South Cook News

In Chicagoland's poorest suburb, just three miles from the Indiana border, property owners have discovered the most effective strategy yet for avoiding Illinois' highest-in-the-nation property taxes.

Stop paying.

Facing astronomical bills on real estate that's now worthless at best, Ford Heights home and business owners have literally nothing to lose by ignoring them.

This vacant Ford Heights service station has a $106,000 tax bill | Cook County Assessor

Nearly 1,000 Ford Heights property tax bills totaling $2.3 million weren't paid last year, according to an analysis of Cook County Treasurer records by South Cook News. That's in a village of just 2,763 people, 987 households and 729 residential properties.

More perspective: the village's total 2017 budget was $1.8 million.

The 996 Ford Heights properties with delinquent taxes will be up for public auction in May; willing buyers can take them off the owners' hands by making good with Cook County on what's in arrears. That none will both explains the strategy's genius, and the tragedy it reveals.

In Ford Heights, real estate equity has ceased to exist. The concept of "homeownership" has been explicitly, violently eviscerated in this community. And it's hardly the only one.

Effective Tax Rate: 48%

The 20 most expensive properties in Ford Heights in 2017 amounted to $6.6 million in alleged, collective property value and $1.07 million in property taxes due, according to Cook County.

An analysis by South Cook News found that 13 of those 20 bills have not been paid, totaling $737,630 of the $1.07 million.

The non-payers have their reasons.

They include Ford Heights' top billed property, GMI Recycling Services at 1703 Cottage Grove Ave. The county values the property at $403,356; its tax bill last year was $192,271, or 48 percent of its alleged market value.

The McCullough Funeral Home at 1619 E. Lincoln Highway, next to Illinois Route 394, is delinquent on its $72,489 bill. Its effective rate is 28.5 percent on the property, valued at $253,932.

Two of Ford Heights three liquor stores are delinquent on their property taxes, including Food & Liquor on Lincoln (bill: $54,658) and BJ Foods & Liquor ($25,378). A New Way Food & Liquor ($30,632) is current; it was the scene of a 2009 fight between a village trustee, the liquor store's clerk and Ford Heights police in 2009. The clerk had refused to sell the trustee more alcohol.

The former Ford Heights tire incinerator property ($28,899), owned by New York-based Geneva Energy, is delinquent. Environmental activists finally shut down the plant in 2011, claiming the electricity it generated burning tires wasn't "clean" enough.

Other non-payers include an empty lot with a vacant garage surrounded by rusted-out cars at 1317 E. Lincoln Highway. The county claims it is worth $418,208 and billed its owner, 93 year-old Ford Heights deacon Andrew Nelson, $106,475 in property taxes last year.

Another empty lot four blocks west at 920 E. Lincoln Highway, this one owned by the Village of Ford Heights, isn't zoned as vacant but, rather, as having a two to six unit apartment building, according to the county assessor. Maybe that's why it is valued at $459,660 and has a property tax bill of $46,812, also unpaid. 

The same goes for a dilapidated walk-up apartment unit at 1116 E. Lincoln Highway. It looks vacant, but is valued at $345,530 with a tax bill of $35,189 for its owner, 78 year-old Patricia Roberts of Ford Heights. She isn't paying, either.

So who is?

Family Dollar ($25,169) is current on its taxes, according to Cook County. Its Ford Heights store is the only retailer in town that doesn't sell liquor.

And the Atlantis Gentleman's Club ($99,062) is also paying on time. Billed as the Chicago area's top strip club, it has the fourth-highest tax bill in town-- after the garbage dump, empty lot, and a Citgo gas station.

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Ford Heights' Top 20 Property Taxpayers. Or Avoiders.

Only seven of Ford Heights highest-taxed properties paid their bills last year.

	Property Name	Annual Bill	County Value	ETR	Status
1	GMI Recycling Services	$192,271	$403,356	47.7%	Delinquent
	Address	1703 Cottage Grove Ave.
	Property Owner	GMI Recycling Services		Crown Point, IN
	Company provides garbage service to nearby communities, not Ford Heights.
2	1317 E. Lincoln Hwy Garage	$106,475	$418,208	25.5%	Delinquent
	Address	1317 E. Lincoln Hwy
	Property Owner	Andrew Nelson		Ford Heights
	2.4 empty acres with rusted cars and a building that used to be a service station, but is not operational.
3	Citgo Ford Heights	$103,198	$883,400	11.7%	Delinquent
	Address	2393 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Gurmeet Singh Bhola		Lincolnwood
	The only gas station in Ford Heights is in an industrial area away from its residential areas.
4	Atlantis Strip Club	$99,062	$725,228	13.7%	Paid in full
	Address	1897 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Atlantis		Ford Heights
	According to state filings, Atlantis' corporate officers are Ari Pomerantz & Dianna Dobrilla of Elmhurst.
5	Baker Corp.	$90,200	$660,344	13.7%	Paid in Full
	Address	2205 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Tuffi Family Foundation		Torrance, CA
	Seal Beach, CA-based Baker Corp. is "a market leader in tank, pump, filtration and shoring equipment rentals." Ford Heights is one of its 46 U.S. locations and the only one in Chicagoland.
6	McCullough Funeral Home	$72,489	$253,932	28.5%	Delinquent
	Address	1619 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Sir George D. Washington		Olympia Fields
	One of two locations owned by McCullough. Taxes have been delinquent since 2015.
7	Food & Liquor on Lincoln	$54,658	$247,826	22.1%	Delinquent
	Address	926 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Munther F. Haddad		Orland Park
	One of three liquor stores in Ford Heights.
8	920 E. Lincoln Empty Lot	$46,812	$459,660	10.2%	Delinquent
	Address	920 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Village of Ford Heights
	This half-acre empty lot hasn't had an actual owner since 2003, according the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. The Cook County Assessor describes the property as having a two to six unit apartment building-- it doesn't.
9	1116 E. Lincoln Highway Apts	$35,189	$345,530	10.2%	Delinquent
	Address	1116 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Pat Roberts		Ford Heights
	Dilapidated walk up apartment building on Ford Heights' main drag looks vacant, but it's valued at $345K, still; owned by a Loop-based trust.
10	1400 E. Lincoln Highway Apts	$34,802	$341,730	10.2%	Paid in Full
	Address	1400 E. Lincoln Highway
	Property Owner	CTLTC C 602421		Chicago
	This apartment complex has 24 units and 22 adult residents, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
11	A New Way Food & Liquor	$30,632	$177,192	17.3%	Paid in Full
	Address	1311 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Husam Daklas		Oak Lawn
	Liquor store was the scene of a fight in '09 between a village trustee, his sons and a police officer.
12	Former Incinerator	$28,899	$484,724	6.0%	Delinquent
	Address	1705 Cottage Grove Ave.
	Property Owner	Geneva Energy LLC
	The Ford Heights Incinerator closed in 2011. Geneva Energy of New York bought the property.
13	Clarke's Garden Center	$26,606	$243,240	10.9%	Paid in Full
	Address	2061 E. Lincoln Hwy
	Property Owner	Clarke's Garden Center
	Nursery business on the far eastern outskirt of town; has been in business since the 1980's.
14	BJ Foods & Liquor	$25,378	$149,524	17.0%	Delinquent
	Address	1311 E. Lincoln Hwy
	Property Owner	Yasmin Singh		Hawthorn Woods
	This property saw its county's valuation rise 54 percent from 2017 to 2018, to $149,524 from $99,680
15	Family Dollar	$25,169	$98,856	25.5%	Paid in Full
	Address	803 E. Lincoln Hwy
	Property Owner	Family Dollar
	The only retail store in town that doesn't sell liquor.
16	1400 E. 13th Pl. Storefront	$22,913	$89,996	25.5%	Delinquent
	Address	1400 E. 13th Pl
	Property Owner	James Williams		Park Forest
	An empty storefront across the street from an elementary school.
17	Lincoln Hwy Strip Mall	$21,962	$152,888	14.4%	Paid in Full
	Address	801 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Richard A. Barr		Winnetka
	Includes a Shark's Fish, Currency Exchange and a beauty salon.
18	1450 Drexel	$20,272	$199,060	10.2%	Delinquent
	Address	1450 Drexel Ave.
	Property Owner	Drone McGee		Chicago Heights
	Property across from school is zoned commercial, but has no evidence of ever having been used.
19	Former Clark Gas Station	$17,774	$69,812	25.5%	Delinquent
	Address	1117 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Village of Ford Heights
	Abed S. Nesheiwat of Schaumburg still receives the tax bills for this property. But according to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, he hasn't owned it since 1985. Neshiewat died seven years ago. The village has owned it since 1993, taking it over from the Clark Gas Station here that closed.
20	Ford Heights Hope Center	$11,302	$189,840	6.0%	Delinquent
	Address	1001 E. Lincoln Hwy.
	Property Owner	Ford Heights Hope Center
	Taxes are delinquent for previous years too.

Sources: Cook County Assessor, Cook County Treasurer, Cook County Recorder of Deeds, Blockshopper.com