Chicago's Manor House

What is Chicago's Manor House

Chicago Manor House is an iconic building located in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, right next door to Bryn Mawr Care, the psychiatric hospital with many Medicaid patients. The building consists of 16 unique condominium units, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is governed by the Manor House Condominium Association.

Historic Place

One Unit is Not Like the Rest

1021 W Bryn Mawr Ave Apt 3B stands out from the rest of the building as there are many elements to the unit that can be concerning to potential buyers, and it's strongly recommended that anyone interested in this unit should consult with a real estate attorney before making an offer on the unit.

1021 W Bryn Mawr Ave Apt 3b Concerns

The primary concern that any potential buyer should first check with their attorney is related to the Usurpation of and Encroachment on Common Elements

The deed for the 1021 W Bryn Mawr Ave Apt 3b unit is as follows:

The deed is important, because it references the survey, which when reviewed (in the image below) some potential concerns are made obvious. The original declaration survey granted Unit 1021-3b access to limited common elements shown by the patio in the turret and a “solarium” at the rear of the condo. In addition to usurping the solarium to convert it to a private enclosed bedroom, it is clear the unit has also usurped common element rooftop space to construct an enclosed dining room and an additional rear outdoor patio area. These unauthorized and illegal encroachments appear to have added approximately 500 square feet of living space to the unit from common areas without any consideration to the association.

Common elements represent property owned by all of the unit owners as the association's declaration clearly states in Article III, Section 2. Illinois courts have applied this exact language to mean that all of the unit owners must approve association decisions to concede common elements away from the association. (See Carney v. Donley, 261 Ill. App. 3rd 1002 Ill. App. Ct. 1994). Common elements cannot simply be given away by board resolution, which appears to be the case with the encroachments made by the 1021 W Bryn Mawr Ave Apt 3b unit.