Winter 2021 Issue
To Plow or Not to Plow
Associations’ Obligations and Potential Liability for Snow Removal
Illinois law does not require that a landowner or manager remove snow or ice from his/her property. Further, many owners are hesitant to do so under the belief that they may become liable if someone slips and falls ...
ACTHA LEADERSHIP
ACTHA is governed by a Board of Directors that is elected to service by the membership. The role of the board is to govern, establish policy and make strategic decisions to accomplish ACTHA’s mission and serve the best interests of the organization.

President | Marcia Caruso 
Villas of the Fields Condo Association, Naperville, IL

Vice President | Elizabeth (Betsy) Gearon 
Stonebridge Villas HOA, Homer Glen, IL

Treasurer | Jeanette Butler
Heatherstone Condo Association, Beach Park, IL

Secretary | William Chatt
Fairway Club, La Grange, IL

Director | Marianne Gazda 
Castleford Hearthstone HOA, Hoffman Estates, IL

Director | Joe Fong
Westgate Terrace Community Association, Chicago, IL

To view ACTHA's bylaws, click here.
Upcoming Events
See what's happening this month.
Directory
Currently Under Construction
Stay informed and be empowered!

We are 10,000+ members strong across 330+ associations here in Illinois.
Major Leaks or Ice Dams?!

Every winter we see icicles hanging on gutters or eaves, especially living in the Midwest.

As much as we believe icicles are another aspect of a “winter wonderland”, they can become a winter nightmare. Icicles can and will cause damage to your house.

Types of damage are falling gutters, loose shingles, and water pouring into your house.
Assistance Animals Notice
As a result of pandemic isolation, spending more time at home and a myriad of constraints and complaints homeowners are reporting recently, members have had many questions regarding "reasonable accommodations" that may be required to ensure compliance with Fair Housing laws. Concerns arise when requests conflict with association policies and rules. 
Message from ACTHA Board of Directors
Happy 2021! Yes, we are all hopeful and joyful that we can finally put 2020 behind us. There is no shortage of stories that remind us of all we experienced so we choose to look ahead. Of course, we need to devote a few words to our 2021 weather. It is not what we were expecting as we begin to emerge from last year, although we should have been prepared. We know it won't last forever.

We at ACTHA got a slow start to 2021 renewals for our membership. Thank you to all who submitted payment for renewing for an additional year, with or without an invoice. Our staff is continuing to work on reaching out to members who were not notified and/or did not receive an invoice. Access to our password-protected resources has been affected since 1/31/21 which signaled the end of the 2020 membership grace period. Renewals are being processed as quickly as received so we ask for your patience and understanding.
New Year New Look
Among other changes here at ACTHA, we have revised our newsletter format. More timely communication is our goal and we plan to continue with regular updates, advertising, and educational webinars next month.
Our "Annual Conference" as you know was canceled by circumstances beyond our control last April. We are beginning to plan for a do-over asap. Our venue is slowly opening and event capacity is increasing incrementally. We are moving forward with filling up our tradeshow. Association members who purchased admission are still in the attendance count and will not be subject to any possible increase in the admission cost. Commercial members who already reserved booth space may be assured of that assignment, also at the 2020 rate.
WHO, WHAT, WHERE? WE NEED HELP!

ACTHA receives calls and emails regularly requesting referrals for various service providers that commonly address the specific needs of community associations. At the moment, until renewals are complete, our directory is missing some long-time vendors who have yet to complete the process.  

In the meantime, very soon we will be initiating a new process for our associations to receive information to assist in implementing budgetary proposals, maintenance services and products, as well as creating an avenue for commercial partners to advertise. 

ACTHA will not release any contact information of association membership, rather we will assume responsibility for sending information received from the vendors to all contacts in our membership through our software platform. 

This is a new venture so please bear with us as we work out the kinks. As always, if you receive an email and choose to not open it, you are free to delete it. This is an interim strategy to provide options immediately while waiting for the annual tradeshow in the next several months. 

The ACTHA Board is aware that many budgeted projects need to be contracted and even initiated now. Please support our commercial members as they support ACTHA in our efforts to inform, advocate and support you!
ACTHA | WWW.ACTHA.ORG | (312) 987-1906
NOTE: Materials in this publication may not be reproduced without the written permission of ACTHA. The statements and opinions in this publication are those of the individual authors and ACTHA assumes no responsibility for their accuracy. ACTHA is not engaged in rendering legal, financial or other expert assistance. Acceptance of advertising and information printed in the ACTHA newsletter does not constitute an endorsement by ACTHA.