Judge Orders Demolition of 'Dangerous Property'

A Cook County judge has ordered a long vacant house at 10564 S. Homan St. to be demolished after neighbors complained that it had become a magnet for criminal activity.

Judge James McGing issued a demolition order for the dilapidated house in buildings court on Monday. Representatives from Ald. Matt O’Shea’s (19th) office had asked the judge for a demolition order.

O’Shea said the small frame house had been vacant for several years, and had become a magnet for beer-swilling, pot-smoking teens.

“The house first came to our attention through complaints from neighbors that there were kids hanging out at night,” the alderman said. "For the last several months, my staff has worked aggressive with neighbors, the Department of Buildings, and the city's law department on getting this property in court."

According to the city’s website, the first “troubled building” complaint was made in September 2008. The house was registered as a vacant building in May 2013. The Department of Buildings noted that house had open doors and mold, and the  front porch steps were rotting and leaning.”

Other incidents were also occurring. Someone had gone into the house and done electrical work which was not up to code. A few months ago, someone gained access to the property and lit it on fire.

“It’s one thing to not keep up your lawn,” O’Shea said, “but it’s quite another when you put neighbors in harm’s way.”

O’Shea did not know the owner of the house, only that it had a “for sale’ sign in front of it, which had recently been taken down.

“Permits weren’t pulled,” he said of recent work that had been done. “The owner did have a representative in [building] court.”

The alderman’s office worked with neighborhood groups, and the city’s building and law departments to get the demolition order.

“Since we first began the process, there have been other events,” O’Shea said. “We told residents that any activity they saw there to call 911, and then my office.”

A neighbor told Patch that a young adult had purchased the house for $42,000 and had been working on it, hoping to eventually flip it.

“He has his work cut out for him,” she said.

No timeline was given when the house would be actually be demolished, but O’Shea said that the fire and other mischief taking place around the property “made our case” before the judge.