Summary
Homes must be used for residential purposes only. Limited home office activity is permitted (maintaining records, receiving mail, phone calls, small supply of samples), but no overt business, commerce, or trade may be conducted from the home. Home occupations permitted under City of West Chicago zoning ordinances are exempt from these limitations.
Applicable Rules
| Rule | Source | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Homes used for residential purposes only | R&Rs 2013/2021 | 2 |
| No overt business, commerce, or trade from home | R&Rs 2013/2021 | 2 |
| Permitted home office activities: small supply of samples/materials, professional records, mail receipt, telephone | R&Rs 2013/2021 | 2 |
| City of West Chicago-permitted home occupations are exempt | R&Rs 2013/2021 | 2 |
Declaration Cross-Reference
Declaration Section 8.01 restricts all Lots to residential use by a single family and prohibits any trade, commerce, or business. This is the underlying authority for the R&R’s residential-only requirement. The R&Rs’ home office carve-out and City of West Chicago exemption are operational policies layered on top of the Declaration’s baseline prohibition.
Sheds
Sheds are explicitly prohibited under the community bylaws. A homeowner raised the question at the July 2022 annual meeting; the Board confirmed that sheds are not permitted and that changing this rule would require “2/3 of homeowners.”
Note: The amendment threshold cited by the Board appears incorrect. If sheds are prohibited by the Rules & Regulations (Board-level), the Board could amend that rule themselves. If prohibited by the Declaration (§8.xx), the threshold is 75% of owners — not 2/3. The By-Laws can be amended by 2/3 of Directors, not owners. The exact source document prohibiting sheds was not cited in the minutes. See Open Questions below.
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2022-07-21 | Homeowner asked about shed installation. Board stated community bylaws explicitly prohibit sheds; changing the rule would require 2/3 of homeowners. Amendment threshold appears incorrect — see Open Questions. Source: minutes-2022-07-21 |
Open Questions
- “Overt business” is not defined. The line between permitted home office use and prohibited commercial activity may be ambiguous in practice (e.g., frequent client visits, delivery vehicles, exterior signage).
- City of West Chicago home occupation ordinances are not reproduced here — the exemption scope depends on those local rules.
- Shed prohibition amendment threshold unclear: The Board cited “2/3 of homeowners” to change the shed prohibition. This is not consistent with any known threshold: By-Laws require 2/3 of Directors (not owners); Declaration requires 75% of owners (not 2/3). The source document that actually prohibits sheds has not been identified — without knowing whether the prohibition is in the Declaration, By-Laws, or R&Rs, the correct amendment procedure cannot be confirmed.