Judge rejects early eviction plan for Blue Island mobile home residents

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

A Cook County judge denied a motion Wednesday from owners of the Forest View Mobile Home Park in Blue Island to give residents three months instead of a year to vacate, according to the residents' attorney, Krisann Kuecher.
Residents of the park formally opposed the property management's request for a shorter vacate and will now have up to 12 months to vacate the property, Kuecher said.
Kuecher said the mobile home park's motion was against the Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Rights Act, which says that if a park owner elects to cease the operation of either all or a portion of the mobile home park, the tenants shall be entitled to at least 12-months' notice.
Blue Island City Administrator Thomas Wogan said in an email that 'the matter before the court today regarding how the property is vacated and the mobile home park operations are ceased is primarily a matter between the owners of Forest View and the remaining residents.'
'As previously stated, the City strongly urges the Forest View owners to take responsibility for this situation and work to rehome the remaining residents,' Wogan said.
Residents have received eviction notices with three different court hearing dates, the first one being Aug. 26, followed by court dates Sept. 2 and 4, said resident Joe Cervantes.
Kuecher said the residents are working toward a redevelopment agreement with the property management that would provide funds for residents who are participating in a larger collective bargaining agreement. Those not working with the group of residents advocating for this will negotiate funding and support on their own, Kuecher said.
The top hurdle, Kuecher said, is determining which residents own their mobile home versus renting, as some residents said the title to the home is still under a previous owner. Property ownership is considered as a factor in calculating adequate funds for them to be able to relocate.
'The people that are losing their homes are suffering like so much bigger of a loss,' Kuecher said. 'Because now their plan their next 10 years of their family's future, you know, where they're going to live, is now not a realistic option for them. Those people are going to need to be compensated more.'
The residents are also working with a group of nonprofits, including Resident Owned Communities USA, the Chicago Fair Housing Alliance and the Manufactured Housing Action network, to establish an option to save the park that they would present to the city. Kuecher said this plan needed to be finished 'yesterday,' but they're still working on a few details.
Cervantes said he is hopeful about the plan because more advocates have started helping out.
'It's a big coalition,' Cervantes said. 'If one person has a dream or is optimistic, that's one thing, but to build a coalition, that says there's some proof there's possibility there.'
The court action is part of a larger legal battle between the city and Forest View Mobile Home Park Inc., Mer-Car Corporation, Chicago Title Land Trust and Steven Dukatt, president of Mer-Car Corporation. The case will continue Aug. 20 on Zoom.
When asked if the city would support a plan for residential housing on the property, Wogan said that the property is not zoned for residential use.