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 111 - 115 of 132 reviews

Posted by Doug | January 26, 2014 | Landlord & Tenant

Call Joan to get your security deposit back!

When my landlord illegally withheld my security deposit, the Metropolitan Tenants Organization recommended that I contact Joan Fenstermaker. We had a short phone discussion to go over the facts of the case and she drafted a demand letter detailing all of my landlord's violations of the RLTO. Once the... demand letter was received, Joan facilitated the negotiation process with the landlord and I was able to settle out of court for more than the value of my original security deposit! Joan is an expert on the Chicago RLTO and was clear, prompt, and responsive (by phone and/or email) throughout the entire process. If you want to get your security deposit back quickly, I would strongly recommend contacting Joan Fenstermaker.

Posted by anonymous | January 19, 2014 | Landlord & Tenant

Smart, knows the code & practicalities, got results

I am so glad I hired Joan after hearing her ad. I could have burned a lot of time trying to get results myself, but it would have taken much longer to get results - and perhaps not as good of results as she produced. I’m an attorney myself, but don’t practice in this area. She handled the case profe...ssionally, quickly & got VERY favorable results. Not only does she know the Chicago LL/Tenant ordinance inside & out, her past experiences will work for you to get the best results out of landlords & their attorneys. Due to her working probably 100s of these cases, she pinpointed what problems areas my case had & what strong points it had. I lack that experience & I would have spun my wheels trying to get maybe 1/2 of what she got. Don't waste your time trying to do it yourself to negotiate w/ a landlord or his attorney; cut to the chase & end your frustration & let her work it out for you.

Posted by Ryan | January 17, 2014 | Landlord & Tenant

best in Chicago

Had an issue with my landlord stealing from me she was very informative and helpful she won us our case couldnt have asked for anything more

Posted by anonymous | January 16, 2014 | Landlord & Tenant

Do NOT Hire Fenstermaker, She is Dishonest, Unprofessional, & Damaging

She stated, during our phone conversation of over 30 minutes that she would take the case (Retaliatory Eviction), she gave me legal advice, and she acknowledged how strong, meritorious the case is for me, that she will represent me, and to contact her once it got to a certain point so that she can fi...le her Appearance and get started. Also, per our conversation, as a re-cap I emailed her a brief outline of the case (what occurred, the illegal things the landlord executed). However, once I followed her instructions/legal advice on the case, and her instruction to contact her so she can get started with the representation, she gave no reason for the following...........................her entire demeanor changed, she dropped the ball, she completely renigged, and left me hanging; of course at the most vital urgent and time sensitive point and when I needed her most. This caused severe Damages and are still to this day Damaging to me, my living situation, my career, my health, my time,my well being.

Posted by Tim | November 06, 2013 | Landlord & Tenant

true professional

..same old story. I got my deposit withheld for absolutely no reason. I consulted with 3 other lawyers before Joan. It turned out; I’m in the worst possible combination of legal formalities. All of them basically advised me to give up because neither they or anyone else will move their fingers about ...it, unless I give nearly 3 times the amount, I fight for, just to start a case…, so unfair and frustrating! One of the lawyers at least recommended Ms. Fenstermaker to me. So I called her. For the next about 2-3 weeks, we spoke couple times by the phone and exchanged couple e-mails…so – no many empty talks. She also confirmed, I’m in a bad situation but didn’t say “no”, neither “yes”. As I said, she called me couple times, asked me couple questions….the third time Joan called me, she just asked me: where to send the check with my money back!!! Thank You!

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

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