HOA Special Assessments

[Seye2009]

Hi, I live in Chicago and in March this year, I signed my condo contract, and back then the assessments on the contract was stated as $170 per month. On the day of the closing i was slapped with a sudden notice that the assessments were now $184 per month..Since then I have been paying that amount diligently. Suddenly in Oct, I am told the assessments have increased since June by another $60 and the assessments were now $246 per month. I now need to pay arrears of $60 since June, including a late fee of $50 for each of the month since June. However, all this while they have been cashing my check for $184 and even sent me receipts for that amount.

I was not notified of the increase, Was not informed of any meeting to vote on this. Can a HOA do this?? to add insult to injury, last week there is another lump sum fee of $1400 for repairs which have to be paid upfront. I am also asked to pay $200 for some work done in my condo to comply with city code regulations and no one has come to my condo to do anything besides an exterminator. I now have an invoice of $2600 for Oct to count for all of the above.

Is this justified??Does anyone know what institution i can write to fight this?? Thanks very much

[ecs]

[i]I was not notified of the increase, Was not informed of any meeting to vote on this. Can a HOA do this??

No. The Board must vote on any assessments or increases at an open public meeting - they must send a meeting notice with this item on the agenda, hold a proper meeting & vote, and provide minutes of the proceedings. I do not live in Illinois but I am sure there is a state agency for reporting this to.