Frequently Asked Questions
Illinois Condominium & Community Association Frequently Asked Questions
Condominium, homeowners and townhome association board members face difficult questions every day.
Can we levy a special assessment? What happens when an owner refuses to pay assessments? Can the Board meet privately? Who is responsible for repairing a leaking pipe? Can owners attend Board meetings? How much money should we keep in reserves? Can we fine an owner? What happens when our governing documents conflict with Illinois law?
Some questions have relatively simple answers. Others do not.
Illinois condominium and community association law involves a combination of statutes, an association's declaration, bylaws and rules, court decisions and the particular facts involved. The answer that applies to one association may not necessarily apply to another.
This FAQ library was created to help Illinois condominium, homeowners and townhome association Board members better understand many of the legal issues they encounter while serving their communities.
Important: These FAQs provide general educational information and are not a substitute for legal advice concerning a particular association or situation. Governing documents and individual facts matter. When in doubt, a Board should consult qualified community association legal counsel before acting.
Every community association matter has a legal dimension. But at Shifrin Legal, we've learned — through years of practice and thousands of hours sitting across the table from boards, managers, and the people they're trying to serve — that the legal dimension is rarely where a matter begins or ends.
People are at the root of every condominium and community association legal issue. A collections matter isn't just a delinquent account — it's often a homeowner in financial distress, a board torn between compassion and its fiduciary duty, and a community watching to see how its leadership responds. A rule enforcement dispute isn't just a violation notice — it's frequently a long-simmering conflict between neighbors that's finally found a legal form.
That's why our first step isn't drafting a letter. It's listening.
Before we recommend a course of action, we develop a genuine understanding of the individuals involved — their history, their motivations, and what a successful outcome actually looks like for the people in the room, not just on the page. Then we bring our command of Illinois community association law to bear in a way that's tailored to that specific situation, those specific people, and those specific stakes.
This is what we mean by the human side of law. And it's what separates advice that technically works from advice that actually works.
"SL recognizes that people are at the root of all condominium and community association legal issues... SL seamlessly combines its knowledge of the law and understanding of people to protect its clients and achieve their legal objectives."
— The Shifrin Legal Philosophy
BOARD MEMBERS & BOARD AUTHORITY
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR ASSOCIATION?
Serving on a condominium, homeowners or townhome association Board can be rewarding. It can also be complicated.
Board members are routinely asked to make decisions involving significant amounts of money, valuable property and—most importantly—the people who call the community home.
Shifrin Legal focuses on condominium and community association law and works directly with association Boards and property managers throughout Illinois. Our approach combines knowledge of community association law with an understanding of the people behind each legal issue—the human side of law.
If your Board is facing a legal question, collection problem, governing-document issue, owner dispute, special assessment, contract, election concern or other association matter, contact Shifrin Legal to discuss your association's specific circumstances.
Chicago Office: 312.470.2276
Northbrook Office: 847.400.0059
Lake Forest Office: 847.574.1828
