HB4841 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 36632 JRC 66741 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4841

Introduced 2/7/2024, by Rep. Daniel Didech

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

765 ILCS 160/1-25
765 ILCS 160/1-30

Amends the Common Interest Community Association Act. Prohibits a person from running for or serving on an association that collects $100,000 or more in annual dues if, within the immediately preceding 36-month period, he or she has been more than 3 months delinquent in the payment of any fees or assessments to the association or has written 2 or more insufficient funds checks to the association for the payment of assessments or fees. Requires officers and members of the board to exercise the care required of a fiduciary of the membership. Prohibits a board, its officers, or board members from forbearing the payment of assessments or fees by any member nor shall any officer or member of the board unilaterally waive or vote on the waiver of any penalties applicable to himself or herself. For associations that collect annual dues of $100,000 or more, requires a background check of all members of the board in obtaining any fidelity bond and directors and officers liability coverage. Requires notification to the membership on a monthly basis through the prescribed delivery method of all delinquencies for dues, fees, and fines by any member of the board.

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 1-25 and 1-30 as follows:

(765 ILCS 160/1-25)

Sec. 1-25. Board of managers, board of directors, duties, elections, and voting.

(a) Elections shall be held in accordance with the community instruments, provided that an election shall be held no less frequently than once every 24 months, for the board of managers or board of directors from among the membership of a common interest community association.

(b) No person may run for or serve on the board of an association that collects $100,000 or more in annual dues if, within the immediately preceding 36-month period, he or she has been more than 3 months delinquent in the payment of any fees or assessments to the association or has written 2 or more insufficient funds checks to the association for the payment of assessments or fees (Blank).

(c) The members of the board shall serve without compensation, unless the community instruments indicate otherwise.

(d) No member of the board or officer shall be elected for a term of more than 4 years, but officers and board members may succeed themselves.

(e) If there is a vacancy on the board, the remaining members of the board may fill the vacancy by a two-thirds vote of the remaining board members until the next annual meeting of the membership or until members holding 20% of the votes of the association request a meeting of the members to fill the vacancy for the balance of the term. A meeting of the members shall be called for purposes of filling a vacancy on the board no later than 30 days following the filing of a petition signed by membership holding 20% of the votes of the association requesting such a meeting.

(f) There shall be an election of a:

(1) president from among the members of the board, who shall preside over the meetings of the board and of the membership;

(2) secretary from among the members of the board, who shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the board and of the membership and who shall, in general, perform all the duties incident to the office of secretary; and

(3) treasurer from among the members of the board, who shall keep the financial records and books of account.

(g) If no election is held to elect board members within the time period specified in the bylaws, or within a reasonable amount of time thereafter not to exceed 90 days, then 20% of the members may bring an action to compel compliance with the election requirements specified in the bylaws or operating agreement. If the court finds that an election was not held to elect members of the board within the required period due to the bad faith acts or omissions of the board of managers or the board of directors, the members shall be entitled to recover their reasonable attorney's fees and costs from the association. If the relevant notice requirements have been met and an election is not held solely due to a lack of a quorum, then this subsection (g) does not apply.

(h) Where there is more than one owner of a unit and there is only one member vote associated with that unit, if only one of the multiple owners is present at a meeting of the membership, he or she is entitled to cast the member vote associated with that unit.

(h-5) A member may vote:

(1) by proxy executed in writing by the member or by his or her duly authorized attorney in fact, provided, however, that the proxy bears the date of execution. Unless the community instruments or the written proxy itself provide otherwise, proxies will not be valid for more than 11 months after the date of its execution; or

(2) by submitting an association-issued ballot in person at the election meeting; or

(3) by submitting an association-issued ballot to the association or its designated agent by mail or other means of delivery specified in the declaration or bylaws; or

(4) by any electronic or acceptable technological means.

Votes cast under any paragraph of this subsection (h-5) are valid for the purpose of establishing a quorum.

(i) The association may, upon adoption of the appropriate rules by the board, conduct elections by electronic or acceptable technological means. Members may not vote by proxy in board elections. Instructions regarding the use of electronic means or acceptable technological means for voting shall be distributed to all members not less than 10 and not more than 30 days before the election meeting. The instruction notice must include the names of all candidates who have given the board or its authorized agent timely written notice of their candidacy and must give the person voting through electronic or acceptable technological means the opportunity to cast votes for candidates whose names do not appear on the ballot. The board rules shall provide and the instructions provided to the member shall state that a member who submits a vote using electronic or acceptable technological means may request and cast a ballot in person at the election meeting, and thereby void any vote previously submitted by that member.

(j) Upon proof of purchase, the purchaser of a unit from a seller other than the developer pursuant to an installment contract for purchase shall, during such times as he or she resides in the unit, be counted toward a quorum for purposes of election of members of the board at any meeting of the membership called for purposes of electing members of the board, shall have the right to vote for the members of the board of the common interest community association and to be elected to and serve on the board unless the seller expressly retains in writing any or all of such rights.

(Source: P.A. 98-1042, eff. 1-1-15; 99-41, eff. 7-14-15.)

(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) In the performance of their duties, the officers and members of the board, whether appointed by the developer or elected by the members, shall exercise the care required of a fiduciary of the membership. The board and the officers and members of the board shall have no authority to forebear the payment of assessments or fees by any member, nor shall any officer or member of the board unilaterally waive or vote on the waiver of any penalties applicable to himself or herself. The association shall have no authority to forbear the payment of assessments by any unit owner (Blank).

(e) The association may engage the services of a manager or management company. For associations that collect annual dues of $100,000 or more, the manager or management company shall require a background check of all members of the board in connection with obtaining any fidelity bond and directors and officers liability coverage, and shall notify the membership on a monthly basis through the prescribed delivery method of all delinquencies for dues, fees, and fines by any member of the board.

(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 the following records 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.

(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.

(k) The board may contract with the highway commissioner of a road district in which the association is located, if the association comprises 50% of the population or greater of the township or road district, to furnish materials related to the maintenance or repair of roads. Any such purchases shall be included in the board's finance report as outlined in Section 1-45.

(Source: P.A. 102-921, eff. 5-27-22; 103-486, eff. 1-1-24.)