SB1562 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 30227 LNS 56655 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB1562

Introduced 2/8/2023, by Sen. Mary Edly-Allen

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

765 ILCS 160/1-15
765 ILCS 160/1-30
765 ILCS 605/4.1	from Ch. 30, par. 304.1
765 ILCS 605/18.4	from Ch. 30, par. 318.4
765 ILCS 605/19	from Ch. 30, par. 319

Amends the Common Interest Community Association Act and the Condominium Property Act. Requires the declaration and other community or condominium instruments of a common interest community association or unit owner's association to be filed with the office of the village hall, town hall, or city hall of the village, town, or city in which the association is located and posted on the association's website. Provides that community or condominium instruments are valid upon filing with the appropriate village hall, town hall, or city hall. Requires the initial seller of any property of a common interest community to make full disclosure of, and provide copies to the prospective buyer of, the recorded declaration, other community instruments, other duly recorded covenants and bylaws, and any amendments, articles of incorporation, articles of organization, annual reports, and any rules and regulations adopted by the board. Requires the board to maintain an accurate record of its members and post such records on its website. Makes conforming and other changes.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning civil law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Common Interest Community Association Act is amended by changing Sections 1-15 and 1-30 as follows:

(765 ILCS 160/1-15)

Sec. 1-15. Construction, interpretation, and validity of community instruments.

(a) Except to the extent otherwise provided by the declaration or other community instruments, the terms defined in Section 1-5 of this Act shall be deemed to have the meaning specified therein unless the context otherwise requires.

(b) (Blank).

(c) A provision in the declaration limiting ownership, rental, or occupancy of a unit to a person 55 years of age or older shall be valid and deemed not to be in violation of Article 3 of the Illinois Human Rights Act provided that the person or the immediate family of a person owning, renting, or lawfully occupying such unit prior to the recording of the initial declaration shall not be deemed to be in violation of such age restriction so long as they continue to own or reside in such unit.

(d) Every common interest community association shall define a member and its relationship to the units or unit owners in its community instruments.

(e) The declaration and other community instruments shall be filed with the village hall, town hall, or city hall of the village, town, or city in which the association is located and posted on the website of the association. Any and all amendments of revisions to the declaration and other community instruments shall be fixed and posted within 30 days of being made.

(f) Community instruments shall be valid upon filing with the appropriate village hall, town hall, or city hall.

(g) In relation to the initial sale or offering for sale of any property, the seller must make full disclosure of, and provide copies to the prospective buyer of, the recorded declaration, other community instruments, other duly recorded covenants and bylaws, and any amendments, articles of incorporation, articles of organization, annual reports, and any rules and regulations adopted by the board.

(Source: P.A. 99-472, eff. 6-1-16.)

(765 ILCS 160/1-30)

Sec. 1-30. Board duties and obligations; records.

(a) The board shall meet at least 4 times annually.

(b) A common interest community association may not enter into a contract with a current board member, or with a corporation, limited liability company, or partnership in which a board member or a member of his or her immediate family has 25% or more interest, unless notice of intent to enter into the contract is given to members within 20 days after a decision is made to enter into the contract and the members are afforded an opportunity by filing a petition, signed by 20% of the membership, for an election to approve or disapprove the contract; such petition shall be filed within 20 days after such notice and such election shall be held within 30 days after filing the petition. For purposes of this subsection, a board member's immediate family means the board member's spouse, parents, siblings, and children.

(c) The bylaws or operating agreement shall provide for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the common areas and payments therefor, including the method of approving payment vouchers.

(d) (Blank).

(e) The association may engage the services of a manager or management company.

(f) The association shall have one class of membership unless the declaration, bylaws, or operating agreement provide otherwise; however, this subsection (f) shall not be construed to limit the operation of subsection (c) of Section 1-20 of this Act.

(g) The board shall have the power, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, to levy and collect reasonable fines from members or unit owners for violations of the declaration, bylaws, operating agreement, and rules and regulations of the common interest community association.

(h) Other than attorney's fees and court or arbitration costs, no fees pertaining to the collection of a member's or unit owner's financial obligation to the association, including fees charged by a manager or managing agent, shall be added to and deemed a part of a member's or unit owner's respective share of the common expenses unless: (i) the managing agent fees relate to the costs to collect common expenses for the association; (ii) the fees are set forth in a contract between the managing agent and the association; and (iii) the authority to add the management fees to a member's or unit owner's respective share of the common expenses is specifically stated in the declaration, bylaws, or operating agreement of the association.

(i) Board records.

(1) The board shall maintain, file with the village hall, town hall, or city hall of the village, town, or city in which the association is located, and post on the association's website the following records, including any amendments or revisions, of the association and make them available for examination and copying at convenient hours of weekdays by any member or unit owner in a common interest community subject to the authority of the board, their mortgagees, and their duly authorized agents or attorneys:

(i) Copies of the recorded declaration, other community instruments, other duly recorded covenants and bylaws and any amendments, articles of incorporation, articles of organization, annual reports, and any rules and regulations adopted by the board shall be available. Prior to the organization of the board, the developer shall maintain and make available the records set forth in this paragraph (i) for examination and copying.

(ii) Detailed and accurate records in chronological order of the receipts and expenditures affecting the common areas, specifying and itemizing the maintenance and repair expenses of the common areas and any other expenses incurred, and copies of all contracts, leases, or other agreements entered into by the board shall be maintained.

(iii) The minutes of all meetings of the board which shall be maintained for not less than 7 years.

(iv) With a written statement of a proper purpose, ballots and proxies related thereto, if any, for any election held for the board and for any other matters voted on by the members, which shall be maintained for not less than one year.

(v) With a written statement of a proper purpose, such other records of the board as are available for inspection by members of a not-for-profit corporation pursuant to Section 107.75 of the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986 shall be maintained.

(vi) With respect to units owned by a land trust, a living trust, or other legal entity, the trustee, officer, or manager of the entity may designate, in writing, a person to cast votes on behalf of the member or unit owner and a designation shall remain in effect until a subsequent document is filed with the association.

(vii) Any reserve study.

(viii) An accurate record of its members. Such records shall be posted on the board's website. Any changes to the board's members shall be reflected in the records within 30 days of the change.

(2) Where a request for records under this subsection is made in writing to the board or its agent, failure to provide the requested record or to respond within 30 days shall be deemed a denial by the board.

(3) A reasonable fee may be charged by the board for the cost of retrieving and copying records properly requested.

(4) If the board fails to provide records properly requested under paragraph (1) of this subsection (i) within the time period provided in that paragraph (1), the member may seek appropriate relief and shall be entitled to an award of reasonable attorney's fees and costs if the member prevails and the court finds that such failure is due to the acts or omissions of the board of managers or the board of directors.

(j) The board shall have standing and capacity to act in a representative capacity in relation to matters involving the common areas or more than one unit, on behalf of the members or unit owners as their interests may appear.

(Source: P.A. 102-921, eff. 5-27-22.)

Section 10. The Condominium Property Act is amended by changing Sections 4.1, 18.4, and 19 as follows:

(765 ILCS 605/4.1) (from Ch. 30, par. 304.1)

Sec. 4.1. Construction, interpretation, and validity of Condominium Instruments.

(a) Except to the extent otherwise provided by the declaration or other condominium instruments:

(1) The terms defined in Section 2 of this Act shall be deemed to have the meaning specified therein unless the context otherwise requires.

(2) To the extent that perimeter and partition walls, floors or ceilings are designated as the boundaries of the units or of any specified units, all decorating, wall and floor coverings, paneling, molding, tiles, wallpaper, paint, finished flooring and any other materials constituting any part of the finished surfaces thereof, shall be deemed a part of such units, while all other portions of such walls, floors or ceilings and all portions of perimeter doors and all portions of windows in perimeter walls shall be deemed part of the common elements.

(3) If any chutes, flues, ducts, conduits, wires, bearing walls, bearing columns, or any other apparatus lies partially within and partially outside of the designated boundaries of a unit, any portions thereof serving only that unit shall be deemed a part of that unit, while any portions thereof serving more than one unit or any portion of the common elements shall be deemed a part of the common elements.

(4) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3) of subsection (a), all space and other fixtures and improvements within the boundaries of a unit shall be deemed a part of that unit.

(5) Any shutters, awnings, window boxes, doorsteps, porches, balconies, patios, perimeter doors, windows in perimeter walls, and any other apparatus designed to serve a single unit shall be deemed a limited common element appertaining to that unit exclusively.

(6) All provisions of the declaration, bylaws and other condominium instruments are severable.

(b) Except to the extent otherwise provided by the declaration or by other condominium instruments recorded prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1984, in the event of a conflict between the provisions of the declaration and the bylaws or other condominium instruments, the declaration prevails except to the extent the declaration is inconsistent with this Act.

(c) A provision in the initial declaration limiting ownership, rental or occupancy of a condominium unit to a person 55 years of age or older shall be valid and deemed not to be in violation of Article 3 of the Illinois Human Rights Act provided that the person or the immediate family of a person owning, renting or lawfully occupying such unit prior to the recording of the initial declaration shall not be deemed to be in violation of such age restriction so long as they continue to own or reside in such unit.

(d) The declaration and other condominium instruments shall be filed with the village hall, town hall, or city hall of the village, town, or city in which the association is located and posted on the website of the association. Any and all amendments or revisions to the declaration or other condominium instruments must be filed and posted within 30 days of being made.

(e) Condominium instruments shall be valid upon filing with the village hall, town hall, or city hall.

(Source: P.A. 89-41, eff. 6-23-95.)

(765 ILCS 605/18.4) (from Ch. 30, par. 318.4)

Sec. 18.4. Powers and duties of board of managers. The board of managers shall exercise for the association all powers, duties and authority vested in the association by law or the condominium instruments except for such powers, duties and authority reserved by law to the members of the association. The powers and duties of the board of managers shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(a) To provide for the operation, care, upkeep, maintenance, replacement and improvement of the common elements. Nothing in this subsection (a) shall be deemed to invalidate any provision in a condominium instrument placing limits on expenditures for the common elements, provided, that such limits shall not be applicable to expenditures for repair, replacement, or restoration of existing portions of the common elements. The term "repair, replacement or restoration" means expenditures to deteriorated or damaged portions of the property related to the existing decorating, facilities, or structural or mechanical components, interior or exterior surfaces, or energy systems and equipment with the functional equivalent of the original portions of such areas. Replacement of the common elements may result in an improvement over the original quality of such elements or facilities; provided that, unless the improvement is mandated by law or is an emergency as defined in item (iv) of subparagraph (8) of paragraph (a) of Section 18, if the improvement results in a proposed expenditure exceeding 5% of the annual budget, the board of managers, upon written petition by unit owners with 20% of the votes of the association delivered to the board within 21 days of the board action to approve the expenditure, shall call a meeting of the unit owners within 30 days of the date of delivery of the petition to consider the expenditure. Unless a majority of the total votes of the unit owners are cast at the meeting to reject the expenditure, it is ratified.

(b) To prepare, adopt and distribute the annual budget for the property.

(c) To levy and expend assessments.

(d) To collect assessments from unit owners.

(e) To provide for the employment and dismissal of the personnel necessary or advisable for the maintenance and operation of the common elements.

(f) To obtain adequate and appropriate kinds of insurance.

(g) To own, convey, encumber, lease, and otherwise deal with units conveyed to or purchased by it.

(h) To adopt and amend rules and regulations covering the details of the operation and use of the property, after a meeting of the unit owners called for the specific purpose of discussing the proposed rules and regulations. Notice of the meeting shall contain the full text of the proposed rules and regulations, and the meeting shall conform to the requirements of Section 18(b) of this Act, except that no quorum is required at the meeting of the unit owners unless the declaration, bylaws or other condominium instrument expressly provides to the contrary. However, no rule or regulation may impair any rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States or Section 4 of Article I of the Illinois Constitution including, but not limited to, the free exercise of religion, nor may any rules or regulations conflict with the provisions of this Act or the condominium instruments. No rule or regulation shall prohibit any reasonable accommodation for religious practices, including the attachment of religiously mandated objects to the front-door area of a condominium unit.

(i) To keep detailed, accurate records of the receipts and expenditures affecting the use and operation of the property.

(j) To have access to each unit from time to time as may be necessary for the maintenance, repair or replacement of any common elements or for making emergency repairs necessary to prevent damage to the common elements or to other units.

(k) To pay real property taxes, special assessments, and any other special taxes or charges of the State of Illinois or of any political subdivision thereof, or other lawful taxing or assessing body, which are authorized by law to be assessed and levied upon the real property of the condominium.

(l) To impose charges for late payment of a unit owner's proportionate share of the common expenses, or any other expenses lawfully agreed upon, and after notice and an opportunity to be heard, to levy reasonable fines for violation of the declaration, by-laws, and rules and regulations of the association.

(m) By a majority vote of the entire board of managers, to assign the right of the association to future income from common expenses or other sources, and to mortgage or pledge substantially all of the remaining assets of the association.

(n) To record the dedication of a portion of the common elements to a public body for use as, or in connection with, a street or utility where authorized by the unit owners under the provisions of Section 14.2.

(o) To record the granting of an easement for the laying of cable television or high speed Internet cable where authorized by the unit owners under the provisions of Section 14.3; to obtain, if available and determined by the board to be in the best interests of the association, cable television or bulk high speed Internet service for all of the units of the condominium on a bulk identical service and equal cost per unit basis; and to assess and recover the expense as a common expense and, if so determined by the board, to assess each and every unit on the same equal cost per unit basis.

(p) To seek relief on behalf of all unit owners when authorized pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 10 from or in connection with the assessment or levying of real property taxes, special assessments, and any other special taxes or charges of the State of Illinois or of any political subdivision thereof or of any lawful taxing or assessing body.

(q) To reasonably accommodate the needs of a unit owner who is a person with a disability as required by the federal Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Human Rights Act and any applicable local ordinances in the exercise of its powers with respect to the use of common elements or approval of modifications in an individual unit.

(r) To accept service of a notice of claim for purposes of the Mechanics Lien Act on behalf of each respective member of the Unit Owners' Association with respect to improvements performed pursuant to any contract entered into by the Board of Managers or any contract entered into prior to the recording of the condominium declaration pursuant to this Act, for a property containing more than 8 units, and to distribute the notice to the unit owners within 7 days of the acceptance of the service by the Board of Managers. The service shall be effective as if each individual unit owner had been served individually with notice.

(s) To adopt and amend rules and regulations (l) authorizing electronic delivery of notices and other communications required or contemplated by this Act to each unit owner who provides the association with written authorization for electronic delivery and an electronic address to which such communications are to be electronically transmitted; and (2) authorizing each unit owner to designate an electronic address or a U.S. Postal Service address, or both, as the unit owner's address on any list of members or unit owners which an association is required to provide upon request pursuant to any provision of this Act or any condominium instrument.

(t) To maintain an accurate record of its members and post such records on its website. Any changes to the board's members shall be reflected in the record within 30 days of the change.

In the performance of their duties, the officers and members of the board, whether appointed by the developer or elected by the unit owners, shall exercise the care required of a fiduciary of the unit owners.

The collection of assessments from unit owners by an association, board of managers or their duly authorized agents shall not be considered acts constituting a collection agency for purposes of the Collection Agency Act.

The provisions of this Section are applicable to all condominium instruments recorded under this Act. Any portion of a condominium instrument which contains provisions contrary to these provisions shall be void as against public policy and ineffective. Any such instrument that fails to contain the provisions required by this Section shall be deemed to incorporate such provisions by operation of law.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 99-849, eff. 1-1-17; 100-292, eff. 1-1-18.)

(765 ILCS 605/19) (from Ch. 30, par. 319)

Sec. 19. Records of the association; availability for examination.

(a) The board of managers of every association shall file with the village hall, town hall, or city hall of the village, town, or city in which the association is located, post on the association's website, and keep and maintain the following records, including any amendments or revisions, or true and complete copies of these records, at the association's principal office:

(1) the association's declaration, bylaws, and plats of survey, and all amendments of these;

(2) the rules and regulations of the association, if any;

(3) if the association is incorporated as a corporation, the articles of incorporation of the association and all amendments to the articles of incorporation;

(4) minutes of all meetings of the association and its board of managers for the immediately preceding 7 years;

(5) all current policies of insurance of the association;

(6) all contracts, leases, and other agreements then in effect to which the association is a party or under which the association or the unit owners have obligations or liabilities;

(7) a current listing of the names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and weighted vote of all members entitled to vote;

(8) ballots and proxies related to ballots for all matters voted on by the members of the association during the immediately preceding 12 months, including, but not limited to, the election of members of the board of managers;

(9) the books and records for the association's current and 10 immediately preceding fiscal years, including, but not limited to, itemized and detailed records of all receipts, expenditures, and accounts; and

(10) any reserve study.

(b) Any member of an association shall have the right to inspect, examine, and make copies of the records described in subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (9), and (10) of subsection (a) of this Section, in person or by agent, at any reasonable time or times, at the association's principal office. In order to exercise this right, a member must submit a written request to the association's board of managers or its authorized agent, stating with particularity the records sought to be examined. Failure of an association's board of managers to make available all records so requested within 10 business days of receipt of the member's written request shall be deemed a denial.

Any member who prevails in an enforcement action to compel examination of records described in subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (9), and (10) of subsection (a) of this Section shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs from the association.

(c) (Blank).

(d) (Blank).

(d-5) As used in this Section, "commercial purpose" means the use of any part of a record or records described in subdivisions (7) and (8) of subsection (a) of this Section, or information derived from such records, in any form for sale, resale, or solicitation or advertisement for sales or services.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (g) of this Section, any member of an association shall have the right to inspect, examine, and make copies of the records described in subdivisions (7) and (8) of subsection (a) of this Section, in person or by agent, at any reasonable time or times but only for a purpose that relates to the association, at the association's principal office. In order to exercise this right, a member must submit a written request, to the association's board of managers or its authorized agent, stating with particularity the records sought to be examined. As a condition for exercising this right, the board of managers or authorized agent of the association may require the member to certify in writing that the information contained in the records obtained by the member will not be used by the member for any commercial purpose or for any purpose that does not relate to the association. The board of managers of the association may impose a fine in accordance with item (l) of Section 18.4 upon any person who makes a false certification. Subject to the provisions of subsection (g) of this Section, failure of an association's board of managers to make available all records so requested within 10 business days of receipt of the member's written request shall be deemed a denial; provided, however, that the board of managers of an association that has adopted a secret ballot election process as provided in Section 18 of this Act shall not be deemed to have denied a member's request for records described in subdivision (8) of subsection (a) of this Section if voting ballots, without identifying unit numbers, are made available to the requesting member within 10 business days of receipt of the member's written request.

Any member who prevails in an enforcement action to compel examination of records described in subdivision (7) or (8) of subsection (a) of this Section shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs from the association only if the court finds that the board of directors acted in bad faith in denying the member's request.

(f) The actual cost to the association of retrieving and making requested records available for inspection and examination under this Section may be charged by the association to the requesting member. If a member requests copies of records requested under this Section, the actual costs to the association of reproducing the records may also be charged by the association to the requesting member.

(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) of this Section, unless otherwise directed by court order, an association need not make the following records available for inspection, examination, or copying by its members:

(1) documents relating to appointment, employment, discipline, or dismissal of association employees;

(2) documents relating to actions pending against or on behalf of the association or its board of managers in a court or administrative tribunal;

(3) documents relating to actions threatened against, or likely to be asserted on behalf of, the association or its board of managers in a court or administrative tribunal;

(4) documents relating to common expenses or other charges owed by a member other than the requesting member; and

(5) documents provided to an association in connection with the lease, sale, or other transfer of a unit by a member other than the requesting member.

(h) The provisions of this Section are applicable to all condominium instruments recorded under this Act. Any portion of a condominium instrument that contains provisions contrary to these provisions shall be void as against public policy and ineffective. Any condominium instrument that fails to contain the provisions required by this Section shall be deemed to incorporate the provisions by operation of law.

(Source: P.A. 102-921, eff. 5-27-22.)