Howard Dakoff

Howard Dakoff is a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune.

Condo Adviser: Who is responsible for leaks caused by an air-conditioning system serving a single unit?

December 10, 2021 at 2:24 p.m.

Q. I am on the board of a midsize condominium building and a top floor unit has two leaks in the ceiling. It has been determined that the cause of...

Condo Adviser: Do you have a noisy neighbor? Here’s what your condo board can do.

November 12, 2021 at 2:04 p.m.

Q. I live in a high-rise building and the tenants in the unit above mine are very noisy in the early morning and past midnight many nights a week. I...

Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are seen at the CVS pharmacy at Wells Street and Huron Street in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021.

Condo Adviser: Can condo associations require door attendants and other employees to get COVID-19 vaccines?

October 6, 2021 at 12:16 p.m.

Q. I live in a condominium association that has union door staff, engineers and janitorial employees. Some unit owners are requesting the board institute a mandatory vaccination policy for all...

Condo Adviser: What legal authority do condo complex mask mandates have?

September 10, 2021 at 1:07 p.m.

Q. I live in a condominium high-rise and our management company has posted signs that masks are required to be worn in the indoor common elements. What is the legal...

Condo Adviser: Should condo associations again require masks in common areas?

August 6, 2021 at 12:07 p.m.

Q. I am a board member in a high-rise condominium building with elderly residents. Many of our elderly residents have become very concerned about the new COVID-19 Delta variant and...

Rubble and debris of the Champlain Towers South condo can be seen in Surfside, Florida on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Condo association boards are well served by retaining professionals to evaluate building infrastructure.

Condo Adviser: In light of the Surfside collapse, how should condo associations handle building infrastructure?

July 16, 2021 at 12:28 p.m.

Q. In light of the recent condominium building collapse in Florida, as a board member of a Chicago condominium association, how should our board of directors be dealing with our...

Condo Adviser: What does phase 5 of the state’s Restore Illinois reopening plan mean for condo associations?

June 9, 2021 at 12:49 p.m.

Q. I serve on a condominium association board of directors. I recently heard on the news that the state of Illinois, and the city of Chicago, is on target to...

If a condo experiences water damage caused by a leak in another unit, the condo association may have cause to hold the unit where the water originated responsible.

Condo Adviser: Who is responsible for water damage caused by a leak in another unit?

May 5, 2021 at 12:51 p.m.

Q. I own a unit in a self-managed condominium association and experienced a second water leak from the unit above mine. The unit above belongs to the president of the...

An easing of the state's Phase 4 capacity limits allows community association boards to discuss, and possibly re-open with restrictions, pools, party rooms and fitness centers.

Condo Adviser: When will state guidelines allow my condo association to reopen the pool?

April 14, 2021 at 12:21 p.m.

Q. I am a unit owner in a high-rise condominium association and none of our common amenities are open due to COVID-19. What does Gov. Pritzker's new "bridge phase" plan...

Can a condominium board require condo owners and building residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19?

Condo Adviser: Can a condo board require residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

February 25, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

Q. Can a condominium board require condo owners and building residents to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to protect the health, safety and welfare of the other residents? A. Pursuant to...

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