Homegrown Tales

Homegrown Tales

Share this post

Homegrown Tales
Homegrown Tales
Why a legal retainer should be in condo assessment budgets

Why a legal retainer should be in condo assessment budgets

From owed fees to rogue members, here's why attorney fees are necessary for COAs and HOAs

Shamontiel L. Vaughn's avatar
Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Jan 11, 2025
∙ Paid

Share this post

Homegrown Tales
Homegrown Tales
Why a legal retainer should be in condo assessment budgets
Share
Photo credit: Pixlr AI Image Generator

When I was first approached to be a member of a condo board, I didn’t know all of the drama unfolding before I moved in. I had no idea that one owner owed more than $8,000 (according to his ledger) and there’d been a huge blowup in the property manager’s office with a receptionist. I didn’t know about building violations or slum landlords who were buying units and then ignoring their tenants’ requests.

It was a lot to handle for a volunteer. For honest property managers (in Chicago, they’re referred to as Community Association Managers), I see why this group is needed for condo associations (COAs) and homeowners associations (HOAs). I also fully understand why the ones worth their weight charge their monthly rates. It can be — a lot.

From lived experience, one fee that was not in my condo association’s assessments that later made sense to add was a legal retainer. Condo board members are not legal experts. As much as they may try to follow the condo bylaws and state laws in regard to condominiums (in Chicago, this is called the Condo Unit Owner's Rights and Responsibilities Handbook), there are going to be times when condo board members fall short and even property managers may not be totally clear on what to do.


ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
Financial Rewire 100 Financial Literacy Words and Terms That Every Child Should Know - Activity and Coloring Book

But how does a condo association know who to hire? Every attorney is not always the best choice. Some attorneys may claim to be experts on condo associations and have their own legal baggage. Other attorneys may charge sky-high rates simply for a 15-minute phone call, and then the condo association receives the exorbitant bill later. But there is a middle ground.

There are condominium association attorneys who do look out for owners* and for associations, who are honest, and who actually prefer to make day-to-day duties peaceful instead of profiting from nonstop fighting. As is the case with other contractors, sometimes you may just have to work on a small job with an attorney to decide whether this person (or law firm) meshes with your COA or HOA.

Here are five reasons why condo associations should consider having a regular legal retainer in their annual budget.

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share