How a Chicago land owner racked up $15M in fines for rats

Suzie B. Wilson has accumulated lots of Chicago real estate, rats and fines from the city.

Wilson, a Northbrook resident who oversees a number of property management companies in Chicago, has been fined more than $15 million for rat-related reasons since 2010, the Illinois Answers Project reported, citing city and state records.The fines are tied to nearly 30 companies, all owned by Wilson.

These tickets, still unpaid, were issued to more than 800 addresses in the city, many of which are vacant lots located in South and West Side neighborhoods. Wilson acquired most of the properties in the early 2000s through Cook County’s tax and scavenger sales program that allows purchases of properties with owners behind on their tax payments.

Infractions on Wilson’s properties include uncut weeds, illegal dumping and the accumulation of materials and junk that provide a habitat for rats. While these individual properties have limited market value, their potential worth can skyrocket if the local real estate market improves or if they are needed for development projects.

The Chicago Transit Authority is currently suing one of Wilson’s companies, Vivid LLC, which owes $203,000 in unpaid tickets tied to a property she obtained for $3,000. The CTA is seeking control of a vacant 3,100-square-foot lot  in the 300 block of West 111th Street, as the land is crucial for its $3.6 billion Red Line train extension project.

Chicago’s Law Department has taken action against Wilson’s managed companies for “various public safety violations” over several decades, successfully winning judgments against them at the city’s Department of Administrative Hearings, according to a spokesperson from the department. The city has also filed liens on certain properties, a move that can be used to secure ownership during foreclosure proceedings. Mark Sterk, a seasoned municipal attorney, believes using liens is the best option for the city, though it has drawbacks.

“But all you end up with is the property — that doesn’t get you the dough,” Sterk told the outlet. “Then you have to sell the property.”

Despite the mounting fines and ongoing legal battles, Wilson’s negligence has flown under the radar. The issue raises questions about Chicago’s enforcement of property violations and its long-term plans for these properties that continue to amass fines while remaining vacant.

Yet finding an owner that will bring more value to properties such as those held by Wilson by redeveloping them is a tall task in some areas, as the properties generally fell into disrepair due to difficult market conditions in the first place.

— Quinn Donoghue 

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