When Having Home Ice

Is Not an Advantage

By Douglas J. Sury, Esq., Shareholder, Keay & Costello, P.C.

inter is coming (or here). This means we can count on a few things: less daylight, colder temperatures and the inevitable snow and ice that makes us all wonder why we choose to endure mid-western winters. I know I ask myself that question every time I grab a shovel or fire up the snow-thrower. Thankfully, the opportunities presented by spring are never as far away as they seem and before you know it, we’re putting away the snow boots and preparing the pool for the swim season. While the winter months may come to an end, community associations can’t quite escape their effects, as a reminder of their difficulties often shows up in the form of a lawsuit filed by an individual who slipped and fell on association property as a result of snowy or icy conditions. A common question asked by boards and management professionals relates to liability for snow removal efforts and whether an association would be better off not engaging in snow removal efforts.

W 12 | COMMON INTEREST® A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter