Real Estate

HMB is pleased to welcome Eric M. Hampton as an Associate in its Real Estate Group.

HMB is pleased to welcome Eric J. Genin who joins the firm as Partner in its growing Real Estate Practice.

HMB Legal Counsel is pleased to announce three new partners across HMB’s State and Local Tax, Real Estate and Business and Finance Groups, effective January 1, 2023. Samantha K. Breslow has been elevated from Associate and Jamie L. Ross and Lisa A. Rothstein, having previously been Of Counsel at HMB, have joined the firm as Partners.

HMB is pleased to announce that Matthew R. Barrett, Jenna E. Stein and Raymond J. Jacobi III have been elevated to Partner. “We are delighted to have Matt, Jenna and Ray as Partners at HMB,” said Jeff Hechtman, HMB's Managing Partner. “I am very proud of each of them and all they have accomplished, and know they will do great…

On September 4, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) enacted a nationwide eviction moratorium that bans landlords from evicting residential tenants who are unable to pay rent (“CDC Order”).  On May 5, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated the CDC Order, holding…

Beginning on May 1, 2021, Chicago will end its decades-long ban on the construction and conversion of certain accessory dwelling units when the Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance (“Ordinance”) goes into effect. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The goal of the Ordinance is to establish new residential units that are sustainable and cost-effective while maintaining neighborhood character The Ordinance aims…

On July 22, 2020 the Chicago City Council passed the “Fair Notice” ordinance (the “Ordinance”) which requires longer notice periods for landlords who seek to terminate, not renew or increase rental rates for residential leases. Under the new Ordinance, a landlord must provide a tenant with prior written notification of its intent to terminate, not to renew, or increase rent…

On June 17, 2020, the Chicago City Council passed the “COVID-19 Eviction Protection Ordinance” (Ordinance O2020-3501), enacting a provisional moratorium on evictions based upon the failure to pay rent if the tenant has suffered any loss, reduction or delay in receipt of income or employment attributable to COVID-19 (a “COVID-19 Impact”).  Under the terms of the moratorium, a landlord pursuing…

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Executive Order 2020-30 issued on April 23, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic offers relief to commercial tenants throughout the state by placing restrictions on evictions of commercial tenants. Following in the footsteps of New York and California, Gov. Pritzker banned state agencies from enforcing evictions of all non-residential premises unless “the tenant has been…

In Treasury Department Notice2020-23 (released April 9, 2020) and Internal Revenue Service update to Notice2020-18, the IRS provided additional relief for taxpayers amid the COVID-19 crisis by extending key deadlines for Like-Kind (Section 1031) Exchanges.  Specifically, the Notices extended some of the due dates related to the identification and final exchange periods.  These time periods are generally 45 days and 180…

The Cook County Assessor’s Office has recently begun mailing invitation letters to solicit participation in its Real Property Income and Expense (“RPIE”) system. The goal of the system is to collect extensive data to assess commercial properties in Cook County. It utilizes both an online portal and mailed forms for data collection. The Assessor will target properties used for the…

Chicago, IL December 12, 2019 HMB Legal Counsel, a preeminent provider of legal services in Business and Finance, State and Local Tax, Trusts and Estates, Bankruptcy, Reorganization and Creditors' Rights, Real Estate and Litigation announced that three associate attorneys were elevated to partner. David W. Machemer David is a member of the firm's State and Local Tax (SALT) Group.  He…

Ordinance Prohibits Initial Inquiry of Tenant Criminal History On April 25, 2019, Cook County Commissioners approved an amendment to the Cook County Code, known as the “Just Housing Ordinance," that prohibits the denial of a tenant’s application or continuing occupancy of residential real property based on criminal convictions. Specifically, landlords may no longer inquire about, consider, or require disclosure of…

Chicago Passes New Legislation Effective Immediately On September 18, 2019, the Chicago City Council unanimously passed a new ordinance that increases the percentage of owners required to approve the sale of a condominium building in the City. The ordinance, introduced by Alderman Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward), increases the required unit owner vote on a deconversion condominium sale to 85% of…

Illinois Appellate Court Holds Entities Must Be Represented By an Attorney At Administrative Hearings A recent decision by the Illinois Appellate Court held that corporations may not represent themselves at administrative hearings, but instead must be represented by an attorney. In Stone Street Partners, LLC v. The City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings, Case No. 12 M1 450026, Stone…

On June 5, 2013, the City of Chicago's City Council passed an ordinance (the "Ordinance") that requires all purchasers of foreclosed rental properties in Chicago to either renew or extend each existing tenant's lease with annual rent increases not to exceed two percent (2%) or pay each existing tenant a relocation fee of $10,600.00 (per unit). All rental properties in…

In an effort to increase transfer tax revenue, the City of Chicago seeks to amend its Municipal Code in a manner that would result in tax liability for some real estate investors on transfers of real property that traditionally have been treated as exempt transfers. The City's proposed amendments come on the heels of several unfavorable Department of Administrative Hearing…