Joan Marie Fenstermaker

Joan Marie Fenstermaker

4.9
Rating: 7.3

Licensed for 31 years

Landlord or tenant Lawyer at Chicago, IL
Practice Areas: Landlord & Tenant, Litigation, Real Estate

105 W. Madison St., Ste. 600, Chicago, IL

About Joan

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 300-425 per hour

Contingency

30%-50%


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Illinois for 31 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1994

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Joan M Fenstermaker, PC

105 W. Madison St., Ste. 600, Chicago, IL, 60602

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Joan Marie Fenstermaker's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

132 Client Reviews

Showing 81 - 85 of 132 reviews

Posted by Lisa | July 03, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Landlord Tenant Dispute

ALL ATTORNEYS ARE NOT THE SAME!! Attorney Joan is a SEASONED Attorney with a Terrific Work Ethic! She's Agressive, Brave, Honest, SUPER KNOWLEDGABLE, and most importantly, Genuinely Caring! I complained to a powerful management company in Good Faith and Found myself being evicted for speaking ...up against Landlord Fraud and Shady Tactics. Landlords do this because their POWERFUL attorneys provide them with the "Tricks of The Trade" at bullying and intimidation. Welp, MY Attorney was SO POWERFUL and KNOWLEDGABLE that the initial opposing attorney had to be switched to another attorney to Match The Wits of Attorney Joan and her Partners!! Upon reading reviews for Attorney Joan, My Discernment made me reach out for her services. My results were Impeccable and included Rent Credits which I never expected. My matter was sealed which helped me avoid a negative mark on my credit. In case you're not aware, being Evicted is a silent Curse! Thank you kindly Attorney Joan for saving me from the trouble I caused myself with my BIG MOUTH and Horrible Temper!! I genuinely appreciate your Relentless Demeanor, Patience, Professionalism, Assertiveness, Knowledge (when I thought I knew everything) and calming nature. You're Awesome! Ps: If a landlord so much as sneezes on me, I'm calling attorney Joan!! She's just that Good!!

Posted by anonymous | June 21, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Excellent tenant attorney

We knew, from the first phone call, that Joan was the attorney for us. She was extremely versed in tenant rights, especially as it pertained to our situation. She was calming, supportive and prompt in returning calls and emails. Our only regret is that we hadn't found her sooner!

Posted by anonymous | May 08, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Outstanding Attorney

Joan walks on water! Words fail to describe what a pleasure it was to work with Joan on an extremely distressing tenant/landlord case. Not only is Joan very attentive and responsive, but she’s also assertive and eager to keep the case moving forward. Once you speak with her, you’ll know that she is... someone who knows the law inside and out. She thoroughly explained our options to us, took our very challenging case and successfully fought for our rights. Joan took personal interest in our case and situation and helped us with all aspects of our case. If you need an excellent landlord/tenant/RLTO, or real estate attorney, don’t waste your time by looking any further

Posted by anonymous | May 03, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Ethical & Skilled & Determined to Help the Tenant

Attorney Joan Fenstermaker and her associate attorney, Nicholas Bailey, did a phenomenal job on a difficult situation for me, involving a rented Chicago house which did not meet the city’s heating code, due to, as we found out, zero insulation, and complicated by a landlord who was, to put it mildly,... reluctant and slow to remedy the situation (not least because he wasn’t the one paying the heating and cooling bills, so what’s the rush?) , and who tried via various angles to later install the needed insulation without consideration for the tenant’s continued habitation inconvenience. Despite owning multiple income properties, the landlord was clueless on the RLTO rules and regs (including even the most basic ones around security deposit protocol), and summarily presumed that all rights ran to him as landlord and all obligations ran to me as tenant. Joan brought action against him on multiple violation charges, including on a subsequent retaliatory eviction effort on his part, and we eventually received a solid, fair settlement and averted a courtroom trial. For the uninitiated, note that the process is long and winding and, in this case, took over two years from start to finish – pack your patience, and be able to document your claims via photos and records; you are entering into an active partnership with the attorney on your case. Joan was excellent throughout the process – she defended my rights when I didn’t even fully comprehend “the game” that the other side was playing to get a release from the landlord’s RLTO violations and ongoing obligations, and she brought long years of industry-specific legal experience, negotiating savvy, and a calm, professional demeanor to the conflict. Nicholas was excellent as her second-in-command, and great at keeping me informed and involved. I’m confident that I could not have had a better outcome. This should be your go-to team for tenants’ rights.

Posted by anonymous | March 23, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

The best!

Joan handled a dispute I had with my landlord.She is professional and,the two parties handled the dispute amicably. I will always recommend her in the future.

See All Client Reviews

Joan Marie Fenstermaker's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Joan
Mark V. Clay headshot
Mark Clay

Family lawyer | Aug 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I highly endorse Mrs. Fenstermaker. Very experienced and caring attorney who gets great results in representing clients. Keep up a great work!"

David Stephen Morris headshot
David Morris

Landlord or tenant lawyer | Aug 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Knowledgeable, empathic and committed to the passionate representation of tenants."

David Lyon Yanoff headshot
David Yanoff

Landlord or tenant lawyer | Feb 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Joan knows the law and how to apply it to her case. When working opposite her on cases she remains professional in her dealings."

Melinda Longford Power headshot
Melinda Power

Real estate lawyer | Jan 10

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. She is extremely thorough and prepared. She has a good relationship with her clients. She wants to help people. Melinda Power"

View All Endorsements
Gregory Forrest Coplan headshot
Gregory Coplan

Personal injury lawyer

Konstantinos T. Sparagis headshot
Konstantinos Sparagis

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

David Lyon Yanoff headshot
David Yanoff

Landlord or tenant lawyer

Melinda Longford Power headshot
Melinda Power

Divorce and separation lawyer

Experience

Rating:  7.3 (Very Good)

Honors

2015

Certificate of Appreciation, Metropolitan Tenants Organization

Work Experience

2019 - Present

Principal, Joan M. Fenstermaker, PC

2001 - 2019

Partner, Kendle, Mikuta & Fenstermaker

1994 - 2000

Associate Attorney, Fischer, Kendle & Wahlers

Associations

2018 - Present

Metropolitan Tenants Organization

Board Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Landlord falsely claim property was owner-occupied

Ruling in favor of the tenant for return of the deposit plus 2 x security deposit and attorney's fees

See More Legal Cases

Education

1994

DePaul University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1991

Indiana University

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2013

Un-Common Law on 4/28/13

Tenants' rights

2013

Hotline Volunteer Training 9/28/13

Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

2013

Hotline Volunteer Training 6/8/13

Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

2013

Hotline Volunteer Training 11/23/13

Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
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