As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:
     “Acceptable technological means” includes, without limitation, electronic transmission over the Internet or other network, whether by direct connection, intranet, telecopier, electronic mail, and any generally available technology that, by rule of the association, is deemed to provide reasonable security, reliability, identification, and verifiability.
     “Association” or “common interest community association” means the association of all the members of a common interest community, acting pursuant to bylaws or an operating agreement through its duly elected board of managers or board of directors.
     “Board” means a common interest community association’s board of managers or board of directors, whichever is applicable.
     “Board member” or “member of the board” means a member of the board of managers or the board of directors, whichever is applicable.
     “Board of directors” means, for a common interest community that has been incorporated as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, the group of people elected by the members of a common interest community as the governing body to exercise for the members of the common interest community association all powers, duties, and authority vested in the board of directors under this Act and the common interest community association’s declaration and bylaws.
     “Board of managers” means, for a common interest community that is an unincorporated association or organized as a limited liability company, the group of people elected by the members of a common interest community as the governing body to exercise for the members of the common interest community association all powers, duties, and authority vested in the board of managers under this Act and the common interest community association’s declaration, bylaws, or operating agreement.
     “Building” means all structures, attached or unattached, containing one or more units.
     “Common areas” means the portion of the property other than a unit.
     “Common expenses” means the proposed or actual expenses affecting the property, including reserves, if any, lawfully assessed by the common interest community association.
     “Common interest community” means real estate other than a condominium or cooperative with respect to which any person by virtue of his or her ownership of a partial interest or a unit therein is obligated to pay for the maintenance, improvement, insurance premiums or real estate taxes of common areas described in a declaration which is administered by an association. “Common interest community” may include, but not be limited to, an attached or detached townhome, villa, or single-family home. A “common interest community” does not include a master association.
     “Community instruments” means all documents and authorized amendments thereto recorded by a developer or common interest community association, including, but not limited to, the declaration, bylaws, operating agreement, plat of survey, and rules and regulations.
     “Declaration” means any duly recorded instruments, however designated, that have created a common interest community and any duly recorded amendments to those instruments.
     “Developer” means any person who submits property legally or equitably owned in fee simple by the person to the provisions of this Act, or any person who offers units legally or equitably owned in fee simple by the person for sale in the ordinary course of such person’s business, including any successor to such person’s entire interest in the property other than the purchaser of an individual unit.
     “Developer control” means such control at a time prior to the election of the board of the common interest community association by a majority of the members other than the developer.
     “Electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by the recipient through an automated process.
     “Majority” or “majority of the members” means the owners of more than 50% in the aggregate in interest of the undivided ownership of the common elements. Any specified percentage of the members means such percentage in the aggregate in interest of such undivided ownership. “Majority” or “majority of the members of the board of the common interest community association” means more than 50% of the total number of persons constituting such board pursuant to the bylaws or operating agreement. Any specified percentage of the members of the common interest community association means that percentage of the total number of persons constituting such board pursuant to the bylaws or operating agreement.
     “Management company” or “community association manager” means a person, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity entitled to transact business on behalf of others, acting on behalf of or as an agent for an association for the purpose of carrying out the duties, responsibilities, and other obligations necessary for the day to day operation and management of any property subject to this Act.
     “Meeting of the board” or “board meeting” means any gathering of a quorum of the members of the board of the common interest community association held for the purpose of conducting board business.
     “Member” means the person or entity designated as an owner and entitled to one vote as defined by the community instruments. The terms “member” and “unit owner” may be used interchangeably as defined by the community instruments, except in situations in which a matter of legal title to the unit is involved or at issue, in which case the term “unit owner” would be the applicable term used.
     “Membership” means the collective group of members entitled to vote as defined by the community instruments.
     “Parcel” means the lot or lots or tract or tracts of land described in the declaration as part of a common interest community.
     “Person” means a natural individual, corporation, partnership, trustee, or other legal entity capable of holding title to real property.
     “Plat” means a plat or plats of survey of the parcel and of all units in the common interest community, which may consist of a three-dimensional horizontal and vertical delineation of all such units, structures, easements, and common areas on the property.
     “Prescribed delivery method” means mailing, delivering, posting in an association publication that is routinely mailed to all members, electronic transmission, or any other delivery method that is approved in writing by the member and authorized by the community instruments.
     “Property” means all the land, property, and space comprising the parcel, all improvements and structures erected, constructed or contained therein or thereon, including any building and all easements, rights, and appurtenances belonging thereto, and all fixtures and equipment intended for the mutual use, benefit, or enjoyment of the members, under the authority or control of a common interest community association.
     “Purchaser” means any person or persons, other than the developer, who purchase a unit in a bona fide transaction for value.
     “Record” means to record in the office of the recorder of the county wherein the property is located.
     “Reserves” means those sums paid by members which are separately maintained by the common interest community association for purposes specified by the declaration and bylaws of the common interest community association.
     “Unit” means a part of the property designed and intended for any type of independent use.
     “Unit owner” means the person or persons whose estates or interests, individually or collectively, aggregate fee simple absolute ownership of a unit.