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ATTENTION CHICAGO CONDO OWNERS - TIME SENSITIVE CHANGES TO THE CITY's TRASH REBATE PROGRAM


Our great City of Chicago offers many many benefits to citizens. One of the less glamorous, albeit greatly appreciated services is garbage pick-up - at least for single family homes and small multi-unit buildings.

The recognized that condominium owners were paying for this service through their taxes, without realizing any benefit. The result, a rebate program to qualifying Condominium Associations to offset some of the costs of waste disposal. 
  
The most recent City budget and recent changes to the municipal ordinance make some very important, and time sensitive changes:

  • An association can only file for the rebate for the 2011 operating year. Applications for prior years are not being accepted.   If your association did not apply for rebates for prior years, you will not be able to do so for 2011 or future years (lets call this one the "you snooze, you lose" provision). 
  • The rebate for 2011 will be limited to a total of $75 per owner-occupied residential unit. (the operative words here being owner-occupied - no rebates for rental units!)
  • Applications for the 2011 refuse rebate MUST be in our office by January 31, 2012 to be considered, no exceptions. (a new, strict, filing deadline).
  • The 2012 rebates will drop to $50 per qualifying unit., then down to $25 for 2013, 2014 and 2015. 
  • Applications for future years will need to be on file before the January City Council meetings (whenever they are scheduled). The City is urging that application need to be filed at least two weeks prior to that meeting date.
The Finance Committee is still processing 2008 and 2009 remittances, and will then move on to process 2010 and 2011 applications.
Applications need to include the following:
  • Claim form (download here) 
  • Association board form of resolution authorizing someone to submit the application for the rebate. The resolution should be signed by the Board President and one other person.
  • A copy of the arrangement/contract for 2011 salvage collection services
  • Supporting documentation of the total refuse collection expenses for 2011 - copies of invoices or a statement from the contractor will be sufficient
  • If not on file with former year applications, the recycling certification form (download here)
  • Both the Claim form and the Recycling form must be notarized and delivered to your local alderman. 
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