Joan Marie Fenstermaker

Moved from the East Coast to Chicago and found a place with less due diligence than we should have given the process. Issues with the apartment: - Security door malfunctioned - Callbox wasn't operational - Mailbox didn't lock - Common spaces weren't maintained (much less cleaned, occasionally) -... Neighbors informed that heating issues occurred the prior winter - Among others Joan was responsive and incorporated our input and documentation into a letter citing violations of the Chicago RLTO and related historical precedents. This resulted in the termination of the lease, with no ultimate cost to us, due to our settlement conditions. I hope I don't have to give Joan a call again any time soon, but if and when I do, I know she has the experience and know-how to ensure my rights as a Chicago tenant as protected.

We had a dispute with our former landlord and we needed help FAST due to the condition of our apartment. We contacted Joan and she handled our case right away with a tremendous amount of professionalism. Within 20 minutes of my initial phone call with her, Joan figured out a solid plan to help us ...and within three days, we were out of our poor apartment situation and into our new, wonderful place. None of this would have been possible without Joan's knowledge, patience and insight. She is persistent and fought for us to get a fair settlement as well. Our former landlord low-balled us on his initial settlement offer and Joan refused to let our former landlord dictate the settlement. She fought for us for well over a month and we received not only our deposit back but also pro-rated rent back as well. We always felt at ease with Joan on our side throughout the entire process. She has a high level of confidence and is a great communicator. She is an outstanding attorney and I HIGHLY recommend her for any of your landlord disputes. I cannot say enough positive things about her. Thank you, Joan!

I highly recommend Joan. She helped me expunge and seal the file on an eviction that was legally served but completely unjustified. I learned a lesson on how to approach tenant/landlord disagreements: call a lawyer early - right away! You don't want put yourself in my situation where you're looking a...t a lawsuit and an eviction notice *after moving out*. Still, even given my sticky situation, Joan was able to help me tremendously. She knows the judges, she knows the laws, and within 3 months I had a check in hand from my landlord. I paid him nothing because he had been breaking several laws that I would not have known about without Joan.

I can't recommend Joan highly enough. She was able to handle my landlord security deposit case from start to finish with minimal input from me. She was very timely and responsive at all hours of the day. She reviewed the case diligently and drafted a thorough memorandum and demand letter. When my... landlord retained counsel for a counterclaim, Joan quickly and effectively rebutted the counsel's response. The landlord initially refused to settle, but as soon as Joan drafted a memorandum of service, we immediately reached an agreement. Moreover, Joan was unilaterally able to get the landlord to offer $500 more in settlement money. I paid nothing out of pocket, received my full deposit back, and also received a bonus equating to 75% of my deposit. This was after Joan's legal fee - which she took directly from my proceeds. The check to me was cut within a few days of receipt from my landlord. Overall, I was extremely satisfied with the speed and effectiveness on Joan's behalf at every step of the process and would recommend her to any aggrieved tenant without hesitation.