Chicago Strata Buildings Lose Rebate to Help Deficit

There’s an ongoing debate about how strata owners pay the same local government rates as home owners but often have to provide for and pay for typical services themselves (like garbage collection, roads, lighting, drainage, etc.

So, it’s unfair since strata owners pay twice and/or pay for services they will never get.

In most parts of the world the debate simply continues to rage and strata owners just pay. 

But, some cities have implemented solutions for some of these problems. Like Chicago where they introduced a rebate of $75 per apartment in 1984 for strata buildings with 5 apartments of more since it did not collect garbage from those buildings. 

But things have changed now that Chicago has a  $635.7 million deficit.  And the rebate is being scrapped.

Interestingly, the Chicago Mayor says that the abolition of the rebate ‘is the fair and honest thing to do for Chicagoans’ which must mean fair for non strata owning Chicagoans.

Whilst this is an isolated example, it highlights the lack of understanding and concern for the extra burdens strata owners take on.  When will regulators take more notice?

Francesco …