Marina Towers condo board to put financial info online

February 27, 2009 – Marina Towers Condominium Association has apparently had some change of heart about making financial information available to unit owners. According to owners who attended the February 19 board of directors meeting, the condo board passed a resolution to post financial records on a password-protected web site. The site is operated by Draper and Kramer, Inc., on behalf of associations that it manages.

The records would include monthly financial data such as summaries of revenue and expenses.

A city ordinance requires condo associations to allow unit owners to inspect financial records within three days of receiving a written request. MTCA, however, has made this difficult for some owners at Marina City, often rejecting the request on the grounds there is no “proper purpose.”

Last December, MTCA was issued notices of violation by the City of Chicago for doing this to a unit owner who was seeking copies of invoices submitted by MTCA attorney Ellis Levin. Levin has fought to keep his invoices confidential, claiming they are subject to attorney-client privilege.

An administrative hearing on the matter is scheduled for March 10.

Landlord/tenant lawyer appointed to vacant board seat

The MTCA directors also filled a seat on the board left open by Sandra Lapping, who died on July 3, 2008. Daniel Starr, a lawyer who specializes in landlord and tenant law, was approved unanimously by the board. Another unit owner, Adam Kriticos, had submitted a request to fill the position, but the board did not vote on his request.

“I was a little disappointed with the way the board members treat the residents,” Kriticos told Marina City Online when asked why he wanted to be on the condo board.

He says his work as a mortgage broker made him a couple minutes late to the board meeting. When he got there, Starr had already been approved by the board for the vacant seat.

“I am not sure why they would not even hear me out. It must be because I do not know any of the [board] members. The president [Donna Leonard] makes me feel uncomfortable almost like she does not want the residents to like her or she does not care about them.”

(Left) Adam Kriticos

Starr’s appointment is effective until the next election on April 27. Kriticos, who owns a studio unit in the east residential tower and a one-bedroom unit in the west tower, says he may run for the board then.