Re: 20+ properties sold without owners' knowlede
- From: indigoace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Indigo Ace)
- Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:38:21 GMT
From the Chicago Tribune--
School, mission learn land has been stolen
Sites sold without knowledge of owners
By Ray Gibson and Robert Becker
Tribune staff reporters
Published June 2, 2006
Vacant lots belonging to a homeless shelter and a prominent West Side
prep school were sold without their authorization, adding two
non-profits to the list of those saying their land was swiped in phony
transactions, a Tribune investigation has found.
The Tribune revealed last month that a dozen churches had lost 20
parcels to a wide-ranging scheme involving fictitious sellers and
buyers, and bogus resolutions from non-existent boards.
The two newly discovered cases mirror the deals for the church land
and create problems for the parcels' owners.
The sale of land belonging to the Gospel League Home--an arm of the
Pacific Garden Mission--could complicate the mission's plan to build
new facilities at 14th and Canal Streets.
The unauthorized sale of Providence-St. Mel School's vacant lot
represents the first time school property has surfaced in the scheme.
The lots, in neighborhoods showing signs of gentrification, had been
sold over the last year in deals tied to Phillip Radmer, a disbarred
Berwyn attorney, according to court records.
Both the Cook County state's attorney and Illinois attorney general
have launched investigations into the transactions.
Radmer, who has refused in the past to discuss his possible
involvement, could not be reached for comment.
When informed by the Tribune of the recent land sales, attorneys for
the shelter and the school said the transactions had not been
authorized.
"It is wild to say the least," said Thomas Johnson, a lawyer for
Pacific Garden Mission.
"We didn't know about the land sale," said Debora de Hoyos, a lawyer
and chairman of the Providence-St. Mel board
For the last 20 years, Gospel League Home has provided shelter to more
than 100 homeless women and children each day.
Last year, however, Pacific Garden Mission signed a contract to sell
the Gospel League Home building on West Grand Avenue and the adjacent
lot on West Hubbard Street to a developer to help finance a new,
comprehensive facility for men and women on Canal Street.
Before the sale could be consummated, however, a non-profit group with
ties to Radmer sold the Hubbard Street parcel for $100,000 to another
purported developer. Like other Radmer deals, a United Parcel Service
store served as the address for the developer. The transaction also
featured the notary public whose name appears on Radmer's mailbox.
Also, the registered agent of a bogus Gospel League corporation
appears in numerous other Radmer deals. The property has since been
apparently used to obtain a $390,000 loan, according to land records.
"Obviously, you can't convey property you don't own," said Johnson. "I
don't want it to mess up our sale."
Johnson said the sale of Gospel League Home's building, which was
built in the 19th Century, is essential for Pacific Garden to develop
its new complex. The City of Chicago is buying Pacific Garden's
building at 646 S. State St. , with The proceeds of both sales will
help the mission fund the new facility.
Johnson was baffled how anyone could engineer the sale of the Hubbard
Street parcel, saying Pacific Garden Mission is the legal titleholder.
Johnson said he was glad to learn now rather than later because it
would have created problems at the time of closing on the sale.
The sale of the land owned by Providence-St. Mel followed the same
outline as the sale of 20 parcels of church property.
In each of those transactions, which are laid out in county records, a
bogus board of directors approved the sale to fictitious buyers, who
transferred the property to one of three real estate companies with a
single Berwyn mailing address.
In the instance of Providence-St. Mel, a Jan. 17, 2006, resolution
purportedly by the board of directors of the school's development
corporation approved the sale of 3502 W. Monroe St. to a buyer named
Anthony Jurevicius.
As was with the buyers of church lots, the Tribune can find no record
of anyone by that name in Illinois.
In April, the buyer of the Providence-St. Mel property conveyed it to
La Terra Real Estate Co., which is owned by Radmer.
In addition to La Terra and two other real estate companies, Radmer
has incorporated nearly 90 businesses, including a trailer and truck
body company, investment firms and a pet spa.
De Hoyos said the board of directors recently learned a "shadow"
corporation was using the school's name.
"We knew... that there was a risk but we had not checked the titles to
our properties," she said.
- - -
Churches victimized
A recent Tribune investigation revealed that a dozen Chicago churches
had land sold without their knowledge in deals that traced back to a
disbarred Berwyn attorney. Read the story online at
chicagotribune.com/landscam
----------
rgibson;@tribune.com
rxbecker;@tribune.com
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0606020168jun02,1,7014350.story?coll=chi-business-hed
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