It’s time to turn our attention to The Chicagoland Cooperator’s first annual Condo, HOA & Co-op Expo, a must-attend event for the Chicagoland area’s property managers, board members, real estate professionals, shareholders and unit owner…
Rick Wilberschied of All That’s Wildlife in Chicago once had to catch a raccoon that had climbed 64 stories and was sitting on an apartment building balcony. Three months ago, in Chicago’s Boystown, a mother deer found an unlikely spot t…
Keeping indoor air clean is critical to maintaining a healthy environment. The inner workings of a building’s operating system is often a mystery to the untrained person or board member. Since it’s easier to determine the cleanliness of…
In many ways, a building’s boiler is like the heart is to the body: it provides heat and circulation; it works unseen; and if it is not functioning, it won’t take long for life to go away. Maintaining this heat source of the community i…
It’s a well-known fact that Chicagoans are tough. But even the bravest among us shivers just a little bit when the first signs of winter settle over the city. Winter and the inevitable snow and ice that accompany it take their toll not …
For building owners and managers in Chicago, winter weather not only refers to the white stuff that falls out of the sky—but rather, the white stuff that collects in a building’s lobby. That’s right—ice and snow can be a buildi…
Hardy Chicagoans stash their winter coats away as soon as spring temperatures allow; and, come fall, they resist pulling out those parkas again until their teeth are chattering. Buildings, however, need preparation that’s a little more …
Property managers handle a wide array of tasks, from the physical to the administrative. While many of these jobs are outlined in black and white (send out monthly bills, attend meetings, file paperwork), one important component is not…
Holidays are usually synonymous with good cheer, smiles, and a festive atmosphere—but occasionally, they can be the cause of friction and ill will as well. When people of various faiths and traditions all live in the same high-rise buil…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste was generated in 1996, which was the last time these figures were made available, and those numbers have most likely ri…
Q We have a serious problem in our co-op. No. 1, there have been no annual meetings for years. There have been no elections and the same people are entrenched on the board of directors. Thirdly, no bylaws or business corporation laws ar…