In the battle against negligent landlords, west-side resident Mary Johnson won a small victory last month when a Cook County judge sent the owner of a building in her neighborhood to jail.
“When we moved here from Austin back in 1979 this was a beautiful neighborhood,” says Johnson. “People took care of their property and watched out for their kids. I didn’t have any troubles with moving here. I particularly loved the way the trees hung over the street, keeping things cool in the summertime.”
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After a few years, however, Johnson noticed a few disturbing changes. Many parents were allowing their children to roam unrestricted, even at night. Stolen and stripped cars were being dumped in the alley, and crime in general was rising.
But for the last few years her biggest headache was the three-flat at 1100 N. Lawndale. It had been falling apart from lack of care for years; by 1990 it was vacant.
“We wanted him to at last secure the building,” says Johnson. “The problem was that people were breaking in and stealing and demolishing things. A vacant building is more than an eyesore; it can attract drug dealers and rats. Greer told the judge he needed more time. So another court date was set for March 15.”
But Greer never called NHS, and he missed his June 25 hearing. By now the case had been transferred to the demolition court of Judge Edward Marsalek. Marsalek set a hearing for August 13, which Greer attended.
On September 10 the case came back to court with Greer attending. “Greer was all feisty, saying that we were picking on him and that the block club should be responsible for keeping up the building,” says Johnson. “The judge told him that it was his building and his responsibility.”
