House fire - 2800blk Wenonah/Home area

[~LL~]

Sounds like a nasty fire - BFD and other companies have been working on it a while now.  Supposedly, the house, "...has been vacant for months..." which is good in that no 'live' utilties inside structure.  Thick smoke smell all the way to City Hall area.

[justme]

When I went out to get the paper about 4:30 this morning, I thought I smelled something burning and I am near city hall. Wow, wonder what happened?

[menace2society]

Smoke was just hanging in the air, too.  Can't find anything on the news websites, either.

[~LL~]

Smoke was just hanging in the air, too.  Can't find anything on the news websites, either.

Still a touch of odor in the air now... and, yes -- smoke was hanging in the air.  I thought it was low fog at first.  Yikes!

[justme]

Here we go:

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/berwyn/newsnow/x1800179805/Abandoned-home-destroyed-by-fire





Berwyn, IL — An abandoned home in the 2800 block of Wenonah Avenue was demolished by a fire early this morning.

The Berwyn Fire Department responded to a call at 3:19 this morning to find most of the home's roof engulfed in flames that leaped 30 feet off the buildings roof, said Fire Chief Denis O'Halloran. The roof later collapsed.

According to O'Halloran, the home was so full of the previous occupants belongings that firefighters could not safely enter the building to extinguish the blaze.

"I would classify this as a hoarding situation," O'Halloran said.

An emergency demolition crew had to be summoned to the scene to tear down the back wall of the building so that water could be sprayed into the interior of the building.

No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported in the blaze, however crews are still on scene sifting through the rubble in case any unauthorized people were in the building.

According to O'Halloran, the home had been problematic to the city for years and had been in housing court after a myriad of violations and citations. As of this morning, the city had not yet been able to make contact with the property's listed own.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but O'Halloran said that there gas and electricity had been shutoff years ago. There was also no lightning early this morning, which O'Halloran said ruled out the three most common accidental causes of fire.

Copyright 2011 Berwyn Life. Some rights reserved

[justme]

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but O'Halloran said that there gas and electricity had been shutoff years ago.

ARGH! NOT "there" ! (or "the "would actually be better in this case)



Of course the city can't find the person the house is listed to. They probably skipped the country long ago. Or the owner lives out of town/state and doesn't care. In cases like this, the city should be able to step in and not just push it off as it being tied up in the courts, especially if there have been numerous issues and violations.  I obviously don't know the legal system so maybe they can't, but heck , what about the neighboring houses? This could have easily turned into a horrible tragedy. And all because the city couldn't/wouldn't step in. I can't even imagine being the person living next door to this property. And now it's going to be an eyesore because who is going to take responsibility?

[billyjean]

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but O'Halloran said that there gas and electricity had been shutoff years ago.

ARGH! NOT "there" ! (or "the "would actually be better in this case)



Of course the city can't find the person the house is listed to. They probably skipped the country long ago. Or the owner lives out of town/state and doesn't care. In cases like this, the city should be able to step in and not just push it off as it being tied up in the courts, especially if there have been numerous issues and violations.  I obviously don't know the legal system so maybe they can't, but heck , what about the neighboring houses? This could have easily turned into a horrible tragedy. And all because the city couldn't/wouldn't step in. I can't even imagine being the person living next door to this property. And now it's going to be an eyesore because who is going to take responsibility?

agree with you justme.  And if there aren't laws on the books, then we need to push for legislation that allows the City to step in.

[billyjean]

any reason they don't give exact address?

[maclively]

We live very near there - believe me, that house was already an eyesore. This will make it worse, but it was bad to begin with.

[justme]

We live very near there - believe me, that house was already an eyesore. This will make it worse, but it was bad to begin with.

See and that is why feel sorry for you-and everyone else around that house -or ANY house in the city that has issues like that. Some of us work to keep up our houses and help the neighborhood looking nice.  The city should be able to step in. I mean come on, help the city LOOK good. Yes, we have empty houses,etc. but there has to be something that we can do to keep them looking somewhat decent.

But like i said, I don't know the law 

[OakParkSpartan]

I'm guessing if the home is a total loss, the city will demolish it and lien the property.  Or at least I hope they do.

[Mr. Daniel Lumis]

BJ you said: "And if there aren't laws on the books, then we need to push for legislation that allows the City to step in."

Wouldn't that be further empowering an already bloated government? Certainly there must be a free market solution...

[justme]

Just found this:

http://www.dsnews.com/articles/chicago-holds-lenders-accountable-for-vacant-homes-even-without-title-2011-07-29



The Chicago City Council has passed a local statute that will make lenders liable for the upkeep of vacant homes even when the borrower still holds the title.

The ordinance was approved unanimously by council members and has the backing of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"With this ordinance, Chicago is leading the way in protecting residents, neighborhoods, and communities from the devastating impact of foreclosures," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "I am proud of this strong piece of legislation requiring banks to be good neighbors and maintain the foreclosed-upon properties."

But the new ordinance applies to homes even before they are foreclosed, meaning lenders are now required to maintain the property if the homeowner abandons it while the bank is still trying to collect payments due, devise a resolution for the delinquency, or waiting on the local courts to complete the foreclosure.
The ordinance amends the definition of a "property owner" in the municipal code to include an entity who holds a mortgage on the property.

Lenders are now required to perform routine maintenance on vacant homes for which they hold the mortgage, such as making repairs, boarding up entrances and windows, cutting grass, shoveling snow, and removing rubbish. They are also required to maintain the insurance on the home.

Tom Deutsch, executive director of the American Securitization Forum says while well-intentioned, the legislation is "misguided and contrary to established property law nationwide."

He says the proposed definition of "owner" conflicts directly with Illinois state law and will likely trigger unintended consequences that will further limit mortgage financing options for the residents of Chicago.

According to Deutsch, a lender may be precluded from fulfilling their obligations under the new law by trespass laws, borrower bankruptcy protections, or redemption rights from asserting control over a property prior to completion of foreclosure and conveyance of legal title.

The Illinois-based law firm of Freedman Anselmo Lindberg LLC says the fines that are set forth in the ordinance "are not insignificant" and described the change to the municipal code as "disturbing for our lender clients."

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office says vacant homes have become a financial burden on the city of Chicago. In 2010, the city spent more than $15 million to deal with vacant buildings, including general upkeep and demolition.

[OakParkSpartan]

One of the games banks are playing is to stop the foreclosure process when they determine a building is in an undesirable area.  I believe the article I saw spoke specifically about Englewood in the city.  Homeowners default, the bank starts foreclosure proceedings, homeowner moves out, bank stops foreclosure, building sits abandoned to be taken over by drug dealers or other undesirables, pulling down the entire neighborhood.

I am beginning to wonder if an addition to foreclosures would be that if the bank stops the foreclosure, and the property is abandoned, the community should be able to take the property via eminent domain and the bank loses their rights to the property.

Yeah, it would suck for the bank and the investors, but IMHO the community also has some rights in the discussion.

[berwynguy]

Brian, what is happening in areas like Englewood, North Lawndale, and West Garfield Park is that the properties become so deteriorated that the City of Chicago issues a fast track demolition order to have the property raised for safety reasons.  The city ends up getting stuck with the bill and the neighborhood gains another vacant lot.  Not good for these communities.  I would LOVE to know just how many properties the City of Chicago has razed since 2008.  I bet the numbers are staggering. 

[OakParkSpartan]

That's part of it.

Look at the trib archives in the last week or two...the banks are stopping foreclosures when they see the properties are either run down or in bad areas, thereby forcing the fees back upon the homeowners who have abandoned the properties (due to foreclosure proceedings being started).

[Homebody]

Brian, what is happening in areas like Englewood, North Lawndale, and West Garfield Park is that the properties become so deteriorated that the City of Chicago issues a fast track demolition order to have the property raised for safety reasons.  The city ends up getting stuck with the bill and the neighborhood gains another vacant lot.  Not good for these communities.  I would LOVE to know just how many properties the City of Chicago has razed since 2008.  I bet the numbers are staggering. 

This house is in my ward. I have been working with the City to have it declared a dangerous building. I delayed the process because I had found two contractors who were actually interested in finding the owners and purchasing the property. Both would have rehabbed the house gutting it to the bricks. Marge

[billyjean]

let's follow Chicago's lead !!  before someone gets hurt.

[pkd50]

Berwynguy,   About the number of vacant lots, I can only speak for my old Engelwood neighborhood.  I lived on Garfield Blvd just west of Halsted after I was married.  I lived in a beautiful greystone that was built like a fortress.  It's torn down.  As of last winter, there were 6 houses standing between Racine and Halsted on the south side of the Blvd.  I didn't venture down the side streets, but looking from the Blvd south, there was a whole lot of open land.  Garfield Blvd had big beautiful homes.  There is nothing in Berwyn that I can compare them to, and they are all gone.  I grew up at 50th & Peoria.  The homes on my block were mostly frame 2 & 3 flats with a bungalow here and there.  I don't know why, but most of them are still standing.  I hope Berwyn doesn't start tearing down.  Nothing says "don't move here" like vacant lots

[Diona]

I agree pkd, but wouldn't run down/broken down vacant houses say the same thing, "don't move here"?

Seems either way would hurt the cities/towns.