Jan 30, 2025
Over 800 properties in Chicago’s West and South Side neighborhoods are up for grabs as part of a bankruptcy sale. According to the Illinois Answers Project and Block Club Chicago, the lots are linked to a woman dubbed “the city’s worst landowner” whose rat-infested properties racked up over $15 million in fines.
A joint investigation by the news organizations in 2023 found that real estate companies managed by Suzie B. Wilson had failed to maintain properties across Chicago. This included empty lots where trash and weeds had accumulated, creating a breeding ground for rats. The city issued tickets, but they went largely unpaid.
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Since first reporting on the neglected properties and millions in unpaid fines, the outlets say the city has engaged in multiple lawsuits against Wilson. Chicago attorneys have also accused Wilson, along with her sister, of attempting to defraud the city in a scheme to wipe away the debt.
Here are the story highlights.
Problematic properties
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Wilson and her late husband made hundreds of purchases through Cook County’s tax and scavenger sales, reports Block Club. This allowed them to buy up lots after previous owners failed to pay their property taxes.
Chicago law requires landlords to maintain their properties, adhering to all applicable codes and regulations. If properties aren’t maintained, the city can issue penalties, which can grow over time. It’s unclear how many of Wilson’s properties may have been neglected over the years.
In April, the city filed a lawsuit against Wilson for $10 million, according to Illinois Answers, accusing her of failing to clean up a lot filled with hundreds of decomposing rubber tires that “piled multiple feet in the air.” In its suit, the city labeled Wilson as a “scourge on the city and its residents” and “the city’s worst landowner.”
The news outlet also reports city attorneys have alleged in federal court that Wilson and her sister, Swedlana Dass, attempted to get rid of debt owed by transferring properties “around like candy” to shell companies in South Dakota, leaving the Illinois real estate companies on the hook for millions “completely insolvent” as they filed for bankruptcy.
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Bankruptcy case
Now, as a result of the bankruptcy case, 812 properties are being auctioned off, one of Chicago’s largest mass land sales in years, per Block Club.
Many of the lots are vacant, however, some are in proximity to desirable locations, such as the United Center and the planned Obama Presidential Center and CTA Red Line extension. Buyers can bid on single or multiple properties at once, and bids must be submitted by March 7.
The mass sale is expected to raise millions of dollars, and Illinois Answers reports the city is stepping up its efforts to collect from significant debtors. But the question remains: how is it someone could potentially get away without paying fines for so many years?
“Well, I think the problem was, essentially, that somewhere in the City of Chicago someone wasn’t doing their job,” Casey Toner of Illinois Answers told WGN News. “Situations like this don’t happen when people are being aggressive about getting these fines paid.”
He did note, however, the city leapt into action following news coverage of the story.
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Danielle is a personal finance writer based in Ohio. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Motley Fool and Business Insider. She believes financial literacy key to helping people build a life they love.
