We at Cagan are celebrating! It is with pride we report that Cagan Management Group, Inc. has earned the Community Association Institute's Accredited Association Management Company designation!  We are one of only 150 management companies nationwide who have earned the highest level of professional recognition in the community association field.  Cagan joins an elite group holding the only national designation which recognizes an outstanding professional community association management company whose foundation is based on experience, professionalism and continuing education. Since your community is a member of the Cagan Client Family, you are allowed to celebrate, too! Thanks for your trust and loyalty.

The Illinois Supreme Court recently overturned an appellate court ruling in the case of the Spanish Court Two Condominium Association vs. Carlson. In this case, the unit owner claimed they were not obligated to pay their assessments citing poor maintenance of the common property of the community. The court upheld the provisions of the Illinois Condominium Property Act. This ruling confirms that a unit owner's liability for unpaid assessments is not contingent on the association's perceived performance.

This ruling also recognizes the critical importance of the State's Forcible Entry and Detainer Act. The act preserves the ability of an association to implement a quick method of collecting on delinquent assessments. This is vital to preserving both financial stability and the power of financial protection for community associations.

Several Illinois law firms specializing in community association law played a role in supporting this outcome. The Community Association Institute and their Legal Action Committee were also very involved. This decision reverses an earlier Appellate court decision. It is hoped this will ensure the State's courts will continue to expedite community association collection proceedings and that the Illinois Supreme Court ruling will have a national influence on behalf of common interest associations.

The First District Appellate Court (Cook County) made a recent decision that will affect administrative hearings involving community associations. The Court determined that the representation of an entity at an administrative hearing for the City of Chicago is the same as representing an entity in a county court proceeding. In the state of Illinois, unlicensed attorneys are barred from representing entities in legal proceedings. It is also illegal for an unlicensed attorney to give legal advice.

What does this mean for community associations? Up until now, administrative hearings at the Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings have been viewed as minor proceedings. Property managers and business owners could attend these hearings as agents and save on the cost of legal fees. That is now no longer the case. Entities including LLCs, corporations owning or managing apartments or condominium associations and the associations themselves, must now be represented by a licensed attorney at City of Chicago Administrative Hearings.

If your community has an action pending at the City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, you will need to discuss this with an attorney immediately. You don't want to show up to enter your appearance as scheduled and be turned away and left unprotected.

The diverse environmental conditions in the Chicago area can be a real challenge to building facades. It doesn't matter whether your building is clad in high tech materials or a massive stone blanket that protects what's inside. A good cleaning and grooming is a good idea. Environmental chemicals, acid rain, molds and rust can eat away at mortar, caulk, lintels and ornamental facades. You also want to maintain curb appeal. Since you can't take the building to the Laundromat, you have to bring the Laundromat to the building.

First you have to determine what type of cleaning method is appropriate for the specific façade. Testing should be done to determine this. Some of the methods used to clean buildings include steam tools, latex, chemicals, micro-air abrasive techniques, laser cleaning and poulticing. You would be amazed at how beautifully a restored façade can add to a building's curb appeal.

 If you believe your building needs a good spring cleaning, make sure you address/re-dress both the inside and the outside. There are both short-term and long-term benefits. Consult with your Cagan Property Manager for more details.