What steps can be taken in a homeowner association if one owner is interfering with the rights of another owner?

Posted by & filed under Erwin Law Answers.

  Conflicts between owners are inherent in shared community living. And whether misconduct is a result of an owner’s natural personality or a result of medical conditions affecting that owner, the Association and its Board cannot simply turn a blind eye. As there may be a number of corollary issues to carefully consider — rights… Read more »

I live in a condominium and the smoke from my neighbors’ cigarettes wafts into my unit through my open balcony window. Is there anything I can do?

Posted by & filed under Erwin Law Answers.

Conflicts between smokers and non-smokers in shared living communities is a common source of friction. Just as with noise complaints, resolution of these disputes often must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Unless your association amends its Declarations to ban smoking completely, your neighbor is in her right to smoke within the confines of her unit. That does not mean, however, that she may necessarily do so to the detriment of her neighbors.

Can a Homeowner Association equalize the percentage of each owner’s interest?

Posted by & filed under Erwin Law Answers.

  Whenever a homeowner or condominium association is formed by a developer, it is established by virtue of a Declaration which is recorded with the County Recorder. That Declaration includes a schedule of all of the Units in the association and their corollary ownership percentage. These percentages are the common element ownership percentages allocated to… Read more »

What can I do, as an agent, to provide my clients with additional value AFTER they’ve closed on their sale of purchase?

Posted by & filed under Erwin Law Answers.

#ErwinLawAnswers

Buying or selling the right property — and at the right price – always feels like a big win, for everyone involved. And it is. So, oftentimes, real estate agents will finish one deal and move quickly on to the next. But the most successful agents understand that every closing opens up a whole host… Read more »

Must surplus funds from a completed homeowner association project be refunded to Owners or can it be used in other ways?

Posted by & filed under Erwin Law Answers.

Surplus Special Assessment Funds

When a homeowner association has to undertake large capital repair projects, it will often pay for these projects by way of charging special assessments to the owners.  Previously, when there were surpluses collected for those projects, Illinois law prohibited refunds to the owners, past or present. However, as of January 1, 2018, absent express directives… Read more »

Is an LLC the best structure for our real estate business?

Posted by & filed under Erwin Law Answers.

Real estate investors and developers are often well versed in assessing properties, analyzing cap rates, zoning issues, property tax concerns and other matters related to real estate due diligence. Yet they often overlook, or give little importance to, the structure of their business and the framework they establish for the ownership of the properties they… Read more »