Now is the perfect time to begin thinking of any changes your community association may want to implement in 2015. As you may have noticed from all of the updates and alerts within the community association industry, 2014 was a big year as far as legislative changes and influential cases. Whether you are a property manger, board member or active homeowner, the following are some good areas in which to focus your association for 2015.

Electronic Notices – Effective January 1 , 2015, community associations may now adopt rules and regulations allowing for the delivery of certain notices in the association via email and other forms of electronic means. In order to take advantage of this new law, you should ensure that the Board of your Association property passes a set of Rules allowing for this type of electronic delivery. Unit owners should be asked to sign a consent form, allowing the electronic delivery and providing an up to date email address for notices.

Tax Appeal – If your Association has not already hired a firm to appeal real estate taxes on behalf of the owners, you should consider doing so. Depending on your location, your association may be eligible for the 2015 tax appeal and may be able to recover a reduction for future real estate taxes. If you need assistance or would like more information on the benefits and advantages to filing a tax appeal on behalf of your entire Association, please contact us.

Board Procedures – This year the community association industry received a wide reaching opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court. This decision affirmed those procedures that a Board of Directors of a condominium association must follow when conducting business in the Association. You may want to consider asking for a general opinion from your attorney, addressing the key issues in Palm and clarifying those procedures that your Board must be following in order to be in compliance with the Illinois Condominium Property Act and the Associations governing documents.

Rules and Regulations overview – When was the last time you pulled out the Rules and Regulations and reviewed the provisions from stat to end? Now is a great time for the Board to review the Rules to determine whether any of the Rules should be revised, amended, deleted or updated. This is also a good time to review the Association’s fine schedule, if it exists, and to increase or decrease fines as necessary.

While these are just a few of the many areas an Association can start in their 2015 clean up, this may help your Association get off to a great start!

If our law firm can be of assistance, please call 855-537-0500 or visit www.ksnlaw.com.

Since 1983, KSN has been a legal resource for condominium, homeowner, and townhome associations. Additionally, we represent clients in real estate transactions, collections, landlord/tenant issues, and property tax appeals. We represent thousands of clients and community associations throughout the US with offices in several states including Florida, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

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