A Condominium Ombudsperson

Posted by 345fullerton in Announcements

DO WE REALLY NEED A CONDOMINIUM OMBUDSPERSON?

House Bill 4204 (sponsored by State Rep. Elaine Nekritz and State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz) is to create an Ombudsperson’s Office. This was passed in the House on April 10 and has had its first reading in the Senate. To view the full text of this bill, go to http://www.ilga.gov and insert the bill number in the box to the left.

This bill
• provides that the Ombudsperson shall offer training and educational materials and courses to condominium unit owners, condominium associations and boards of managers in subjects relevant to the operation and management of property and the rights and duties of a unit owner or unit owners’ association.
• provides that EVERY CONDOMINIUM UNIT OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION SHALL PAY AN ANNUAL FEE to the Ombudsperson to cover the administration of the Act.
• creates the Condominium Ombudsperson Fund as a special fund in the State treasury, to consist of fees received by the Ombudsperson, to be used exclusively for the expenditures necessary for the proper administration of the Act.

We do not need this additional charge to our assessments. We already have well-developed training opportunities through the Communities Associations Institute: Illinois (CAI), which are open to board members and owners alike. This bill just means more money from our funds.

PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR SENATOR, Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton (www.senatorcullerton.com), AND INSIST THAT HB4204 BE DEFEATED.

The next Board of Directors Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 22, 2014, at 10:00 AM in the Board Meeting Room, West Tower sub-basement. (This is 2 days later than originally scheduled.)