Sheffield House and Belair Hotels. The recent sales of the Sheffield House and Belair Hotel have presented many concerns for my office and our community. When we were made aware of the eviction notices, we immediately reached out to both the sellers and buyer in each situation. My staff and I have been working with the Department of Family and Support Services, the Metropolitan Tenants Organization, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, and the Lakeview Action Coalition on both buildings to ensure that everyone finds alternative housing and their rights are protected.
I have a commitment from the new owner that no one will be forcefully evicted from either building. Staff is on-site at the Belair and Sheffield House to help residents with their relocation. The City will also work to ensure that residents will be treated with respect.
The conditions of the buildings in their current state are dangerous and deplorable. The City has open court cases with both buildings. There is a vacate order in place from the City at the Sheffield House if violations are not corrected by October. The next step from the new owner is to rehab the properties to correct the numerous building and safety violations.
Of course our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our residents. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with everyone involved to protect the residents and the community.
We just had a eviction, (apparently illegal) of a resident, his wife, two year old son dog ...but not the cat...it's trapped inside the house that is now boarded up on Winthrop.
ReplyDeleteThere was no one day notice. There was no notice according to the resident.
Sheriff's police burst into the house with a truncheon, guns drawn and removed the two year old, wife and dog, leaving the cat to die. They couldn't get the cat out of his hiding place behind a wall.
They then boarded up the whole house, making the entire block look like a slum.
The banker a man by the name of Bill from Premiere Bank of Wilmette is in charge of evictions for the bank and he did not stop similing the entire time.
I want those boards taken off.
@ Stu
ReplyDeleteIs this cat still stuck? If so where is it, there are people who can still do something.
We alerted the alderman's office after a reader wrote us about the cat and the boarding up. The aldermanic staff replied that they had been in touch with neighbors of the property who had the same concerns about the cat. A neighbor called them back to say that he had been mistaken, and that the cat does have a way to get in and out of the house. Hopefully some neighbors will leave food and water for it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a post and photo on UU's Facebook page about a sweet cat who's been showing up on a reader's doorstep and needs someone to adopt it. Perhaps it's the same cat?
In any case, if you are looking for a sweet kitten, please check out our Facebook page and see if you can help this little moggie find a home.
Caring Neighbor, *thank you* for living up to your name.
ReplyDeleteThe Cat is still in the house.
ReplyDeleteThere is no air, no light, every single window has been boarded up on the inside and outside all the framing of the windows on the inside including stained glass windows from the 1890's has been destroyed by the boarding up.
The bank allowed the resident in once for 15 minutes to feed the cat who is 14 years old and freaking out. They weren't allowed to do anything. The cat remains in the house.
Bill Bannon (I'm sure that not his real last name) is the person in charge of the eviction and he is purely evil, right out of a turn of the century novel. The glee which I witnessed on his face was unbelievable as the mother and son were trotted out by Sheriff's police. And I told him many things. Among them, that he obviously enjoys watching other people suffer.
He said Uptown was all coke heads and I should tell them, not him. Premiere Bank is in Wilmette
Something needs to be done to remove the boards.