It was with great interest that I tripped on down to the Daley Center to take a gander at case number 2009-M1-716905.
Apparently Carlton Knight established a new real estate business venture named Real Dealz.
Unfortunately it seems that things weren't going so well for this new enterprise.
According to court documents, Lake Meadows Shopping Center is in the middle of legal action with Mr. Knight arising from non payment of rent from August of 2008 to July of 2009 for space C-3 located at 3357 South King Drive.
Those same documents allege that Mr. Knight doing business as Real Dealz, owe Lake Meadows $19,229.00.
Yowsa!
While it appears that Lake Meadows took back possession of the unit on October 9, 2009; the money damages portion of the court order was continued until October 14th.
Let that sink in.
They got back possession of their property but don't (according to the court documents) have their money.
Perhaps the good folks at Lake Meadows need to confer with the nice folks at Inland Bank so they'll have some idea of how quickly their money will be forthcoming.
I'm sure that would be an interesting conversation.
Showing posts with label Sleuthing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleuthing. Show all posts
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Friday, October 23, 2009
How Facebook Saved My Ass
I relentlessly mocked Facebook and my friends who lived and died by their "status."
As much as I've revealed over the past four years on this blog, I don't believe that my life is so interesting that you really care what I'm doing every minute of every day.
Plus you can't have all of your business out in the street.
You'd hear about these foolish children posting salacious details about their activities along provocative pictures and wonder why their admission offer to their number one college was suddenly revoked.
As a small aside, I'm glad camera phones and Facebook wasn't around in the early nineties.
Let's just say, my options for running for political office would be even more limited.
Sweet Baby Jesus.
Plus I felt at 41, Facebook wasn't exactly for generation X.
Hordes of Gen Xer's constantly updating Facebook on their iphones seemed (and seems) a little silly.
So I dug my heels in and stubbornly refused to drink the Kool Aid.
That is until a close friend had a great idea.
As much as I've revealed over the past four years on this blog, I don't believe that my life is so interesting that you really care what I'm doing every minute of every day.
Plus you can't have all of your business out in the street.
You'd hear about these foolish children posting salacious details about their activities along provocative pictures and wonder why their admission offer to their number one college was suddenly revoked.
As a small aside, I'm glad camera phones and Facebook wasn't around in the early nineties.
Let's just say, my options for running for political office would be even more limited.
Sweet Baby Jesus.
Plus I felt at 41, Facebook wasn't exactly for generation X.
Hordes of Gen Xer's constantly updating Facebook on their iphones seemed (and seems) a little silly.
So I dug my heels in and stubbornly refused to drink the Kool Aid.
That is until a close friend had a great idea.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Giving Up The Ghost
The last time I wrote about Carlton Knight’s Dixie Highway property, the day to day operations had been taken over by a court appointed Receiver in December of 2007.
The Receiver really gave it a go.
Rents were collected and recommendations for repairs were made.
Some tenants were evicted, some were moved to other units and others continued to live in their current situation.
Make no mistake, the condition of the building was (and is) dismal.
But sometimes, no matter how much you want to make it happen, you’ve got to give up the ghost.
From the 13th report:
“We had come to the conclusion that given the condition of the property and the limited income we were receiving, it was better to vacate the property rather than keeping only a handful of paying tenants, which would have resulted in an operating deficit of at least $4,000/month.”
Holy Crap.
Even with loads of money the Receiver and Inland Bank couldn’t make that dog hunt.
I guess you need to know when to throw in the towel.
But the scary part is that the property didn’t get that way overnight.
At least that what the Receiver’s first and second reports said.
Do not make me detail the contents of reports three through twelve.
It’s just too jaw dropping.
And to think, people had to live in those conditions.
It just makes you shake your head.
The Receiver really gave it a go.
Rents were collected and recommendations for repairs were made.
Some tenants were evicted, some were moved to other units and others continued to live in their current situation.
Make no mistake, the condition of the building was (and is) dismal.
But sometimes, no matter how much you want to make it happen, you’ve got to give up the ghost.
From the 13th report:
“We had come to the conclusion that given the condition of the property and the limited income we were receiving, it was better to vacate the property rather than keeping only a handful of paying tenants, which would have resulted in an operating deficit of at least $4,000/month.”
Holy Crap.
Even with loads of money the Receiver and Inland Bank couldn’t make that dog hunt.
I guess you need to know when to throw in the towel.
But the scary part is that the property didn’t get that way overnight.
At least that what the Receiver’s first and second reports said.
Do not make me detail the contents of reports three through twelve.
It’s just too jaw dropping.
And to think, people had to live in those conditions.
It just makes you shake your head.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Uptown Foolishness
The guessing game of the day:
Exactly when will buyers in the unfinished phase (phases?) of the Theatre District Lofts receive their earnest money back?
It's been over a year.
Looks like the lawsuits are starting to pile up concerning this little fiasco.
Just asking...
Exactly when will buyers in the unfinished phase (phases?) of the Theatre District Lofts receive their earnest money back?
It's been over a year.
Looks like the lawsuits are starting to pile up concerning this little fiasco.
Just asking...
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Zing
About a month ago, the bricks came raining down from the façade on the Blackstone side of our building.
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Yes, dear readers---we’re having façade issues again.
Except this time it was a different section.
Once again we were lucky that no one got hurt. But unlike the last time, our little mishap didn’t go unnoticed.
Hence the love note from the city.
How did I find out?
Easy---the city sent out the notifications to the last information that they had on file. Seeing that no one has bothered to file an annual report or bothered to change our registered agent with the state, the city decided to send notification to anyone they could find.
That included my address.
Now before I get on my soap box, I will acknowledge a few things in defense of my neighbors who are doing the heavy lifting.
The focus at the time was on paying off our existing special assessment and continuously following up on those members severely behind in their monthly assessments.
That hand you see being raised would be mine. Guilty as charged.
The rigors of dealing with association business and your own personal life has been known to drive a person batty. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Watching your lay about neighbors make excuse after excuse on why they either won’t or can’t help; listening to empty promise after empty promise can wear on your nerves.
I can understand the frustration for those of you who take the mantle of leadership upon your shoulders.
I can also understand why you’d want to slap the living dog piss out of your neighbors.
Nonetheless, the burden is yours to bear until you say you don’t want it anymore.
So as long as you control the money or are on the board---you have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the association.
That means filing the correct paperwork with governmental bodies.
That means applying for the refuse rebate from the city.
That means following up on capital projects despite the fact that no one wants to hear about another special assessment.
Because when you don’t----well---you have our little situation.
I personally used to handle those initially insignificant tasks that come back to bite you in the ass but personal matters got in the way.
Then the unemployment.
Then I was told I was a bad neighbor.
At that point, I decided why should I use my talents and connections for people who don’t fully appreciate them?
I’ve showed everyone what was needed to be done.
If you’re too busy or too lazy to print out a piece of paper, fill it out and find supporting documentation---shame on you.
I’m done enabling a group of grown ups.
I know it’s not all about me. I simply dug down deeper than most are willing to do and found the answers we needed for our multiples situations.
It’s not like I’m curing cancer.
But it appears that in my absence, things have been handled in a less than efficient manner.
Your condo is your home, you have to treat the association like a business.
Or at the very least insure that the city doesn’t come snooping around.
Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, we have completely stepped in it---the proverbial shit is getting ready to hit the fan.
My concern is that when we get these violations repaired that our cash strapped city will find new ones.
If the city is trying to collect on Bears season ticket holders PSL's, anything's possible.
I predict that this is not gonna turn out well.
.jpg)
Yes, dear readers---we’re having façade issues again.
Except this time it was a different section.
Once again we were lucky that no one got hurt. But unlike the last time, our little mishap didn’t go unnoticed.
Hence the love note from the city.
How did I find out?
Easy---the city sent out the notifications to the last information that they had on file. Seeing that no one has bothered to file an annual report or bothered to change our registered agent with the state, the city decided to send notification to anyone they could find.
That included my address.
Now before I get on my soap box, I will acknowledge a few things in defense of my neighbors who are doing the heavy lifting.
The focus at the time was on paying off our existing special assessment and continuously following up on those members severely behind in their monthly assessments.
That hand you see being raised would be mine. Guilty as charged.
The rigors of dealing with association business and your own personal life has been known to drive a person batty. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Watching your lay about neighbors make excuse after excuse on why they either won’t or can’t help; listening to empty promise after empty promise can wear on your nerves.
I can understand the frustration for those of you who take the mantle of leadership upon your shoulders.
I can also understand why you’d want to slap the living dog piss out of your neighbors.
Nonetheless, the burden is yours to bear until you say you don’t want it anymore.
So as long as you control the money or are on the board---you have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the association.
That means filing the correct paperwork with governmental bodies.
That means applying for the refuse rebate from the city.
That means following up on capital projects despite the fact that no one wants to hear about another special assessment.
Because when you don’t----well---you have our little situation.
I personally used to handle those initially insignificant tasks that come back to bite you in the ass but personal matters got in the way.
Then the unemployment.
Then I was told I was a bad neighbor.
At that point, I decided why should I use my talents and connections for people who don’t fully appreciate them?
I’ve showed everyone what was needed to be done.
If you’re too busy or too lazy to print out a piece of paper, fill it out and find supporting documentation---shame on you.
I’m done enabling a group of grown ups.
I know it’s not all about me. I simply dug down deeper than most are willing to do and found the answers we needed for our multiples situations.
It’s not like I’m curing cancer.
But it appears that in my absence, things have been handled in a less than efficient manner.
Your condo is your home, you have to treat the association like a business.
Or at the very least insure that the city doesn’t come snooping around.
Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, we have completely stepped in it---the proverbial shit is getting ready to hit the fan.
My concern is that when we get these violations repaired that our cash strapped city will find new ones.
If the city is trying to collect on Bears season ticket holders PSL's, anything's possible.
I predict that this is not gonna turn out well.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Flying Under The Radar
Clearly I have not been paying attention to the goings on in the neighborhood.
It might have been because I was (am?) putting my life back together after 11 months of unemployment (Note: Not as easy as one would think).
Or it might have been the brutality of this slow moving winter and my knee injury.
Or it might have been because my head may have been firmly ensconced up my ass.
Either way, I had no clue that there was (is) a gang turf war in our little patch of heaven.
At least I didn’t know until it erupted on Monday night resulting in the shooting death of a 15 year old.
While the violence was a shock, I was fully prepared for the negative comments that usually accompany the subsequent Tribune and Sun-Times stories about the incident.
Luckily, the Tribune disabled the comments section by the time I had read the article.
Perhaps they already knew the caliber of commenter and simply disabled the ability to comment from the beginning.
No matter how you feel, someone’s child is dead.
While the consequences that led up to that fact are important, at the very least you should err on the side of respect.
Yes, I understand that some people cause their own problems.
But a majority of comments on articles about urban crime are mean and tip toe right up the line of being racist.
So it was with this in mind that I steeled myself after reading the Tribune’s article.
But it was all for naught.
I will say this to you who feel that “some people,” specifically black people, don’t care about the communities where they reside.
Let me preface my statements by affirming that while I may speak for myself, I also happen to know a huge swath of other black folks who feel as I do.
Yes, we care about where we live even though some may not think so.
Yes, we call the police.
In my experience the places that are usually the worst on the block are owned by either people who live in the suburbs or well meaning social service agencies.
Ironic, huh?
So the suburban neighbor that you so enthusiastically great each day may be the single largest contributing cause to crime in any given neighborhood.
Go cluck your tongue and pass your judgments on them.
Because lax tenant screening + credit requirements + non-resident management = a recipe for disaster.
But what do they care?
They keep on getting money that supports their comfortable lifestyles in their practically crime free neighborhoods.
And these well meaning social service agencies are no better.
I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth so I very much understand people needing help.
So I know that a lack of financial resources does make you or your family bad people.
Yet because of the fact you or your family may not have the time or the resources to mount a time consuming, draining protest about issues in your neighborhood doesn’t mean you don’t care.
In fact, that’s what I think some dubious people look for.
They look for the people who are the hardest pressed and will squawk the least.
‘Cause it’s a hell of a thing holding down multiple jobs and/or raising children and/or staying on the straight and narrow AND trying to get people to do right by your neighborhood.
Trying to get long time institutions to respect where you live.
Trying to get landlords to treat your neighborhood with the same consideration that they treat their neighborhoods.
Trying to uncover the maze of LLC’s who illegally convert rentals to condos and leave them when they run out of money.
Trying to get the police to pay real attention to those no good thugs on the corner.
It’s exhausting.
If you let it, it can drain your essence.
Trying to fix something that has been broken for a long time takes patience and resourcefulness.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
That’s a pretty tall bill for working class people who may not be well versed in how the city that works really works.
For those of you who can’t see beyond race, look up how UIC got built and get back to me.
So when I see these cowards hide behind a comment section and spout off about “why those people in that neighborhood don’t do anything” I know they have no idea what they’re talking about.
Because I know that I care about where I live---my neighbors do too.
Some things just fly under the radar.
It might have been because I was (am?) putting my life back together after 11 months of unemployment (Note: Not as easy as one would think).
Or it might have been the brutality of this slow moving winter and my knee injury.
Or it might have been because my head may have been firmly ensconced up my ass.
Either way, I had no clue that there was (is) a gang turf war in our little patch of heaven.
At least I didn’t know until it erupted on Monday night resulting in the shooting death of a 15 year old.
While the violence was a shock, I was fully prepared for the negative comments that usually accompany the subsequent Tribune and Sun-Times stories about the incident.
Luckily, the Tribune disabled the comments section by the time I had read the article.
Perhaps they already knew the caliber of commenter and simply disabled the ability to comment from the beginning.
No matter how you feel, someone’s child is dead.
While the consequences that led up to that fact are important, at the very least you should err on the side of respect.
Yes, I understand that some people cause their own problems.
But a majority of comments on articles about urban crime are mean and tip toe right up the line of being racist.
So it was with this in mind that I steeled myself after reading the Tribune’s article.
But it was all for naught.
I will say this to you who feel that “some people,” specifically black people, don’t care about the communities where they reside.
Let me preface my statements by affirming that while I may speak for myself, I also happen to know a huge swath of other black folks who feel as I do.
Yes, we care about where we live even though some may not think so.
Yes, we call the police.
In my experience the places that are usually the worst on the block are owned by either people who live in the suburbs or well meaning social service agencies.
Ironic, huh?
So the suburban neighbor that you so enthusiastically great each day may be the single largest contributing cause to crime in any given neighborhood.
Go cluck your tongue and pass your judgments on them.
Because lax tenant screening + credit requirements + non-resident management = a recipe for disaster.
But what do they care?
They keep on getting money that supports their comfortable lifestyles in their practically crime free neighborhoods.
And these well meaning social service agencies are no better.
I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth so I very much understand people needing help.
So I know that a lack of financial resources does make you or your family bad people.
Yet because of the fact you or your family may not have the time or the resources to mount a time consuming, draining protest about issues in your neighborhood doesn’t mean you don’t care.
In fact, that’s what I think some dubious people look for.
They look for the people who are the hardest pressed and will squawk the least.
‘Cause it’s a hell of a thing holding down multiple jobs and/or raising children and/or staying on the straight and narrow AND trying to get people to do right by your neighborhood.
Trying to get long time institutions to respect where you live.
Trying to get landlords to treat your neighborhood with the same consideration that they treat their neighborhoods.
Trying to uncover the maze of LLC’s who illegally convert rentals to condos and leave them when they run out of money.
Trying to get the police to pay real attention to those no good thugs on the corner.
It’s exhausting.
If you let it, it can drain your essence.
Trying to fix something that has been broken for a long time takes patience and resourcefulness.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
That’s a pretty tall bill for working class people who may not be well versed in how the city that works really works.
For those of you who can’t see beyond race, look up how UIC got built and get back to me.
So when I see these cowards hide behind a comment section and spout off about “why those people in that neighborhood don’t do anything” I know they have no idea what they’re talking about.
Because I know that I care about where I live---my neighbors do too.
Some things just fly under the radar.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Fractured Fairy Tale
There once was a lady who lived with her son on the south side of Chicago.
Unfortunately and unbeknownst to them, they lived in an apartment that had lead paint.
The exposure to the poison left the little boy with elevated lead levels in his blood.
So the lady left the building and moved to another place.
I can only assume to raise her child in the safest environment she could find and afford.
Unfortunately for her, the next place at 6959 South Paxton was no better than the first.
Or so the lawsuit allegeds (2008-L-005961).
Quadria Thomas and her son Danais Thomas are not only going after Merrill Square Cooperative and Quality Management Services---the first location; but also Carlton Knight and fellow defendants Walter Thomas and Theresa Thomas owners and/or property managers of the Paxton address.
Mr. Knight, Mr. & Ms. Thomas were the owners of the building where Ms. Thomas and her son “lawfully lived in and/or frequently visited an apartment in the said premises.”
I wish them luck.
I don’t think the esteemed lawyers of Conway & Conway know who they’re dealing with.
Even if they can prove that:
“…The said lead based paint to peel, flake, powder and otherwise deteriorate to the point where it could be and was ingested by the minor plaintiff;”
And…
“Caused other materials containing lead to be and remain on said premises and the apartment occupied by the plaintiffs, thereby creating a dangerous condition;”
And…
“Failed to warn the plaintiff’s parents and/or grandparents of the danger posed by the presence of lead on the said premises and/or apartment, though they knew that minor children were living on the premises.”
I’m mystified on how they’re going to get any type of financial relief.
I strongly suspect that legal shenanigans and delays will frustrate the plaintiffs and their lawyers.
And since a delayed payday is never on a lawyer’s agenda (or at least any lawyer I know), it’s within the realm of possibility that the plaintiffs may be dropped by their legal representative(s).
Leaving them up the creek without a paddle.
But when you think about it, would you really blame the lawyers?
You have a case constantly delayed with little if any chance of finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow what would you do?
But I hope against hope that’s not gonna happen.
Because if anyone needs to fight out a lawsuit, it needs to be on behalf of a little boy who’s very sick and was injured through no fault of his own.
I’m hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Unfortunately and unbeknownst to them, they lived in an apartment that had lead paint.
The exposure to the poison left the little boy with elevated lead levels in his blood.
So the lady left the building and moved to another place.
I can only assume to raise her child in the safest environment she could find and afford.
Unfortunately for her, the next place at 6959 South Paxton was no better than the first.
Or so the lawsuit allegeds (2008-L-005961).
Quadria Thomas and her son Danais Thomas are not only going after Merrill Square Cooperative and Quality Management Services---the first location; but also Carlton Knight and fellow defendants Walter Thomas and Theresa Thomas owners and/or property managers of the Paxton address.
Mr. Knight, Mr. & Ms. Thomas were the owners of the building where Ms. Thomas and her son “lawfully lived in and/or frequently visited an apartment in the said premises.”
I wish them luck.
I don’t think the esteemed lawyers of Conway & Conway know who they’re dealing with.
Even if they can prove that:
“…The said lead based paint to peel, flake, powder and otherwise deteriorate to the point where it could be and was ingested by the minor plaintiff;”
And…
“Caused other materials containing lead to be and remain on said premises and the apartment occupied by the plaintiffs, thereby creating a dangerous condition;”
And…
“Failed to warn the plaintiff’s parents and/or grandparents of the danger posed by the presence of lead on the said premises and/or apartment, though they knew that minor children were living on the premises.”
I’m mystified on how they’re going to get any type of financial relief.
I strongly suspect that legal shenanigans and delays will frustrate the plaintiffs and their lawyers.
And since a delayed payday is never on a lawyer’s agenda (or at least any lawyer I know), it’s within the realm of possibility that the plaintiffs may be dropped by their legal representative(s).
Leaving them up the creek without a paddle.
But when you think about it, would you really blame the lawyers?
You have a case constantly delayed with little if any chance of finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow what would you do?
But I hope against hope that’s not gonna happen.
Because if anyone needs to fight out a lawsuit, it needs to be on behalf of a little boy who’s very sick and was injured through no fault of his own.
I’m hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Coming and Going
Good things come to those who wait.
Or at least that’s how the old saying goes.
The latest in Carlton Knight legal news is a doozy.
When I last wrote about him, Inland Bank and Trust’s lawsuit to get their million dollars was evolving into a page turner.
Well I’m proud to report its officially crack-a-lackin’---simply delightful reading material.
Let me break it down for y’all:
Inland Bank filed two separate cases against Mr. Knight regarding the Dixie Highway property in Harvey. The first was for a complaint to foreclose (CH07-10840) and the second was for a complaint for a confession of judgment.
A confession of judgment is when a defendant confesses to the accuracy of the plaintiff’s complaint or signs a “cognovit actionem, a written confession made out earlier by the defendant.”
“The cognovit note says in writing that the debtor owes a particular sum and has voluntarily submitted himself or herself to the authority of the court. If the debtor later fell into arrears, the creditor could obtain a judgment against the debtor without even bothering to notify the debtor of the proceedings.”
Explanation courtesy of Answers.com
Carlton’s lawyers in turn filed a motion (07-L-051164) to consolidate both of the cases while hoping to vacate the confession of judgment and/or “stay any further enforcement and allow the court hearing the mortgage foreclosure case to determine the alleged issue regarding the legality of the note.”
In short, if the cases get consolidated and there are grounds for dismissal on either point, the whole thing goes away.
That is the pimpiest of pimp legal moves I have ever seen.
At one point I questioned the prowess of one of Carlton’s legal team but I do have to say that these new kids (or at least new to me) from Cook, Revak & Associates are good.
Sharp cookies, indeed.
Inland fired back by stating:
“Mortgagee has several remedies (personal judgment, foreclosure, or recover possession of the property) that may be pursued to enforce payment. These remedies are concurrent or successive, as the mortgagee deems appropriate. When a mortgagee chooses to pursue remedies concurrently, they must be maintained separately.”
“The plaintiff may choose its remedy-or remedies-as it deems necessary and may pursue multiple remedies concurrently. It is clear that the proceedings must be tried separately. Therefore the plaintiff was proper in bringing both a mortgage foreclosure proceeding and the confession of judgment proceeding and the court should not consolidate the cases.”
Boo-ya, baby!
Apparently Inland isn’t taking the possible loss of over a million dollars lightly.
Or at least that’s how the old saying goes.
The latest in Carlton Knight legal news is a doozy.
When I last wrote about him, Inland Bank and Trust’s lawsuit to get their million dollars was evolving into a page turner.
Well I’m proud to report its officially crack-a-lackin’---simply delightful reading material.
Let me break it down for y’all:
Inland Bank filed two separate cases against Mr. Knight regarding the Dixie Highway property in Harvey. The first was for a complaint to foreclose (CH07-10840) and the second was for a complaint for a confession of judgment.
A confession of judgment is when a defendant confesses to the accuracy of the plaintiff’s complaint or signs a “cognovit actionem, a written confession made out earlier by the defendant.”
“The cognovit note says in writing that the debtor owes a particular sum and has voluntarily submitted himself or herself to the authority of the court. If the debtor later fell into arrears, the creditor could obtain a judgment against the debtor without even bothering to notify the debtor of the proceedings.”
Explanation courtesy of Answers.com
Carlton’s lawyers in turn filed a motion (07-L-051164) to consolidate both of the cases while hoping to vacate the confession of judgment and/or “stay any further enforcement and allow the court hearing the mortgage foreclosure case to determine the alleged issue regarding the legality of the note.”
In short, if the cases get consolidated and there are grounds for dismissal on either point, the whole thing goes away.
That is the pimpiest of pimp legal moves I have ever seen.
At one point I questioned the prowess of one of Carlton’s legal team but I do have to say that these new kids (or at least new to me) from Cook, Revak & Associates are good.
Sharp cookies, indeed.
Inland fired back by stating:
“Mortgagee has several remedies (personal judgment, foreclosure, or recover possession of the property) that may be pursued to enforce payment. These remedies are concurrent or successive, as the mortgagee deems appropriate. When a mortgagee chooses to pursue remedies concurrently, they must be maintained separately.”
“The plaintiff may choose its remedy-or remedies-as it deems necessary and may pursue multiple remedies concurrently. It is clear that the proceedings must be tried separately. Therefore the plaintiff was proper in bringing both a mortgage foreclosure proceeding and the confession of judgment proceeding and the court should not consolidate the cases.”
Boo-ya, baby!
Apparently Inland isn’t taking the possible loss of over a million dollars lightly.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Post Script
Just wanted to keep you all in the loop on a couple of recent developments:
Per my expectations, the driver responsible for my latest bootleg cab experience has been found liable of violating the municipal code of Chicago.
I bet you he won't ask another person to prepay if they happen to live on the south side.
When will people learn that one way or the other, that they'll pay the price for their ignorance.
My Developer, Carlton Knight, goes back to court on the 12th of this month. He wil appear before the Hon. William Pileggi in regards to the buidling violations in the Marquette Road condo development.
Naturally, I'm sure there will be yet another loophole for him to slip through to not comply with the building codes.
Go figure.
Rumor has it that he was granted more time by Judge Pileggi due to the fact that he was making an effort to move forward on the work.
I wonder if the good judge would be as understanding with Mr. Knight if he knew the intersting circumstances surrounding the single family townhome at 32nd & Rhodes.
Now I will say that my time has been spent the past year or so scratching around, looking for and keeping multiple jobs.
So my Inch High Private Eye game may be off a bit.
But the last time I checked, Mr. Knight did not have a valid City of Chicago real estate developer's license.
Furthermore, the property at 32nd & Rhodes was supposed to continue to be a hole in the ground until Mr. Knight got his seemingly questionable permits approved by way of a legitimate developer's license.
Clearly that wasn't the case.
Per this listing the single family townhome is nearing completion and delivery.
Now Mr. Knight could have applied for and received his real estate developer's license.
He could have sold the property and another limited liability company (or corporation) may have scooped it up.
This project may be totally on the up and up.
Yet if Mr. Knight is still heavily involved---and I tend to think he is---I would consider his past real estate efforts and total up the wins for the owners in the won/loss column.
You tell me who comes out wanting.
So let's play hypothetical.
If I'm a "real estate developer" who dosen't have a City of Chicago real estate developer's license and yet I still get permits and the like pushed through one of two things springs to mind---I either said that the development was for myself and turn around and put it on the commercial market
OR
Things are not as squeeky clean and monitored as the city would like us to believe.
Hypothetically speaking of course.
Lastly, you've never seen a happier woman than me watching the salt trucks go down our humble little street last night.
What was previously a two block ice rink prior to a drastic turn around in snow removal and salting policy has now become a passable throughfare.
Which is good considering I'm all gimpy from my recent tumble.
Per my expectations, the driver responsible for my latest bootleg cab experience has been found liable of violating the municipal code of Chicago.
I bet you he won't ask another person to prepay if they happen to live on the south side.
When will people learn that one way or the other, that they'll pay the price for their ignorance.
My Developer, Carlton Knight, goes back to court on the 12th of this month. He wil appear before the Hon. William Pileggi in regards to the buidling violations in the Marquette Road condo development.
Naturally, I'm sure there will be yet another loophole for him to slip through to not comply with the building codes.
Go figure.
Rumor has it that he was granted more time by Judge Pileggi due to the fact that he was making an effort to move forward on the work.
I wonder if the good judge would be as understanding with Mr. Knight if he knew the intersting circumstances surrounding the single family townhome at 32nd & Rhodes.
Now I will say that my time has been spent the past year or so scratching around, looking for and keeping multiple jobs.
So my Inch High Private Eye game may be off a bit.
But the last time I checked, Mr. Knight did not have a valid City of Chicago real estate developer's license.
Furthermore, the property at 32nd & Rhodes was supposed to continue to be a hole in the ground until Mr. Knight got his seemingly questionable permits approved by way of a legitimate developer's license.
Clearly that wasn't the case.
Per this listing the single family townhome is nearing completion and delivery.
Now Mr. Knight could have applied for and received his real estate developer's license.
He could have sold the property and another limited liability company (or corporation) may have scooped it up.
This project may be totally on the up and up.
Yet if Mr. Knight is still heavily involved---and I tend to think he is---I would consider his past real estate efforts and total up the wins for the owners in the won/loss column.
You tell me who comes out wanting.
So let's play hypothetical.
If I'm a "real estate developer" who dosen't have a City of Chicago real estate developer's license and yet I still get permits and the like pushed through one of two things springs to mind---I either said that the development was for myself and turn around and put it on the commercial market
OR
Things are not as squeeky clean and monitored as the city would like us to believe.
Hypothetically speaking of course.
Lastly, you've never seen a happier woman than me watching the salt trucks go down our humble little street last night.
What was previously a two block ice rink prior to a drastic turn around in snow removal and salting policy has now become a passable throughfare.
Which is good considering I'm all gimpy from my recent tumble.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
How Many Times Can I Invoke The Name Of Jesus In A Week?
You know what? I'm going to go and get a drink.
While doing so, I'll ponder the possible impact of this latest development on the 'hood.
Jesus take the wheel.
While doing so, I'll ponder the possible impact of this latest development on the 'hood.
Jesus take the wheel.
Monday, August 04, 2008
The Second Report
The first report on the state of Carlton Knight’s Harvey rental properties painted some dismal conditions at the three buildings.
The second report finds that the receiver hired both an architect and a general contractor to inspect the property per a court order. “The basic conclusion from the reports is that the property, while structurally sound is in need of major repairs.”
Shocker.
As if things couldn’t weren’t bad enough for the folks living at the rentals named The Rose (indeed), they also had a little issue with their water pipes and sewers.
More specifically on December 26th, 2007 “two water pipes broke, the sewers backed up and waste was coming up the drains in the utility room in the 15144 building.”
Merry Christmas.
According to the report, the issue was immediately fixed (yuck!) and then the plumbers came back out on January 14, 2008 to complete a more extensive repair. “They noted that the sewer lines were old and some of the lines had extensive debris in them that was affecting the pitch of the sewers.”
I wonder if this is how Mr. Knight is “involved in all aspects of operations.” Letting the sewer lines get so backed up that his former tenants were swimming in shit.
The inspection reports read like a laundry list of repairs. I’ll save you the boring parts and get down to brass tacks.
The construction totals are as follows:
Misc. Exterior Work-----$28,600.00
Interior Work------------$326,500.00
HVAC Repairs--------------$15,000.00 to $20,000.00
Other Capital Repairs--$144,200.00
Yowsa that’s a lot a scratch.
At the time of the report, one tenant had moved out to a nursing home and three tenants vacated their units as of January 31st. So if I’m doing my math correctly that would of put the occupancy rate at 25 units that were unoccupied at the time.
Which would explain the dismal cash situation.
“As of December 7, 2007 the receiver had $6,770.98 in its account. From December 7, 2007 to January 23, 2008 the receiver collected $11,999.00 in rents and paid $17,862.23 in expenses. The case balances as of January 24th, 2008 is $907.75.”
That’s some thin margins to operate and maintain an apartment building.
The second report finds that the receiver hired both an architect and a general contractor to inspect the property per a court order. “The basic conclusion from the reports is that the property, while structurally sound is in need of major repairs.”
Shocker.
As if things couldn’t weren’t bad enough for the folks living at the rentals named The Rose (indeed), they also had a little issue with their water pipes and sewers.
More specifically on December 26th, 2007 “two water pipes broke, the sewers backed up and waste was coming up the drains in the utility room in the 15144 building.”
Merry Christmas.
According to the report, the issue was immediately fixed (yuck!) and then the plumbers came back out on January 14, 2008 to complete a more extensive repair. “They noted that the sewer lines were old and some of the lines had extensive debris in them that was affecting the pitch of the sewers.”
I wonder if this is how Mr. Knight is “involved in all aspects of operations.” Letting the sewer lines get so backed up that his former tenants were swimming in shit.
The inspection reports read like a laundry list of repairs. I’ll save you the boring parts and get down to brass tacks.
The construction totals are as follows:
Misc. Exterior Work-----$28,600.00
Interior Work------------$326,500.00
HVAC Repairs--------------$15,000.00 to $20,000.00
Other Capital Repairs--$144,200.00
Yowsa that’s a lot a scratch.
At the time of the report, one tenant had moved out to a nursing home and three tenants vacated their units as of January 31st. So if I’m doing my math correctly that would of put the occupancy rate at 25 units that were unoccupied at the time.
Which would explain the dismal cash situation.
“As of December 7, 2007 the receiver had $6,770.98 in its account. From December 7, 2007 to January 23, 2008 the receiver collected $11,999.00 in rents and paid $17,862.23 in expenses. The case balances as of January 24th, 2008 is $907.75.”
That’s some thin margins to operate and maintain an apartment building.
Monday, July 28, 2008
The First Report
Gainful employment has rendered me able to get back digging through my developer’s court records.
Funny how not worrying about money frees you to pursue other interests.
And as you all know, Mr. Knight’s legal predicaments happens to be one of mine.
In an earlier post, I detailed the initial paperwork of the lawsuit filed by Inland Bank and Trust against Carlton Knight for $1,120,000.
At the time I first viewed the court papers in December of last year, Mr. Knight had fought the lender’s attempt to have the property put into receivership.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with receivership it’s when “a creditor can enforce security against a company's assets in an effort to obtain repayment of the secured debt.”
In other words a receiver “distributes the proceeds to creditors and can also complete the administration of the estate.”
Or at least that’s what Wikipedia says.
According to papers obtained from the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County that’s exactly what happened.
The first receiver’s report reads like a primer for mismanaging a rental property. Out of 40 units the receiver said that 14 units were “nearly uninhabitable,” 7 were in “inhabitable but in poor condition” and 20 are in “reasonable condition.”
Oh yeah, if the number 14 + 7 + 20 don’t equal 40 it’s because one of the units was used as an onsite property management office.
The report further states that “poor conditions stem mostly from damaged seals along windows/doors that allowed water to get under the tile and carpet and mold in the walls, damaged/broken appliances, damaged cabinets, broken sinks, etc.”
I wonder if this is the “hands on, proactive management philosophy” that Mr. Knight espouses on his website?”
Again the report states that 20 of the 41 units are unoccupied and that the vacant units are “frequently vandalized and the doors are kicked in.”
Nice.
“It appears that the portions of the structural features (masonry, walls, parking areas, etc.) are in fair condition while other features, such as roofs, exterior decks and stairs on the 15144 building are in poor to very poor condition Additional items needing attention include boarded up windows/patio doors, broken doors/locks, heaters, backed up sewers, missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, security cameras, thermostats and other items. “
Broken heaters? Backed up sewers? Missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors?
Those seem like slum conditions to me.
I’m also curious to know why a lender would make such a substantial loan on a property in poor condition. I doubt that a property could have gone so far south in only four years.
Doesn’t anyone do their homework before handing out over a million dollars?
Then of course I apparently I didn’t do mine before I signed on the dotted line so there you go.
“Preliminary estimates for building repairs amount to $175,000 - $210,000 with a majority of the costs for the roofs and stairs/decks.”
Well that’s what the report says according to the court papers. Don’t act like I just went out and made this stuff up.
But wait there’s more---at the time of the report the first installment of the 2006 property taxes had not been paid.
“The current amount due for all of the 2006 real estate taxes including penalties associated with the 1st installment is $49,567.96.”
So let’s sum it up----half the units are unoccupied, the property was (is?) in severe disrepair and the property taxes for 2006 were overdue.
Do not make me share the samplings of the tenant maintenance surveys.
I can sum it up in one word---chilling.
Funny how not worrying about money frees you to pursue other interests.
And as you all know, Mr. Knight’s legal predicaments happens to be one of mine.
In an earlier post, I detailed the initial paperwork of the lawsuit filed by Inland Bank and Trust against Carlton Knight for $1,120,000.
At the time I first viewed the court papers in December of last year, Mr. Knight had fought the lender’s attempt to have the property put into receivership.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with receivership it’s when “a creditor can enforce security against a company's assets in an effort to obtain repayment of the secured debt.”
In other words a receiver “distributes the proceeds to creditors and can also complete the administration of the estate.”
Or at least that’s what Wikipedia says.
According to papers obtained from the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County that’s exactly what happened.
The first receiver’s report reads like a primer for mismanaging a rental property. Out of 40 units the receiver said that 14 units were “nearly uninhabitable,” 7 were in “inhabitable but in poor condition” and 20 are in “reasonable condition.”
Oh yeah, if the number 14 + 7 + 20 don’t equal 40 it’s because one of the units was used as an onsite property management office.
The report further states that “poor conditions stem mostly from damaged seals along windows/doors that allowed water to get under the tile and carpet and mold in the walls, damaged/broken appliances, damaged cabinets, broken sinks, etc.”
I wonder if this is the “hands on, proactive management philosophy” that Mr. Knight espouses on his website?”
Again the report states that 20 of the 41 units are unoccupied and that the vacant units are “frequently vandalized and the doors are kicked in.”
Nice.
“It appears that the portions of the structural features (masonry, walls, parking areas, etc.) are in fair condition while other features, such as roofs, exterior decks and stairs on the 15144 building are in poor to very poor condition Additional items needing attention include boarded up windows/patio doors, broken doors/locks, heaters, backed up sewers, missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, security cameras, thermostats and other items. “
Broken heaters? Backed up sewers? Missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors?
Those seem like slum conditions to me.
I’m also curious to know why a lender would make such a substantial loan on a property in poor condition. I doubt that a property could have gone so far south in only four years.
Doesn’t anyone do their homework before handing out over a million dollars?
Then of course I apparently I didn’t do mine before I signed on the dotted line so there you go.
“Preliminary estimates for building repairs amount to $175,000 - $210,000 with a majority of the costs for the roofs and stairs/decks.”
Well that’s what the report says according to the court papers. Don’t act like I just went out and made this stuff up.
But wait there’s more---at the time of the report the first installment of the 2006 property taxes had not been paid.
“The current amount due for all of the 2006 real estate taxes including penalties associated with the 1st installment is $49,567.96.”
So let’s sum it up----half the units are unoccupied, the property was (is?) in severe disrepair and the property taxes for 2006 were overdue.
Do not make me share the samplings of the tenant maintenance surveys.
I can sum it up in one word---chilling.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
And I Thought I Was Pissed…
Every time I turn around I continue to get love from the blogosphere.
This time it comes from a similarly themed blog named bewarethebuilder.blogspot.com.
Oooh whee----Mr. Thomas Doyle is one angry condo purchaser. He’s one pissed off brother.
And he’s my new idol.
Not only is he fighting the good fight against his developer, but his developer Bryton Development LLC and it’s principal Kevin Bryar is suing him for defamation.
Defamation----that gets me kinda hot.
Now I’ve been through Mr. Doyle’s blog and I see a great many similarities in our experiences and I feel for him
Beating your head against the wall when it comes to this condo thing ain’t no joke.
Questionable construction quality and apathetic neighbors will drive you to drink.
You went ahead and took the plunge and took part in the American Dream and threw down a chunk of money to purchase your own home.
I was shitty when I didn’t get my full condo value for my paltry $125,000.
So I get that Mr. Doyle, also know as Truth In Advertising, is beyond incensed where his $390,000 is concerned.
Personally speaking, I’d launch a full scale war if that type of cheddar was involved.
So I say to Mr. Doyle and those of you who may follow in our steps, call it like you see it----but with caution.
Documentation, documentation, documentation.
Let me make myself abundantly clear----make sure you can document your claims.
Oh yeah, no matter how tempted you are to call the people you write about names and offer your opinion, resist.
Well, mostly. Sometimes you have to slip in a "shifty" here and a "scumbag" there to make your point.
Yeah, I name my developer and write about Mt. Carmel but majority of my posts are based in fact and can be verified by court documents or pictures.
My posts about random neighbors and the Jenkins Boys notwithstanding.
Note: Woody + Cell phone camera = trouble. I’m a picture snappin’ broad. Don’t do anything dirty, I will put your shit on blast.
Anyhoo…
For those of you who have been reading from the beginning you’ll remember that at first I didn’t name names---it took quite a while before Mr. Knight’s name was mentioned. I didn’t even refer to Mt. Carmel by name until earlier this year.
My intent in starting my blog was two fold---As a form of therapy and to inform others of some of the pitfalls on condo home ownership.
Everything else just kinda fell into place.
But as you all know egregious acts call for egregious actions. Hence names were named.
But through it all I adhered to my number one rule---be able to prove it through documentation.
Ladies and gentlemen, avail yourself of secrets hiding in plain sight. The freedom of information act was made to uncover potential deception.
Or at the very least be able to prove a pattern of behaviors that will lend credibility to any future acqusations you may make.
Ladies and gentlemen those government links on the left side aren’t there because I needed space filler.
Hell, I think that the kids at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office almost know me by name.
I find most if not all of my documentation right there.
You’d be surprised what you can find in legal proceedings in the Cook county court system.
Actually, you’d be surprised at what you can find when you start leafing through bankruptcy filings at the federal building.
But I’m sure you get the point.
It’s all right in front of you. Dig through, make copies and factually post your findings. Throw in your voice and you have a blog.
Now I’m not sure how this brouhaha is gonna turn out for Mr. Doyle.
But I would think that if he can properly document past behaviors and the current situation, he may stand a chance of defeating this lawsuit.
What do I know, I’m not a lawyer (even though I know an ass load of them).
This has all of the makings of a possible 1st amendment test case.
Time will tell if I’m right.
But I’ll tell you this; I’m running down to the clerk’s office tomorrow to get the 411. I’ll be the one at the copy machine.
This time it comes from a similarly themed blog named bewarethebuilder.blogspot.com.
Oooh whee----Mr. Thomas Doyle is one angry condo purchaser. He’s one pissed off brother.
And he’s my new idol.
Not only is he fighting the good fight against his developer, but his developer Bryton Development LLC and it’s principal Kevin Bryar is suing him for defamation.
Defamation----that gets me kinda hot.
Now I’ve been through Mr. Doyle’s blog and I see a great many similarities in our experiences and I feel for him
Beating your head against the wall when it comes to this condo thing ain’t no joke.
Questionable construction quality and apathetic neighbors will drive you to drink.
You went ahead and took the plunge and took part in the American Dream and threw down a chunk of money to purchase your own home.
I was shitty when I didn’t get my full condo value for my paltry $125,000.
So I get that Mr. Doyle, also know as Truth In Advertising, is beyond incensed where his $390,000 is concerned.
Personally speaking, I’d launch a full scale war if that type of cheddar was involved.
So I say to Mr. Doyle and those of you who may follow in our steps, call it like you see it----but with caution.
Documentation, documentation, documentation.
Let me make myself abundantly clear----make sure you can document your claims.
Oh yeah, no matter how tempted you are to call the people you write about names and offer your opinion, resist.
Well, mostly. Sometimes you have to slip in a "shifty" here and a "scumbag" there to make your point.
Yeah, I name my developer and write about Mt. Carmel but majority of my posts are based in fact and can be verified by court documents or pictures.
My posts about random neighbors and the Jenkins Boys notwithstanding.
Note: Woody + Cell phone camera = trouble. I’m a picture snappin’ broad. Don’t do anything dirty, I will put your shit on blast.
Anyhoo…
For those of you who have been reading from the beginning you’ll remember that at first I didn’t name names---it took quite a while before Mr. Knight’s name was mentioned. I didn’t even refer to Mt. Carmel by name until earlier this year.
My intent in starting my blog was two fold---As a form of therapy and to inform others of some of the pitfalls on condo home ownership.
Everything else just kinda fell into place.
But as you all know egregious acts call for egregious actions. Hence names were named.
But through it all I adhered to my number one rule---be able to prove it through documentation.
Ladies and gentlemen, avail yourself of secrets hiding in plain sight. The freedom of information act was made to uncover potential deception.
Or at the very least be able to prove a pattern of behaviors that will lend credibility to any future acqusations you may make.
Ladies and gentlemen those government links on the left side aren’t there because I needed space filler.
Hell, I think that the kids at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office almost know me by name.
I find most if not all of my documentation right there.
You’d be surprised what you can find in legal proceedings in the Cook county court system.
Actually, you’d be surprised at what you can find when you start leafing through bankruptcy filings at the federal building.
But I’m sure you get the point.
It’s all right in front of you. Dig through, make copies and factually post your findings. Throw in your voice and you have a blog.
Now I’m not sure how this brouhaha is gonna turn out for Mr. Doyle.
But I would think that if he can properly document past behaviors and the current situation, he may stand a chance of defeating this lawsuit.
What do I know, I’m not a lawyer (even though I know an ass load of them).
This has all of the makings of a possible 1st amendment test case.
Time will tell if I’m right.
But I’ll tell you this; I’m running down to the clerk’s office tomorrow to get the 411. I’ll be the one at the copy machine.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Ms. Viola
It’s rare that I meet a person and automatically feel their goodness.
Perhaps you could argue that people will rise or fall to your expectations; if you look for the worst in people, that’s what you’ll find.
Or you could argue that the world is full of assholes.
Whichever philosophy you espouse one thing is clear----good people tend to stick out in our modern society.
Such is the case of Ms. Viola.
Ms. Viola is the coordinator of the Angel Food Ministries program at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
You know, the Black Episcopalians who are feeding me.
When I discovered Angel Food and went to make my first purchase, Ms. Viola welcomed me like a long lost relative.
Not only was she warm, but when I didn’t have enough money to get one of the additional boxes she arranged to get one for me.
I didn’t know this woman from Adam and she was asking me what I needed.
Naturally I couldn’t impose on this nice lady.
I told her that it was okay, that I’d get an additional box next month. She replied that “Donations happen all the time. Just tell me what you want.”
It’s been a long time since a stranger has been nice to me.
I’m a “wait for the other shoe to drop” type of broad.
The defenses are usually up. The wall is set.
I know it’s not fashionable to say that you look for the ugly side of people’s personalities but I’ve always been truthful with you gentle readers and more importantly myself.
Nonetheless, I started to tear up at such sheer kindness.
I just adore that woman.
And because I adore this woman (and am in desperate need additional parental figures), I have a favor to ask.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church has been serving the needs of its worshipers and the Bronzeville neighborhood for over 120 years.
Their original church burned down in 1962 but they managed to carry on their ministry at the parish house until the new church was built near the intersection of 38th and Wabash.
The parish house is a beautiful but neglected jewel in a re-emerging neighborhood.
In fact, it’s next to the Margaret Burroughs house----you know the founder of the Dusable Museum of African American history.
The remaining old homes in the neighborhood are quite breathtaking and in various states of repair.
Such is the case of the St. Thomas parish house.
From what I’ve been told, this beautiful old girl was victim of some unscrupulous contractors and handymen.
In fact, part of the beautiful banister was allegedly stolen by a bootleg contractor around 17 years ago.
He took the banister from the first floor to part of the second floor and replaced it with horrible wrought iron fencing.
Yes, you read correctly----wrought iron fencing in a 100 plus year old house.
Don’t get me started on the dropped ceilings (Ick!) and other monstrosities done by “reputable” contractors.
In short the good folks of St. Thomas and Ms. Viola need to find the funds to restore the parish house to its former glory.
And before you all start asking why can’t they pay for their own repairs, I have a simple answer----‘cause they don’t have the money.
As someone who lives in an older building, I personally know how tough it is to find the money to handle repairs much less make improvements.
Keeping the lights and water on is usually a task within itself much less trying to do accurate (and expensive) historical restoration.
I know one of you has to know something about securing grants for restoration.
I know someone out there can help.
Just tell me how.
Perhaps you could argue that people will rise or fall to your expectations; if you look for the worst in people, that’s what you’ll find.
Or you could argue that the world is full of assholes.
Whichever philosophy you espouse one thing is clear----good people tend to stick out in our modern society.
Such is the case of Ms. Viola.
Ms. Viola is the coordinator of the Angel Food Ministries program at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
You know, the Black Episcopalians who are feeding me.
When I discovered Angel Food and went to make my first purchase, Ms. Viola welcomed me like a long lost relative.
Not only was she warm, but when I didn’t have enough money to get one of the additional boxes she arranged to get one for me.
I didn’t know this woman from Adam and she was asking me what I needed.
Naturally I couldn’t impose on this nice lady.
I told her that it was okay, that I’d get an additional box next month. She replied that “Donations happen all the time. Just tell me what you want.”
It’s been a long time since a stranger has been nice to me.
I’m a “wait for the other shoe to drop” type of broad.
The defenses are usually up. The wall is set.
I know it’s not fashionable to say that you look for the ugly side of people’s personalities but I’ve always been truthful with you gentle readers and more importantly myself.
Nonetheless, I started to tear up at such sheer kindness.
I just adore that woman.
And because I adore this woman (and am in desperate need additional parental figures), I have a favor to ask.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church has been serving the needs of its worshipers and the Bronzeville neighborhood for over 120 years.
Their original church burned down in 1962 but they managed to carry on their ministry at the parish house until the new church was built near the intersection of 38th and Wabash.
The parish house is a beautiful but neglected jewel in a re-emerging neighborhood.
In fact, it’s next to the Margaret Burroughs house----you know the founder of the Dusable Museum of African American history.
The remaining old homes in the neighborhood are quite breathtaking and in various states of repair.
Such is the case of the St. Thomas parish house.
From what I’ve been told, this beautiful old girl was victim of some unscrupulous contractors and handymen.
In fact, part of the beautiful banister was allegedly stolen by a bootleg contractor around 17 years ago.
He took the banister from the first floor to part of the second floor and replaced it with horrible wrought iron fencing.
Yes, you read correctly----wrought iron fencing in a 100 plus year old house.
Don’t get me started on the dropped ceilings (Ick!) and other monstrosities done by “reputable” contractors.
In short the good folks of St. Thomas and Ms. Viola need to find the funds to restore the parish house to its former glory.
And before you all start asking why can’t they pay for their own repairs, I have a simple answer----‘cause they don’t have the money.
As someone who lives in an older building, I personally know how tough it is to find the money to handle repairs much less make improvements.
Keeping the lights and water on is usually a task within itself much less trying to do accurate (and expensive) historical restoration.
I know one of you has to know something about securing grants for restoration.
I know someone out there can help.
Just tell me how.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Skokie's Come Calling
Yes, the real estate market is in the shitter.
This should come as no surprise to those of you who may have tried to refi or purchase a home in the past 12 months.
Apparently someone forgot to tell the new owners of one of the vintage apartment buildings down the street from me.
I should have known something was up when parking became a little bit easier.
One day the building was full, the next---no one was there.
And then the hammering started.
After a basic search online of county records and the ever reliable Everyblock, I’m relieved to see that the current owners have received the proper permits for the renovations that they’re performing.
There was no way that all of that hammering wasn’t going to attract attention.
Well at least attention from me.
But now the question begs who are the current owners and is the place going to be condoed out?
At first glance, it seems that Astor Properties out of Skokie put the building in a land trust but as we all know, that could be a front for yet another limited liability corporation. I won’t be able to tell you until I take a trip downtown to request copies of the deed and building permits.
But if everything is on the up and up, why haven’t they posted the building permit in a conspicuous place?
Time will tell if this outfit is legit and plans to turn out quality condos or at the very least a quality building.
I’m cautiously optimistic that this renovation will turn out well and add value to our little ‘hood.
I hope that the design of both the interior and exterior stay within the existing standard.
Believe it or not Woodlawn has design standards.
Aside from the people who want to treat our neighborhood like a rubbish bin, I really do live on a pretty block. Most of the 100 plus year old buildings are in reasonably good shape despite years of neglect.
That’s my nice way of saying that I hope the new owner(s) doesn’t paint the brick facade pink and plant huge sunflowers all over the yard.
Don’t laugh, I’ve actually seen that.
Because between you and me it would be nice to see that building’s lawn become a patch of green happiness.
This should come as no surprise to those of you who may have tried to refi or purchase a home in the past 12 months.
Apparently someone forgot to tell the new owners of one of the vintage apartment buildings down the street from me.
I should have known something was up when parking became a little bit easier.
One day the building was full, the next---no one was there.
And then the hammering started.
After a basic search online of county records and the ever reliable Everyblock, I’m relieved to see that the current owners have received the proper permits for the renovations that they’re performing.
There was no way that all of that hammering wasn’t going to attract attention.
Well at least attention from me.
But now the question begs who are the current owners and is the place going to be condoed out?
At first glance, it seems that Astor Properties out of Skokie put the building in a land trust but as we all know, that could be a front for yet another limited liability corporation. I won’t be able to tell you until I take a trip downtown to request copies of the deed and building permits.
But if everything is on the up and up, why haven’t they posted the building permit in a conspicuous place?
Time will tell if this outfit is legit and plans to turn out quality condos or at the very least a quality building.
I’m cautiously optimistic that this renovation will turn out well and add value to our little ‘hood.
I hope that the design of both the interior and exterior stay within the existing standard.
Believe it or not Woodlawn has design standards.
Aside from the people who want to treat our neighborhood like a rubbish bin, I really do live on a pretty block. Most of the 100 plus year old buildings are in reasonably good shape despite years of neglect.
That’s my nice way of saying that I hope the new owner(s) doesn’t paint the brick facade pink and plant huge sunflowers all over the yard.
Don’t laugh, I’ve actually seen that.
Because between you and me it would be nice to see that building’s lawn become a patch of green happiness.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Makin' It Rain
I realized that it’s been awhile since I’ve reported on the antics of my favorite developer, Carlton Knight.
Last September, I wrote a post about a building that’s being converted by Mr. Knight needed major corrective work, despite the fact it was currently on the market.
According to DCAP an application was submitted to replace an existing porch.
I think any rational person can agree that it was a step in the right direction.
But that little voice inside my head told me there had to be more to this story. So I took a little trip down the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office to dig up any possible paperwork.
Let me tell you folks, that was the best $1.75 I ever spent on a bus ride. The court papers did not disappoint.
So I don’t bore you I’ll cite a few samplings from the 27 page filing:
“Defendants Carlton Knight and the 1512-1514 E. Marquette LLC (‘The LLC’) are the developers of the subject property.”
“Beginning on or about January 2006, Defendants Carlton Knight and 1512-1514 E. Marquette converted the 6 unit apartment building that is the subject property to condominiums. That conversion required extensive renovations.”
“Defendants Carlton Knight, the Trust, and the LLC financed the renovations with a construction loan valued at $1,202,000, which included approximately $600,000 for the acquisition of the property.”
“Defendant Carlton Knight applied for several permits for the property. Defendant Carlton Knight failed to secure a certificate of occupancy for the property.”
The best part comes in the following eight counts the city alleges against Mr. Knight:
1. Failure to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
2. 56 separate building code violations.
3. Fines aren’t enough motivation to correct these issues, the city wants to building put into a receivership.
4. Making false statements of material fact.
5. Failure to obtain a general contractor’s license.
6. Failure to obtain a residential real estate developer’s license.
7. Failure to obtain a business license as a general contractor.
8. Failure to obtain a business license as a residential real estate developer.
My particular favorite is in count 4 (false statements of material fact) the city alleges:
“On August 18th, 2006, Carlton Knight applied for a permit for work being done on the subject property with the Department of Construction and Permits.”
“The application stated that the project was valued at under $10,000. The true value of the project was over $400,000.”
“Carlton Knight failed to disclose the true costs of work undertaken to rehabilitate the property when he falsified the amount of the rehabilitation project, and as a result violated 1-21-010 (2006).”
“Carlton Knight has violated and continues to violate section 1-21-010 of the general provisions of the municipal code by his continued failure to disclose the true costs of the work undertaken as required by DCAP and his knowingly falsifying his original application for a permit.”
I know each and every one of your are shocked by all of these allegations.
And just so you don’t die of curiosity, a few of the 56 separate building code violations range from the condition of the back porch, to inadequate lighting at an exterior entrance to the basement.
I cant imagine why the city would have a problem with various electrical code issues and failure to arrange mechanical ventilation or warm air heating system final inspection when the work was completed---do you?
I have to give the Department of Buildings and the Coporation Counsel mad props as they just seemed to finally inspect and document everything I’ve been writing about for the past two and a half years.
Only time will tell if the repairs are made or if Mr. Knight squeaks through another loophole.
Methinks the city just “made it rain” all over shady bootleg developers.
'Bout time.
Last September, I wrote a post about a building that’s being converted by Mr. Knight needed major corrective work, despite the fact it was currently on the market.
According to DCAP an application was submitted to replace an existing porch.
I think any rational person can agree that it was a step in the right direction.
But that little voice inside my head told me there had to be more to this story. So I took a little trip down the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office to dig up any possible paperwork.
Let me tell you folks, that was the best $1.75 I ever spent on a bus ride. The court papers did not disappoint.
So I don’t bore you I’ll cite a few samplings from the 27 page filing:
“Defendants Carlton Knight and the 1512-1514 E. Marquette LLC (‘The LLC’) are the developers of the subject property.”
“Beginning on or about January 2006, Defendants Carlton Knight and 1512-1514 E. Marquette converted the 6 unit apartment building that is the subject property to condominiums. That conversion required extensive renovations.”
“Defendants Carlton Knight, the Trust, and the LLC financed the renovations with a construction loan valued at $1,202,000, which included approximately $600,000 for the acquisition of the property.”
“Defendant Carlton Knight applied for several permits for the property. Defendant Carlton Knight failed to secure a certificate of occupancy for the property.”
The best part comes in the following eight counts the city alleges against Mr. Knight:
1. Failure to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.
2. 56 separate building code violations.
3. Fines aren’t enough motivation to correct these issues, the city wants to building put into a receivership.
4. Making false statements of material fact.
5. Failure to obtain a general contractor’s license.
6. Failure to obtain a residential real estate developer’s license.
7. Failure to obtain a business license as a general contractor.
8. Failure to obtain a business license as a residential real estate developer.
My particular favorite is in count 4 (false statements of material fact) the city alleges:
“On August 18th, 2006, Carlton Knight applied for a permit for work being done on the subject property with the Department of Construction and Permits.”
“The application stated that the project was valued at under $10,000. The true value of the project was over $400,000.”
“Carlton Knight failed to disclose the true costs of work undertaken to rehabilitate the property when he falsified the amount of the rehabilitation project, and as a result violated 1-21-010 (2006).”
“Carlton Knight has violated and continues to violate section 1-21-010 of the general provisions of the municipal code by his continued failure to disclose the true costs of the work undertaken as required by DCAP and his knowingly falsifying his original application for a permit.”
I know each and every one of your are shocked by all of these allegations.
And just so you don’t die of curiosity, a few of the 56 separate building code violations range from the condition of the back porch, to inadequate lighting at an exterior entrance to the basement.
I cant imagine why the city would have a problem with various electrical code issues and failure to arrange mechanical ventilation or warm air heating system final inspection when the work was completed---do you?
I have to give the Department of Buildings and the Coporation Counsel mad props as they just seemed to finally inspect and document everything I’ve been writing about for the past two and a half years.
Only time will tell if the repairs are made or if Mr. Knight squeaks through another loophole.
Methinks the city just “made it rain” all over shady bootleg developers.
'Bout time.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Neighborhood Watch
Sweet, sweet karma is starting to do the come up.
The rumor mill seems to think that Carlton Knight’s latest project at 32nd and Rhodes won’t legally start beginning construction anytime soon.
While he has all of his permits covered, he hasn’t broken ground.
The city has found out that he plans on commercially developing the property---ie: a for profit sale---if any construction activity commences, a cease and desist order will be slapped on the project.
As you should know by now, the city has a set of processes in place to monitor developers. The glaring loophole is that the city can’t possibly know if the developer is developing a commercial project unless he or she self identifies.
Or if eagle-eyed neighbors call the city.
Apparently they have kept the city abreast of any new developments.
At least that’s what I hear.
Good bless ‘em.
I can only assume that if Mr. Knight wanted to salvage the project, he’ll simply comply with the developer statutes laid down by the city.
Apply for a business license and fill out the paperwork for the developer registry---how hard is that?
Then of course he may have already done so.
Perhaps, he’s steeped in the middle of the process right now---who knows?
But I’ll tell you this, if anyone so much as takes a toy pail and shovel and moves a spoonful of earth, the shit is hitting the fan.
Big ups to the neighbors for watching over their ‘hood.
The rumor mill seems to think that Carlton Knight’s latest project at 32nd and Rhodes won’t legally start beginning construction anytime soon.
While he has all of his permits covered, he hasn’t broken ground.
The city has found out that he plans on commercially developing the property---ie: a for profit sale---if any construction activity commences, a cease and desist order will be slapped on the project.
As you should know by now, the city has a set of processes in place to monitor developers. The glaring loophole is that the city can’t possibly know if the developer is developing a commercial project unless he or she self identifies.
Or if eagle-eyed neighbors call the city.
Apparently they have kept the city abreast of any new developments.
At least that’s what I hear.
Good bless ‘em.
I can only assume that if Mr. Knight wanted to salvage the project, he’ll simply comply with the developer statutes laid down by the city.
Apply for a business license and fill out the paperwork for the developer registry---how hard is that?
Then of course he may have already done so.
Perhaps, he’s steeped in the middle of the process right now---who knows?
But I’ll tell you this, if anyone so much as takes a toy pail and shovel and moves a spoonful of earth, the shit is hitting the fan.
Big ups to the neighbors for watching over their ‘hood.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
New Development
Apparently someone in my building may be selling.
There's a realtor's lockbox on our gate but so far my sleuthing hasn't turned up who may be selling. I've talked to most of our owners and trolled the internet for a listing but have come up with nothing.
The rumor mill seems to think that our newest neighbor may have put her unit on the market. She just got here in October, I can't imagine that she'd put her place on the market so soon.
Wouldn't that be an interesting development.
There's a realtor's lockbox on our gate but so far my sleuthing hasn't turned up who may be selling. I've talked to most of our owners and trolled the internet for a listing but have come up with nothing.
The rumor mill seems to think that our newest neighbor may have put her unit on the market. She just got here in October, I can't imagine that she'd put her place on the market so soon.
Wouldn't that be an interesting development.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Curious Woody
Maybe it’s just me.
Perhaps I’ve missed the point.
I might not be firing on all cylinders.
Back in October of 2006 I asked the Lord High Executioner how was it possible that real estate developers were securing permits from DCAP without actually being a member of the real estate developer’s registry.
After all, the ordinance was to ensure “that only licensed developers could apply for building permits, this ordinance helps improve the quality of building construction.”
At least that’s what the February 11, 2004 press release said.
When the LHE started digging for an answer to my simple little question, he was told that it’s difficult to hold developer’s feet to the fire as there is no way the city can prove an individual’s intent to sell when they're applying for their permits.
In short, the ordinance can’t even begin to protect the average home buying consumer because all a shady developer has to do is not declare their intent to sell.
Then you have cut rate, half assed work and possible code violations. Once you sign your name on the dotted line, the jokes on you---it’s your entire problem.
You join the society of “God I wish I knew that back then.”
Luckily you have me to help you along the way.
Interestingly enough---and if I’ve connected all of the dot correctly---Carlton Knight is developing a single family home on the 3200 block on south Rhodes Avenue.
Naturally he flew through the DCAP permit process aided by his expediter.
And to the best of my knowledge, Mr. Knight still has not taken the step to be included on the developer’s registry for the City of Chicago.
I may be wrong---I need to go fill out Freedom of Information Act request forms anyway. It’s not like I have a job or anything. Perhaps since the last time I checked he went ahead and complied with the ordinance.
Hope springs eternal, no?
Unemployment is murder on the finances but does leave me copious amounts of time to dig through city and federal records.
The larger question is now that his intent to sell the property is in the public domain; will the city void his permits and throw a cease & desist order on the construction?
Just curious.
Perhaps I’ve missed the point.
I might not be firing on all cylinders.
Back in October of 2006 I asked the Lord High Executioner how was it possible that real estate developers were securing permits from DCAP without actually being a member of the real estate developer’s registry.
After all, the ordinance was to ensure “that only licensed developers could apply for building permits, this ordinance helps improve the quality of building construction.”
At least that’s what the February 11, 2004 press release said.
When the LHE started digging for an answer to my simple little question, he was told that it’s difficult to hold developer’s feet to the fire as there is no way the city can prove an individual’s intent to sell when they're applying for their permits.
In short, the ordinance can’t even begin to protect the average home buying consumer because all a shady developer has to do is not declare their intent to sell.
Then you have cut rate, half assed work and possible code violations. Once you sign your name on the dotted line, the jokes on you---it’s your entire problem.
You join the society of “God I wish I knew that back then.”
Luckily you have me to help you along the way.
Interestingly enough---and if I’ve connected all of the dot correctly---Carlton Knight is developing a single family home on the 3200 block on south Rhodes Avenue.
Naturally he flew through the DCAP permit process aided by his expediter.
And to the best of my knowledge, Mr. Knight still has not taken the step to be included on the developer’s registry for the City of Chicago.
I may be wrong---I need to go fill out Freedom of Information Act request forms anyway. It’s not like I have a job or anything. Perhaps since the last time I checked he went ahead and complied with the ordinance.
Hope springs eternal, no?
Unemployment is murder on the finances but does leave me copious amounts of time to dig through city and federal records.
The larger question is now that his intent to sell the property is in the public domain; will the city void his permits and throw a cease & desist order on the construction?
Just curious.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Whistling Dixie
This is a long post but it’s worth it.
Guess who’s up to his ears in a commercial foreclosure, lawsuit and a possible sale?
That’s right, the effervescent Carlton Knight.
I recently took a trip to the Clerk of the Circuit Court records division after I discovered new legal proceedings against Mr. Knight.
I love the transparency of the legal system in my neck of the woods.
I’m just giving you the interesting parts. For those of you waiting with baited breath for a bullet point by bullet point outline of the failed summons service attempts, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
The following facts were taken from court records filed earlier this year:
A mortgage loan for $1,120,000 was taken out with Westbank in Hillside, IL by Carlton Knight and Chicago Title Land Trust Company (as successor trustee to NAB Bank) under trust number 2-107-0 on October 3, 2003. The 40 unit commercial property is located at 15144 Dixie Highway in Harvey, Illinois.
On April 19, 2007 a foreclosure suit was filed against Carlton and the above mentioned trust for the unpaid balance of the mortgage, legal fees and court costs by Inland Bank & Trust F/K/A Westbank.
On June 13, 2007 Carlton filed appearance documentation declaring his intent to represent himself (ProSe) and the answer Inland Bank’s initial complaint. His response was that there was “insufficient information with which to admit or deny paragraphs 1-3 of the complaint to foreclosure mortgage and therefore neither admit nor deny those paragraphs but demand strict proof thereof.”
Now here’s where it gets fun.
The newly engaged (and one of People Magazine’s sexiest men of 2005) Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald, jumps into the fray by filing his own answer to the complaint.
Why, might you ask?
It appears the Internal Revenue Service AND the city have an interest in the Dixie Highway property in hopes of satisfying both a tax lien AND a judgment.
So Mr. Fitzgerald representing the United States of America for the Northern District of Illinois stated on June 5, 2007 that a lien was placed on the premises “to secure a tax assessment balance of $379,530.72 as of May 18th 2007.”
Furthermore Mr. Fitzgerald had to raise his pimp hand to the mortgage company and the city by stating:
“The United States of America has insufficient knowledge to form a belief as to the priority between its lien, plaintiff’s mortgage and other liens against the subject premises.”
“The United States of America asserts its right of redemption accorded it under 28 U.S.C. 2410 and applicable state statutes.”
“…Further the United States of America prays that if the premises involved herin are sold free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, save the right of redemption vested in the United States of America by statute, the proceeds derived from said sale to be applied to the payment of the liens of the various parties in this cause…”
I wonder if it just would have been easier to quote Ludacris and just say “move, bitch get out the way.”
How hot is that shit?
But never one to take any type of legal proceedings lying down, Carlton filed a response on October 1, 2007 to the plaintiff’s petition to appoint a receiver.
Pimp hand indeed.
According to answers.com a receiver is a “person appointed by a court or secured creditor to run a company for a short period of time in a manner that will ensure as much debt is paid back to creditors as possible. Their main purpose is to use a company's assets in a way that will most effectively pay back creditors.”
In his response Carlton stated that the “plaintiff wrongfully assumes that rents are being collected and diverted for personal use. However 17 of the 40 units are currently vacant with less than $6,000 collected for September. All of the funds have been used to pay operating expenses (gas, water, waste disposal) and daily maintenance of the property.”
“The appointment of a receiver would only increase the expenses of a struggling property which is currently under a contract for sale, awaiting final approval and has a back up offer as a contingency.”
Whoo doggies!
Not to be one upped, Inland filed yet another suit---this time in the law division of the circuit court last week on November 28th.
Looks like these kids mean business.
Unfortunately the judge is holding the file in his chambers so I can’t get my hot little hands on it so I can give a good read.
But rest assured when I get a chance to read the paperwork, I’ll be sure to give you every factual relevant tidbit.
Guess who’s up to his ears in a commercial foreclosure, lawsuit and a possible sale?
That’s right, the effervescent Carlton Knight.
I recently took a trip to the Clerk of the Circuit Court records division after I discovered new legal proceedings against Mr. Knight.
I love the transparency of the legal system in my neck of the woods.
I’m just giving you the interesting parts. For those of you waiting with baited breath for a bullet point by bullet point outline of the failed summons service attempts, I’m sorry to disappoint you.
The following facts were taken from court records filed earlier this year:
A mortgage loan for $1,120,000 was taken out with Westbank in Hillside, IL by Carlton Knight and Chicago Title Land Trust Company (as successor trustee to NAB Bank) under trust number 2-107-0 on October 3, 2003. The 40 unit commercial property is located at 15144 Dixie Highway in Harvey, Illinois.
On April 19, 2007 a foreclosure suit was filed against Carlton and the above mentioned trust for the unpaid balance of the mortgage, legal fees and court costs by Inland Bank & Trust F/K/A Westbank.
On June 13, 2007 Carlton filed appearance documentation declaring his intent to represent himself (ProSe) and the answer Inland Bank’s initial complaint. His response was that there was “insufficient information with which to admit or deny paragraphs 1-3 of the complaint to foreclosure mortgage and therefore neither admit nor deny those paragraphs but demand strict proof thereof.”
Now here’s where it gets fun.
The newly engaged (and one of People Magazine’s sexiest men of 2005) Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald, jumps into the fray by filing his own answer to the complaint.
Why, might you ask?
It appears the Internal Revenue Service AND the city have an interest in the Dixie Highway property in hopes of satisfying both a tax lien AND a judgment.
So Mr. Fitzgerald representing the United States of America for the Northern District of Illinois stated on June 5, 2007 that a lien was placed on the premises “to secure a tax assessment balance of $379,530.72 as of May 18th 2007.”
Furthermore Mr. Fitzgerald had to raise his pimp hand to the mortgage company and the city by stating:
“The United States of America has insufficient knowledge to form a belief as to the priority between its lien, plaintiff’s mortgage and other liens against the subject premises.”
“The United States of America asserts its right of redemption accorded it under 28 U.S.C. 2410 and applicable state statutes.”
“…Further the United States of America prays that if the premises involved herin are sold free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, save the right of redemption vested in the United States of America by statute, the proceeds derived from said sale to be applied to the payment of the liens of the various parties in this cause…”
I wonder if it just would have been easier to quote Ludacris and just say “move, bitch get out the way.”
How hot is that shit?
But never one to take any type of legal proceedings lying down, Carlton filed a response on October 1, 2007 to the plaintiff’s petition to appoint a receiver.
Pimp hand indeed.
According to answers.com a receiver is a “person appointed by a court or secured creditor to run a company for a short period of time in a manner that will ensure as much debt is paid back to creditors as possible. Their main purpose is to use a company's assets in a way that will most effectively pay back creditors.”
In his response Carlton stated that the “plaintiff wrongfully assumes that rents are being collected and diverted for personal use. However 17 of the 40 units are currently vacant with less than $6,000 collected for September. All of the funds have been used to pay operating expenses (gas, water, waste disposal) and daily maintenance of the property.”
“The appointment of a receiver would only increase the expenses of a struggling property which is currently under a contract for sale, awaiting final approval and has a back up offer as a contingency.”
Whoo doggies!
Not to be one upped, Inland filed yet another suit---this time in the law division of the circuit court last week on November 28th.
Looks like these kids mean business.
Unfortunately the judge is holding the file in his chambers so I can’t get my hot little hands on it so I can give a good read.
But rest assured when I get a chance to read the paperwork, I’ll be sure to give you every factual relevant tidbit.
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