Details on Mayor’s Proposed Change to 5-12-130(j) Notice of Non-Renewal

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Covid-19 Change or Just a Change?

Today, May 20, 2020, Mayor Lightfoot has introduced a measure to radically change, dare I say, hundreds of years of common law and forty years of Chicago law with respect to the termination of a lease and/or a tenancy.  These rules may be INSPIRED by Covid-19, but there is no indication that they will be repealed or removed once the threat of the Coronavirus is just a memory.  The proposed ordinance will change the amount of advance notice landlords need to give to tenants to terminate a lease or tenancy and to introduce new requirements that landlords provide relocation assistance (a nice thing to call a payment) to tenants. Let’s take a dive into the proposed law. Continue reading →

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Mayor Lightfoot expected to propose Covid-19 related landlord tenant ordinances

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Big week for new legislation at City Hall?

We’ve heard that in addition to the Covid-inspired rent forgiveness statute proposed by Rep. Ramirez (and a similar provision likely to be proposed in the Illinois Senate), it is likely that there will be a bit more movement in the City Council this week.  One of the complaints of city aldermen about the Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge is that the pledge is… voluntary.  We can’t just have landlords being nice all on their own, can we?  Instead, Continue reading →

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State Rep. Ramirez Sneakily Files Covid-19 Bill

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Anti-landlord property rights grab finally filed

I blogged two weeks ago about the COVID-19 Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act, a law that, much to the chagrin of Mayor Lightfoot I am sure, gives very little grace to landlords.  The law, allegedly drafted by folks from the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing, a tenant advocacy group, was filed by Representative Delia Ramirez not as a standalone bill, but instead, as an amendment to House Bill 5574.  Before the amendment, House Bill 5574 was an amendment introduced by Rep. Ramirez to the Illinois Housing Authorities Act regarding a tenant’s criminal background history.  I’m not a state legislator, so I wonder, why in the world would a totally unrelated bill for sweeping changes to the landlord-tenant law of Illinois be filed as an amendment to a totally unrelated law?  Continue reading →

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Illinois Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Here we go again

Round up the usual suspects.  Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) and Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago), backed by national progressive think tanks and policy institutes like the Shriver Center (which has been a major force in pushing anti-landlord housing policy changes nationwide), are coming out hot.  They’re ready to take advantage of this pandemic to re-shape the world in their progressive image in the form of the Illinois Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act.  This is the thanks that landlords get for “giving grace” to tenants at a time of crisis.  Continue reading →

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May Day: Time to ban “landlords”?

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Richard Magnone

It’s Time to Change Our Terminology

You know the old trope. Nell cries “But I can’t pay the rent!” while Snidely Whiplash demands “You must pay the rent!” just before Dudley Do Right sweeps in saying “I’ll pay the rent!” and saves the day.  Snidely Whiplash, defeated says “Curses, foiled again!” Here’s an important question.  Why does Snidely feel defeated?  He got his rent.  It makes no sense.  Today on May Day, tenants in Chicago, New York and elsewhere, egged on by “progressive” lawmakers and intolerant tenants’ rights groups who abhor property rights are making the case for a rent strike because, you know, landlords are evil. Continue reading →

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Did Chicago miss an opportunity with the Housing Solidarity Pledge?

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Anything New Here?

I watched the whole press conference.  Mayor Lightfoot announced the City’s Housing Solidarity Pledge.  There were lots of heavy hitters making that pledge.  There were big banks.  Bank of America, BMO Harris, Fifth Third, PNC Bank, First Midwest Bank, US Bank, Wintrust and more (although I did note that ubiquitous Chase was not mentioned).  There were well respected landlord and property advocates like the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance, Chicagoland Apartment Association, and the Chicago Association of Realtors.  There was even a tenant’s rights group in the form of the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing.  But did anything really get done?  And was a big opportunity for change missed? Continue reading →

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Landlording in the Wake of Matt Martin’s Rent Deferral Ordinance

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Richard Magnone

How Can Chicago Landlords Show Grace?

On March 19, 2020, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Chicago’s Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, now famously called upon landlords to “give tenants some grace”.  While many landlord’s went along with that sentiment and showed some grace, Chicago City Council Members Matt Martin Continue reading →

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Gov. Pritzker’s Executive Order Squashes Evictions

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Richard Magnone

UPDATE: Order 30 has been extended to June 27, 2020.  In addition to locking all of Illinois down for another month, yesterday, Governor Pritzker signed another executive order (number 2020-30) that affects all Illinois landlords and puts a stop to evictions for the time being. The order basically rips the guts out of any reasonable ability to enforce a lease and paves the way for tenants to stop paying rent.  The original stay at home order issued by the governor had put a state-wide stop to the enforcement of residential evictions for the duration of the order.  This order goes further. Continue reading →

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Alderman Martin’s Rent Ordinance to be Introduced Tomorrow

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Richard Magnone

What should Chicago landlords do?

As a result of the premature adjournment of the City Council meeting earlier this week, Alderman Matt Martin’s rent deferral ordinance was not introduced.  We have received word that the ordinance will be introduced tomorrow (Friday, April 24, 2020) at the 1:00pm City Council meeting.  It is further my understanding that the City Council will accept written comments, not exceeding two pages, made to public_comments@cityofchicago.org.  The City Council will accept these comments tomorrow between 8am and 9am and we encourage our readers to submit e-mailed comments in opposition to this ordinance.

 

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Here’s what’s CRAZY about Alderman Martin’s Rent Ordinance

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Richard Magnone

Ordinance Fails to Account for Reality

As promised, here’s a deeper dive into 47th Ward Alderman Matt Martin’s Rent Deferment Ordinance.  I have always believed that you learn a great deal about someone’s character by observing how they act when under duress.  It’s easy to “do the right thing” when things are good.  But what do you do when things get tough?  As a practicing attorney, I’ve been heartened to see landlords Continue reading →

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