• 773 913 2569
  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Connected Management Blog

Browse Categories   Search Articles
Tip! Scroll down to view a sampling of the most recent articles from all categories.

Electronic Assessment Payments: Are You Offering Them?

electronic payment

Electronic Assessment Payments: Are You Offering Them? As a board member in Chicago, you try to do your best to make sure your residents have safety, security, and that assessments are paid on time. If you are not working with a Chicago property manager, it can be a harrowing task to try and take care of all that plus maintaining the building, working with vendors and other aspects of overseeing a Chicago condominium association. One aspect that you may want to consider is offering electronic payments to your residents. You can do this by hiring a property management company such as...

Continue reading
  3880 Hits

5 Ways to Reduce Your Condo Electricity Bill

light bulb

Electricity costs are something that we all want to minimize. No one wants to receive an expensive electricity bill. The good news is that you have more control over the outcome of your bill than you may think. We often forget that it is our own actions (or lack thereof) that, at least in part, determines the final amount listed on the invoice. We’ve all heard of the age-old tips to avoid over-using electricity. “Turn off the lights when you’re not in the room,” “Don’t go to sleep with the TV on,” and “Unplug your appliances,” among others. These tips are...

Continue reading
  9532 Hits

Public Act 99-849 Makes it Easier for Boards to Approve a Loan

When a condo association needs a large amount of cash in a short period of time, a loan may be the only option. This is especially true if the owners cannot afford a large special assessment. Association loans often become necessary as an emergency measure due to deferred maintenance and a lack of proper budgeting. These types of loans use the association's existing and future assessment income as collateral to secure the debt. This means that if the association fails to repay the loan, the bank will go after the association's assessments. Prior to this change to the Illinois Condominium Property...

Continue reading
  4234 Hits

Annual Budget Notification Requirements - Updated in 2016

The Illinois Condominium Property Act, which is the master set of laws that control condo associations in Illinois, is updated on a regular basis. Any changes to the Act automatically override and supercede rules that may be contained in your association's governing documents. (Declaration / Bylaws) Effective June 1, 2016, one such change to the Act is related to the requirements for when notices must be sent to unit owners when a Board adopts the annual budget. As a Board it is important that you are aware of this change, and follow the new rule, so that any budget that you...

Continue reading
  7339 Hits

Illinois Supreme Court rules in favor of Associations - No excuses to avoid paying assessments

Illinois Supreme Court rules in favor of Associations - No excuses to avoid paying assessments The struggling economy and the spike in mortgage foreclosures over the past five years have made collecting funds from unit owners a hot topic with our board members. The process for “treating” a delinquent unit owner has historically been straight forward. Step number one is to issue a demand letter that provides the owner with a period of 30 days in order to pay the entire past due balance. If the debt is not paid within the 30 days the association can proceed with step number...

Continue reading
  13878 Hits