More gang bangers shooting in Berwyn...

[chandasz]

Yes. The landlord knows. I have met them (saw them out front one day mowing) and told them the extreme problems and the police actions. Our neighbor also spoke to them and told them the same issues (on another day).

They said that they were potentially losing the house to foreclosure but that was back in July.... Nothing has changed.

As for attracting better renters-- I don't know but it must be hard to be a landlord too which is why we decided against buying a 2-flat. It is quite a job, I'm sure. But it is a job....

[chandasz]

Oh- and from what I understand - one of the "kids" is 29 years old....

[Rt. 66]

Perhaps in this market the house could be had for a song and be deconverted...

C'mon Tony, you can do it!

[tony la]

With a song yes.....as long as it is cash, not with a loan.

[Bru67]

I am kind of amazed that the focus has quickly gotten away from the actual criminals here (the gangbanger punks) to the landlord.  This is not to say that the landlord is not an issue.  But somehow a gang banging kid had access to a gun!  And it sounds like this is an ongoing problem with this family.  For all the crying about gun control, here is a chance to use the laws on the books.  Was this a gun this kid stole?  Or did an adult have an FOID card and legally own it?  

Politicians talk about "responsible" gun laws.  We have them.  Enforcement them!  

They really go hand in hand. Often, landlords do not know or understand how to seek out good tenants. Or they're absentee and do not care who they rent to. Measures to improve rental housing as a whole should focus in some measure on landlord education and, where possible, landlord incentives to improve properties. The end result is better tenants.

The Village of Oak Park generally and the Oak Park Regional Housing Center in particular were very successful with this approach. Simply coming down on bad tenants is just reactionary, and doesn't really get at the root of the problem -- why they're there in the first place.

[Thor]

It seems like they're here because they seem to know they can get away with it, why else? How long has chandasz been dealing with this issue and yet ask sykrd if she wants to throw another party and she is all over it. Forget the gang-bangers lets throw another festival!

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Yes. The landlord knows. I have met them (saw them out front one day mowing) and told them the extreme problems and the police actions. Our neighbor also spoke to them and told them the same issues (on another day).

They said that they were potentially losing the house to foreclosure but that was back in July.... Nothing has changed.

As for attracting better renters-- I don't know but it must be hard to be a landlord too which is why we decided against buying a 2-flat. It is quite a job, I'm sure. But it is a job....

Obviously the owners don't live on the premises and could care less what the tenants are doing or subjecting the neighbors to.  I wonder since the owners said the home might be going into foreclosure if they aren't just collecting rent but not paying the mortgage - I've heard it can take up to a year for the bank to finally foreclose.  This is one of the few cases I've heard of where you might really want a foreclosure on your block regardless of selling price as long as the lowlifes get kicked to the curb.  In the meantime, are the police still doing roll calls in front of homes?  This house sounds like the perfect place for it.

[jrmm]

I know from experience how long it takes to evict someone... anywhere from 6 months, but usually it's over a year.  And it costs thousands of dollars.  Scarily, someone could squat on your property and not pay rent and their is NOTHING you can do about it.  A landlord could lose a house to foreclosure BECAUSE they have renters not paying rent WAY BEFORE a tenant is evicted.  Try getting the Sherriff's Dep. to throw someone out legally from November to April... good luck!  Landlords do have a responsibility, but the system is definitely flawed.  This is why most landlords do screen.  It does not benefit them not to. 

[jake]

Obviously the owners don't live on the premises and could care less what the tenants are doing or subjecting the neighbors to.  I wonder since the owners said the home might be going into foreclosure if they aren't just collecting rent but not paying the mortgage - I've heard it can take up to a year for the bank to finally foreclose.  This is one of the few cases I've heard of where you might really want a foreclosure on your block regardless of selling price as long as the lowlifes get kicked to the curb.  In the meantime, are the police still doing roll calls in front of homes?  This house sounds like the perfect place for it.

A federal law passed in May 2009:

Establishes protections for renters living in foreclosed homes One of the often overlooked problems in the foreclosure crisis has been the eviction of renters in good standing, through no fault of their own, from properties in foreclosure.  To address the problem of these tenants being forced out of their homes with little or no notice, this legislation will require that in the event of foreclosure, existing leases for renters are honored, except in the case of month-to-month leases or owner occupants foreclosing in which cases a minimum of 90 days notice will be required.  Parallel protections are put in place for Section 8 tenants.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/reforms-for-american-homeowners-and-consumers-president-obama-signs-the-helping-families-save-their-homes-act-and-the-fraud-enforcement-and-recovery-act/