Hard to justify legal fight with condo board over $400

Q. I purchased a condominium a few months ago. I recently was told the association did some work at the property just before I closed. I am getting bills from the association for around $400. The association agrees the work was done before I bought but building managers say because I now own the property, I am responsible. They say I should have collected the money from the seller, but I didn't even know work was done, so how could I ask the seller to pay for something I didn't know happened? Is there any help you can offer? They say they will put a lien on my unit if I don't pay.

A. I would start by having your closing attorney send a letter to seller's attorney demanding seller take care of this expense. In the event that goes nowhere, you have a problem.

You or your attorney should argue to the association that you received a paid assessment letter from the association at the closing indicating no money was due the association through the month of your closing. If the work was done prior to closing and the association performed the work through their contractor, they obviously knew of the expense and it should have been detailed on the assessment letter. If it was, you could have obtained the bill and insisted seller satisfy the bill prior to or at closing. It was the association's failure to notify you of this expense that landed you where you are at today.

Unfortunately, as I have stated numerous times in the past, entering into fights with your association is far more often than not a losing proposition. In addition, you are exposed to any attorneys fees the association incurs in addressing this issue. Presuming they continue to insist that you are responsible, I would file a pro se lawsuit against the seller in the county where either the property or the sellers are located. Pro se lawsuits are like "The People's Court" on television. It is a fast, simple and inexpensive way to resolve small claims such as yours. Contact your county clerk for further details.

There are other options, such as a Quiet Title action against the association. Talk to your attorney to discuss your best option.

Q. My uncle died last year and he left me a small home in southern Illinois, where he lived. I received numerous notices in the mail from the executor (my cousin) regarding the estate and a little while ago I received a notice stating the estate was being closed. The last notice included a form he asked me to sign approving the final account and approving the distribution of the estate, which included the house going to me. I signed the form and returned it. A short time later, I received a notice that the estate was closed.

I am now attempting to sell the house. I contacted a real estate agent who said she did some research on the house and it remains in my uncle's name. She says I need to get the house in my name before she can sell it. What do I do now?

A. Contact the executor and ask why he or she did not prepare and record an Executor's Deed while the estate was open, conveying the property from the estate of your uncle to you. I believe he or she will need to reopen the estate, prepare and execute the deed as executor and then reclose the estate. I would contact an attorney familiar with probate law to assist you.

• Send your questions to attorney Tom Resnick, 345 N. Quentin Road, Palatine, IL 60067, by email to tdr100@hotmail.com or call (847) 359-8983.