Oak Park has failed our block!

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 10:00 PM

Sadly, our neighbors were evicted this week. All of their belongings were removed from their home and set out for removal. Unfortunately, there was so much stuff, their front yard and parkway, as well as the neighbors on either side's lawn and parkway were covered with household items.

After two 21-foot trucks were filled, there was still a lot of stuff left behind which has sat there for five days. People have rifled through it and so it is spread all over the place. Meanwhile, the people who lived in the house took no responsibility for the remainder of their belongings. What is left is strewn everywhere since people have stopped to go through it, looking for treasures. The new owner is responsible, according to the law, for removing what is left behind in a specified amount of time and he hasn't done his part either.

Neither has the village. Protocol has not been followed and those responsible are not being held accountable. Numerous phone calls were made and no responses came forth.

The police just told us Friday that it will be Monday or Tuesday before removal.

In the meantime, we get to look at it, watch people gawk at it, go through this terrible mess on our street!

The village failed us on this one, big time. It should have stepped up and stepped in on our behalf days ago.

Kimberley Miller
900 block of Gunderson

Reader Comments

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Comment Policy

Observer

Posted: June 22nd, 2012 10:06 AM

It is amazing the callousness and insensitivity found in Oak Park. Most people assumed that these people bought too much house with too much credit. That may be the case, but it could also be the case that the owner lost his/her job, ran into healthcare issues, could not afford the cripplingly high property taxes, or a number of other reasons. One should not judge least they have walked in these people's shoes.

Oakparker from Oak Park

Posted: June 21st, 2012 11:20 PM

To Reader - some homes may be retaining or gaining value, but not my block. One house was so bad for so many years that an adjacent house couldn't be sold because of the slum building condition of its neighbor. Would you buy next to that kind of property or on a block with rundown properties? It's depressing to see when you live on that kind of block.

earl

Posted: June 21st, 2012 1:49 PM

I agree that people should have just stood up to their green and stupidity resulting from buying too much house on too much credit and just moved out. Don't their parents have basements? My guess is that the final forced moved date was not a surprise. Surprising to me that they did not realize that they could not live for free in the house

Really, Really, Really?

Posted: June 21st, 2012 1:42 PM

Perhaps you should go through some economic downtown issues and come back to talk to us about the correct way to lose your house and go bankrupt. Jerks.

Really, Really?

Posted: June 21st, 2012 1:32 PM

@Really?: The people living there knew they were getting evicted...maybe they should have moved out voluntarily and took all their junk with them instead of clogging up the court system. They could have done the right thing and moved out, yet they milked "the system" by living there until the bitter end.

Brian Slowiak from Oak Park

Posted: June 21st, 2012 8:12 AM

Yes, file a civil suit. Leave a paper trail in order to make credit and owning/renting property more difficult. The eviction process takes months, more than enough time to discard unwanted property, or to ask for help from the very neighbors that were left with the problems.

Really?

Posted: June 21st, 2012 1:47 AM

Wow, sue the people that's a great response. They've already lost their home and belongings so sue them. What a bunch of compassionate people. That's not going to help the situation and they weren't the one's who callously threw all the stuff on the front lawn and if it's come to that they are likely in bankruptcy protection so you've wasted time and money. The bank's responsible.

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: June 20th, 2012 7:11 PM

Brian - I find it hard to believe that another lawsuit would have cleared the curb. Lawsuits are for the period after the junk is removed. It should have been removed by the village when it was clear that the owners had left a mess. Then the village could include the cleanup cost in the lawsuit.

Brian Slowiak from Oak Park

Posted: June 20th, 2012 2:33 PM

Russ: I stand with Russ on this issue. Why didnt the neighbors and the VOP file a civil suit against the evicted tenants for the damage and worked caused by them.The land lord did.

Reader

Posted: June 20th, 2012 2:31 PM

Clearly you havent seen the MLS listings and what people are paying to live here. Hardly a deteriorating housing stock. Look at what has closed and the prices paid.

Mares

Posted: June 20th, 2012 2:19 PM

The VOP is too busy making Dan Haley repaint his front porch stairs.

Oakparker from Oak Park

Posted: June 20th, 2012 2:04 PM

I thought our block was the only one being ignored for obvious violations. I read your story in the paper edition today. Calling and emailing along with photos seems to help, but why should you or us have to complain many times to maintain standards in our town. The Village as a whole loses when your situation and mine (rundown properties) don't get corrected quickly. It pulls down the reputation of the Village and lowers values. It should be obvious that lower values equal less tax revenue

Parent

Posted: June 20th, 2012 12:00 PM

This isnt the first time residents/tenants have left items behind. It happens everyday when people move out/on. Clearly the people took what they wanted and left the rest. Ask any realtor about stuff left behind.

Unfortunately

Posted: June 20th, 2012 11:52 AM

Waste Mgmt removed everything on Monday.

Jim Coughlin Facebook Verified

Posted: June 20th, 2012 11:42 AM

How quickly would action be taken if this stuff was piled up on a DTOP sidewalk?

Russ

Posted: June 20th, 2012 11:20 AM

Why is the bank responsible for cleaning up your neihgbors mess? If anyone is responsible it is the evicted homeowner. Yes, it sucks for them, but it is their stuff not the banks. If anything, the village should require all items to be kept in house until a truck can remove it, not put on street.

Observer

Posted: June 20th, 2012 11:01 AM

Your first mistake is that you expect someone in OP Village Hall to be responsible. The Village Board, Village Manager, police, etc. take accountability when things go wrong. They always blame it on someone else or ignore the issue. Sadly, they seem to have ignored this issue.

Done from Oak Park

Posted: June 20th, 2012 9:40 AM

A bank can do this but we aren't supposed to put "for sale" signs in our yard when we list our house?

Hmmmm

Posted: June 20th, 2012 9:16 AM

Perhaps an ad in the WJ for a reasonable amount and wa la- A Sat am yard sale with the proceeds funding the 20 yd dumpster.

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: June 19th, 2012 11:55 PM

Can't the village remove the junk and garbage, and bill the bank?

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