Neighbors on South Side Chicago block say property is overgrown and infested, and city is not taking action

The weeds keep growing, and the complaints keep piling up, but neighbors on one street in the Washington Heights community on Chicago's South Side say nothing is changing.

At issue is a foreclosed property that is falling into legal limbo, leaving nearby homeowners to deal with the pesky consequences.

The property looks like a forest preserve, and neighbors said raccoons, feral cats, opossums, and even rats can be found there. Neighbor Joyce Bennett said animals have been jumping across the trees and coming in.

The foreclosed house around which all of this is happening used to be one of the nicest on the block. But now, it is surrounded by overgrowth that supports that that wide array of destructive critters.

"My roof, I had a hole in it. I had to get that repaired," Bennett said. "My screen, I had to get those repaired twice."

Bennett is not the only one on the block complaining.

"And the rats!" said Ricky Ford. "[They] come from over there. You can see them sometimes during the daytime."

Even more concerningly, there have been people who don't belong too. Neighbors have noticed squatters have been coming in and out of the house.

No one has seen the owner in almost two years.

According to court records, the homeowner went into default in 2024. The property was supposed to be sold this spring, but the sale was postponed, so right now, the property is pretty much stuck in limbo.

Ordinarily, it would be the owner's responsibility to tame the wild vegetation.  City records show at least two 311 complaints from the alderman's office in May and another one from Bennett in June.

But so far, the only action neighbors have seen from the city is a warning tag on the door.

"They keep telling me it's a waiting period, a waiting period," Bennett said. "OK, how long is the waiting period — till the summer's over with?"

The neighbors know they're not alone. According to 311 data, so far this year, the city has received nearly 3,300 weed removal requests and more than 2,500 vacant and abandoned building requests.

Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) said he wishes there were more immediate remedies available when a property owner fails to meet their responsibilities. He said his office has been in touch with the Department of Streets and Sanitation.

Streets and San said it has issued several citations regarding the house in the past year.

"DSS completed 15 service requests at the property dating back to March 2020. Four citations were issued in the past year, including as recently as June 23, 2026," the department said in a statement. "We're working to find owner information to determine if the home is vacant or occupied."

"We're working to find owner information to determine if the home is vacant or occupied," the department said in a statement.

"They come by here, they take pictures, they go around the house — but they don't do nothing," Ford said.

Neighbors said that while agencies work to sort out who is responsible, they are the ones living with the consequences.

"Nobody should have to live like this," said Bennett.

Ald. Beale's office released the following statement regarding the overgrown property and the neighbors' frustration.

"First and foremost, I want the neighbors to know that I understand and share their frustration. No resident should have to live near a neglected, overgrown vacant property that becomes an eyesore and raises legitimate concerns about safety and quality of life. I wish there were more immediate remedies available when a property owner fails to meet their responsibilities.

"From the beginning, the 9th ward office has been responsive to residents' concerns and has taken every action available to us under the City's established enforcement process. Our records show that we submitted weed removal requests in May and July of 2025, as well as a vacant building complaint that resulted in a City inspection identifying six building code violations. And in May of 2026, the 9th Ward office again submitted requests for enforcement, and City records indicate that the Department of Streets and Sanitation issued multiple warnings to the property owner, followed by a citation on May 27, 2026.

"It's important to understand that aldermanic offices and city departments do not have the legal authority to enter private property or order maintenance work ourselves. Once our office submits a complaint, the Department of Streets and Sanitation is responsible for investigating the property, issuing warnings and citations when appropriate, and then referring eligible properties to the City's contracted crews for weed abatement. The City must follow this legal enforcement process before work can occur on private property.

"Unfortunately, vacant properties that become tied up in foreclosure or ownership disputes often fall into a difficult period of uncertainty, creating exactly the kind of frustration this family is experiencing. While the City's enforcement tools include inspections, warnings, citations and contractor abatement, those processes can take time, particularly given the volume of complaints received citywide.

"Although our office has exhausted every available option within the City's process, we will continue monitoring this property and advocating for action whenever opportunities arise. My office remains committed to working with City departments on behalf of these residents, and I sincerely empathize with their situation. I only wish the City had greater authority to intervene more quickly when private property owners fail to maintain their properties."