Condominium and Cooperative Law in Illinois

Condominiums and cooperatives are forms of "common interest" communities.

These residential communities are composed of a single piece of land, occupied by one or more buildings, each of which contains more than one housing unit. The units are owned or leased by the individuals who live in them, but the buildings themselves, and the land they sit on, are owned either collectively by the residents, or by some third party. The residents are responsible for the upkeep of the buildings and the common areas of the property (walkways, lawns, swimming pools, etc.). To that end, they normally pay a periodic fee to cover maintenance.

If you just look at one of these communities, you won't be able to tell whether it's a cooperative or a condominium community.

The major difference is that, in condominium communities, the units are purchased and owned by their residents, and they also collectively own the common areas of the development. In a cooperative community, the land and buildings in which the housing units are owned by a single corporation or association. The individual units are rented by the inhabitants, not purchased.

Laws and Regulations Concerning Common Interest Communities in Hillsboro, Illinois

While there are a lot of Hillsboro, Illinois laws that will affect the residents and owners of condominium and cooperative communities, there are few that are actually specific to such communities. Rather, they are mostly governed by laws of more general application, such as contract law, zoning laws, and landlord/tenant law.

Your day-to-day life in a common interest community will likelyy be impacted more by the rules set by the owner or manager of the property, rather than any local or state laws.

The manager or owner of the land on which your residence is located will likely have a lot of rules concerning what can and cannot be done in and near the houses. These rules normally mandate cleanliness, keeping noise to a minimum, and regulate the presence of pets.

This authority, however, has limits. There are some rules which landowners cannot impose. Most obviously, they can't bar people from renting or buying units based on their race, religion, or national origin in Hillsboro, Illinois. This conduct is illegal under state and federal law, and can result in grave civil penalties.

Can a Hillsboro, Illinois Attorney Help?

If you are in a dispute with your homeowners' association, a neighbor, or your landlord in Hillsboro, Illinois, a seasoned real estate lawyer may prove extremely helpful, if the dispute cannot be otherwise resolved.