2021 Articles

Notice January 2021 A notice regarding Cook County real estate tax bills.

Notices July 2021 Important notices, updates, and tips for real estate practitioners.

Notices February 2021 Important notices for real estate practitioners.

Notices & Updates June 2021 Important notices, updates, and tips for real estate practitioners.

Notices & Updates May 2021 Important notices, updates, and tips for real estate practitioners.

Practice Tip October 2021 A brief summary of In Re Marriage of Andres, an appellate case involving the granting of attorneys' fees.

Practice Tip March 2021 As soon as attorneys are contacted by clients to discuss estate planning, copies of the deeds to the clients' real properties should be obtained and reviewed.

Practice Tip January 2021 A practice tip for real estate law practitioners.

Practice Tip: Rental Assistance Programs By Laura Lundsgaard November 2021 Lawyers representing landlords or tenants are wise to be aware of the rental assistance programs available for tenants now that the eviction moratorium has expired.

Property Fraud Alerts By Don Mateer December 2021 There is a method for getting notified if anyone files a document with your name on it in the land recorder’s office of your county.

Proving Up Damages in a Home Construction/Remodeling Case By Adam B. Whiteman April 2021 A look at how to prepare for trial in a residential construction defect case.

Public Act 102-68 – Long Awaited Changes to the Illinois Residential Real Property Transfer on Death Instrument Act By Michael J. Fleck September 2021 A summary of changes made to the Illinois Real Property Transfer on Death Instrument Act that improve the use of transfer on death instruments as an effective means of transferring real property in one’s estate planning.

1 comment (Most recent September 16, 2021)

Real Estate Law Section Council Happenings By Joseph R. Fortunato September 2021 An imagined conversation between two Real Estate Section Council members about Schweihs v. Chase Home Finance, et al.

Real Estate Law Section Council Happenings February 2021 A look at what the Real Estate Section has been up to this winter.

Recent Case Vignettes – November 2021 By Richard W. Rappold November 2021 Summaries of two cases of interest to real estate practitioners in Illinois.

Rollin’ on the River: WWJD? By Michael J. Rooney December 2021 In June, the appellate court handed down a decision in a case involving the Mazon River, finding that river non-navigable and upholding the rights of owners of real estate that bordered the river to prevent the public from using the river because that was a trespass on their land that included a portion of the river.

Selling Land Owned With No Survivorship: Bond in Lieu of Probate or Probate? By Ellen Beth Gill July 2021 Bond in lieu of probate can be a quick and easy method for transferring title to Illinois real estate from a deceased sole owner or a deceased tenant in common, but it is not always the best choice for your client.

Stealing Houses? By Frank Pellegrini March 2021 What do you get when you combine identity theft with mortgage fraud? The FBI calls it house stealing.

1 comment (Most recent March 16, 2021)

Tails of Woe! Judicial Humor—Yes or No? By Laura L. Lundsgaard October 2021 A summary of Gaetjens v. City of Loves Park and analysis of when judicial humor is appropriate.

Three Illinois Property Tax Homestead Exemptions Automatically Renewed By Colleen L. Sahlas January 2021 In an effort to relieve vulnerable homeowners of financial burdens due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Bill SB0685, which was approved during the spring 2020 legislative session.

Transfer on Death Instruments: Pitfalls and Pending Legislation By Michael J. Fleck May 2021 While transfer on death instruments provide ease of transferring residential real property, they have shortcomings that practitioners should be aware of in determining whether use of a transfer on death instrument is the best fit for a client.

1 comment (Most recent May 19, 2021)

Uniform Easement Relocation Act Approved & Published, May Be Introduced to Illinois Legislature in 2022 By George D. Maurides & Ted M. Niemann December 2021 The Uniform Easement Relocation Act was recently approved and published by the Uniform Law Commission, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that drafts model state laws on topics where uniformity between the states is perceived to be beneficial.

The Unintentional Demise of a Sales Agreement: A Cautionary Tale of the 7.0 Multi-Board Real Estate Sales Agreement By Philip J. Vacco December 2021 A look at one of the flaws of the 7.0 Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract.

1 comment (Most recent December 15, 2021)

A Weapon Against Condominium Deconverters: The Fiduciary Duty of Directors By Richard Lee Stavins April 2021 The latest real estate game in town is the condominium deconversion.

When a Tenant Files a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy During a Commercial Real Estate Transaction By Emily Holmes April 2021 When representing an owner-seller or landlord in a commercial real estate transaction, during due diligence and prior to concluding attorney review and inspection contingencies, confirm the financial status of your client’s tenants before moving forward with the real estate transaction.

Year-End Reminders December 2021 Important reminders for real estate practitioners as the end of 2021 approaches.