Auction of pope's house in Dolton extended, judge denies restraining order blocking village acquisition attempt
An auction that seeks to find a possible buyer for Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton has been extended a month while a federal judge Wednesday declined to block the village from its own attempt to acquire the property.
Lavelle Redmond, a former Dolton employee, had asked the judge for a temporary restraining order stopping the village from using taxpayer money to buy the home, where Robert Francis Prevost lived with his parents and sibilings for many years.
U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland ruled Wednesday that Redmond lacked standing and denied the motion, according to Matthew Custardo, Redmond's attorney.
'While this particular legal avenue may have closed, the underlying issues of transparency and the village of Dolton's priorities remain important and aren't going away,' the attorney said after the judge's ruling.
An auction of the home by New York-based Paramount Realty USA had been scheduled to close by Wednesday afternoon but was extended to 4 p.m. Chicago time July 17, according to Paramount's website. A reserve price of $250,000 is set for the home.
Mayor Jason House has said the village may attempt to acquire the home through negotiations with the owner, and has also raised the possibility of using eminent domain and going to court to gain ownership of the house at 212 E. 141st Place.
Prevost lived in the home from his birth in 1955, and his parents lived there until they sold it in 1996. Since Prevost was named the leader of the Roman Catholic Church May 8, the house has drawn significant interest from onlookers, prompting Dolton officials to have regular police patrols on the block.
Steve Budzik, a real estate broker representing the home's owner, said Monday the owner is open to a sale while at the same time considering bids being submitted through the auction house.
He said Monday he expected the owner would make a decision soon, once the auction deadline had passed, to make a decision on which direction he would take.
Budzik was not immediately available Wednesday to comment on the extension of the auction.
Redmond, who has an ongoing lawsuit against Dolton alleging wrongful termination in 2022, sought the temporary restraining order.
The motion seeking the restraining order alleged the village, in seeking to buy the home, is engaging in an 'endeavor with substantial cost to taxpayers with no compelling governmental necessity.'
Redmond said in the filing that Dolton 'is in severe financial distress, running large deficits while drowning in liabilities' including pending court decisions and unpaid vendor bills.
House and Burt Odelson, an attorney for the village, have said that while Dolton's finances are shaky it is important for the village to gain control over the house, which could prevent any commercial use or exploitation of it.
Odelson was not immediately available Wednesday to discuss the result of the court hearing or the status of Dolton's effort to acquire the home.
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