In the spring of 1989, following a rash of shoddily built condominium developments in Lake View and Uptown communities, Alderman Shiller worked with area aldermen and then State Representatives John Cullerton (now a State Senator) and Ellis Levin (now retired) on crafting a comprehensive consumer protection law for first time condominium buyers. 

As a result of this work, a comprehensive package, sponsored by then State Senators William Marovitz, John D’Arco and Dawn Karpiel, and subsequently by State Representatives Cullerton, Levin, Lee Preston and Jesse White, resulted in an overhaul of the state law that relates to condominiums.  The rules enacted then are commonplace now, but were at the forefront of consumer protection at the time.  They included:

• Requiring all associations to have reasonable reserves for repair or replacement of the common elements.

• Creating an association attorney’s lien for fees incurred to collect unpaid charges relating to services performed before a court action.

• Limiting the ability to pledge an association’s assets for repairs to only that association’s board of directors.

• Requiring condo management companies to maintain a fidelity bond for the maximum amount of insurance coverage available to protect association funds.

• Giving homeowners the right to demand copies of association contracts and review the books and records of an association.

• Requiring developers to turn over control to an associations board of directors after 75 percent of the homes are sold or three years after recording the declaration.

• Allowing the association to terminate contracts made by a developer if the contracts extend for more than two years after recording the declaration.

Alderman Shiller continued to ensure that new condo owners protected their interests by holding a series of “public law workshops” from 1990 through 1992.  These workshops taught Robert’s Rules of Order, as well as the basics of running an association.

Protecting people’s biggest investment continues to be a priority for Alderman Shiller.  This is why she has worked collaboratively with the Cook County Assessor to have an annual tax assessment appeal class for the last 12 years.

Alderman Shiller actively worked to streamline the condo refuse rebate process, and continues to ensure that 46th Ward resident applications are not caught up in the city bureaucracy.