Condo Class-Action Lawsuits Filed
CONDO OWNERS FIGHT HEFTY DOCUMENT FEES WITH CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS By Don DeBat Several Chicago and Illinois condominium owners who are fed up with being ripped off by management companies who charge excessive fees to access legal documents are fighting back with class-action lawsuits, legal experts say. On November 20th, CondoCerts.com Inc., a national web database […]
Tough new Florida condo laws require web access to documents
$700 for a letter from your condo association stating your assessments are paid in full? Like it or lump it in many parts of the country. In Florida it is less expensive, thanks to tough new condo laws. Second of two articles. By Don DeBat The tough, new Florida Condominium & HOA Act – the first state […]
IL Condo Act Improved, FLA Act Tougher
ILLINOIS CONDO PROPERTY ACT IMPROVED, BUT FLORIDA HAS TOUGHER LAW By Don DeBat (First of two articles on condominium law.) Condominium owners in Illinois will receive a boost of consumer protection starting in 2018, when a long-awaited major rewrite of the Illinois Condominium Property Act and Common Interest Association Act goes into effect. However, the […]
Condo Buyers Should Never Buy Blind Without Insider Info
Consumers should never buy blind when it comes to shopping for a condo or a residence in a homeowners association (HOA), experts advise. “Novice buyers often fall in love with the decorative staging or the lakefront view of a for-sale unit,” said Sara E. Benson, a Chicago real estate broker and appraiser with more than […]
Hefty Condo Document Fees Questioned By Realtors
Are Chicago condo buyers and sellers being gouged by greedy management firms who jack up the price of mandatory documents and disclosures needed to close a sales transaction? “Many condo management companies now charge prospective buyers and sellers excessive fees of hundreds or thousands of dollars for providing condo documents that should be free for […]
Many Condo & HOA Owners Are ‘Dissatisfied’ With ‘Carefree’ Life
Is it possible that tens of millions of Americans—quietly residing and paying their assessments in condominiums and homeowners associations (HOAs) nationwide—are not happy campers? A new national survey by the Coalition for Community Housing Policy in the Public Interest (CHPPI), has found that 81% of community association residents surveyed feel that “lack of transparency” and […]
Condo owners sue seller, Realtor, Association for nondisclosure of potential $60K assessment
Every day I hear or read about outrageous events in Association Governed Housing Communities. And I see the same issues over and over again. These are not “isolated incidents” as the HOA industry would have the public believe. Two very common issues I encounter: disputes over who should pay for substantial repairs to exterior elements […]
A.P. Gold Realty charged with $900K condo, HOA fraud scheme in Chicago
Another condo association Management company owner has been charged with fraudulent theft of fees from at least nine condo associations in the Chicago area. Alan P. Gold reportedly had signature authority on Edgewater Condo Association accounts, but allegedly misused that authority to overpay himself for management services and other services not rendered. According to reports, […]
Illinois Legislature fails to consider legal protections for condo owners
According to Chicago attorney Norman Lerum, Illinois condominium owners have the deck stacked against them when it comes to resolving civil disputes with their condo associations. Even in cases where it can be proven that a condo board has failed to meet its fiduciary duty, owners cannot recover their expenses for legal fees. When a […]
HOA Horror: Roaches, Bedbugs, And Rats Pt. 4
Last month, we continued our examination of HOA Horror stories about roaches, bedbugs, and rats. This week, we discuss how condo and homeowner associations are addressing the rampant bedbug problem infecting the nation. Bedbug Compliance Mandated The city of Chicago passed an ordinance in 2013 to help quell the growing problem of bedbugs in […]