Some boards have also had to answer questions about whether their associations are required to make certain weather-related repairs, or whether those repairs are the responsibility of unit owners.

Check out these 10 steps that condos, co-ops, and homeowners associations can use to be better prepared for the next weather disaster and potentially sidestep some of the headaches that can result.

Condo associations/HOAs in the state of Illinois are required, by law, to carry specific types of insurance. Where it often gets confusing to many homeowners and board members is who is responsible for the deductible when a claim occurs – the association or the unit owners?

Unfortunately, there is no cut-and-dry answer because it all depends on how the by-laws of the association are written. But if damage originates from or affects only certain units, the deductible may be charged back to those units.

Find examples and learn more, here. 

When it comes to financing capital repairs for condos, it is best for boards to give unit owners as few options as possible.

If boards decide to offer unit owners different options, one person might want to pay the whole amount up front, while somebody else might want to pay a portion upfront and then pay the balance over time, while somebody else may want to pay in two installments. Additionally, if the board is looking to secure a bank loan to finance the repairs, they will need to calculate interest for all of the options provided to unit-owners.

Eventually, it becomes an accounting nightmare for the association to keep track of every unit and which option they're using.

Find out how to best handle the financing of capital repairs, here. 

Typically, Cook County 2^nd installment tax bills are mailed in late June and due by August 1st. However, this year, they will be delayed due to a computer upgrade in the Assessor's office. However, they will still be out about a month earlier than last year.

As per the latest information from the County, the 2nd installment tax bills are now expected to be mailed by November 1st and due December 1st.

If you are looking for information on specific topics, try CAI (Community Associations Institute)!

CAI Illinois offers several resources, including…

1. The CAI Illinois Blog offers insight on current issues and common questions within community associations. 
2. The CAI Illinois Youtube channel holds live and recorded versions of virtual Q&A events.
3. The Common Interest magazine features over 200 archived articles.
4. The CAI Condo/HOA Q&A Sessions allow users to ask and answer questions or access past Q&A Session recordings.