Chicago LandStacy Suzie Wilson owns 800 vacant lots in Chicago, and the city has fined her $15M for trash that other people have dumped on the properties.
Vacant land is cheap (one property in question cost $3k) and has low property taxes. A real estate company in cahoots with a friendly assessor could buy up vacant land for cheap, have it appraised at its max value, and use that as collateral against more profitable investments. (There's no evidence Wilson did this, just a reason why you might buy 800 empty lots). You might also just flip them later for more.
It's a common scam in Chicago to get someone to pay you to haul off some trash, then drive around the corner and dump it on the ground. Tires are even better for this because you can claim a "hazmat disposal fee" of $25/tire and then just push it off your truck somewhere.
But the city requires you to maintain all properties you own, and will fine you for "harboring rats" which means basically having a pile of anything on your property.
Now, as far as I can tell, there are no actual tenants who have been wronged, just angry neighbors, but you know how Reddit hates Persons of Land. Redditors and other rentoids are calling for jail or worse.
THE PUNCHLINE: She formed a company in North Dakota to manage the properties called FCOC (Frick the City of Chicago).
Comments from Block Club's instagram post:
https://instagram.com/reel/DFVsjF_P1_A/
"How is one person able to own 812 properties in just a few neighborhoods in the city, that's insane"
Yeah the government should tell you how much of any one thing you should own.
"You know what would be great for all these lots. Not just to put buildings on them but to make small Parks."
The rent is too high! Also, limit the supply of housing.
https://instagram.com/p/DFImltvubhk/
"These type of families have been a burden on Black families for a long time."
Black families want vacant lots?
"PRISON. She & her sister should be in prison for doing what they've done to these areas. And it is NO surprise that they chose these locations to let their properties go to heck. It shld be illegal to own this many possibly residential properties, particularly so concentratedly."
Prison for not picking up old tires someone else dumped on your land.
"I hope these properties go to people who can take care of them and rebuild communities."
Nope they are being sold to corporate landlords only, for development.
"the way this sale is structured individual buyers will not be allowed to purchase/bid on properties. Only corporate/foreign investors can surmount the requirements."
"White privilege and Chicago lack of accountability"
No way to talk about a PoL
"Suburbanites buy these properties to devalue black communities by driving property values down while property taxes go up. Gentrification."
Yeah, she bought those empty lots and racked up those fines to OWN Black communities.
"lynching lanlords all 25"
Democrats do love a lynching
"How did they get to own 800 in a city they don't live in? amerikkka the criminal enterprise country allows it is how."
I mean, she lives in the west suburbs. The kkk was in the original post, not an rdrama substitution.
https://old.reddit.com/r/chicago/comments/1cdzijf/suzie_b_wilson_king_of_rats/
"At what point does this become criminal instead of civil?" "
"415 ILCS 5/21, prohibits the open dumping of waste. Section 55(a) of the Act, 415 ILCS 5/55 (a), prohibits open dumping of used or waste tires.
It is criminal. There is a statute on the books making it crime, so it's a criminal offense."
Well, yeah, if you're the one that dumped the trash.
"She should be in jail. Don't pay your tickets, go to jail. "
ABOLISH PRISONS! ALSO JAIL PEOPLE FOR LITTERING!
"Hope she gets cancer."
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Can't explain it but she looks like a Suzie
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שׁוֹשַׁנָּה
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