Oct 8, 2008 6:11 pm US/Central
Cook County Suspends Evictions To Protect Renters
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart (File)
CBS
In these tough times, foreclosures are not only hurting homeowners. Renters are at risk too when their landlords default on mortgage payments. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced Wednesday morning that he plans to suspend mortgage foreclosure evictions conducted by his officers, so that renters living in foreclosed buildings are protected.
Foreclosures have been on the rise. In 1999, there were almost 13,000 foreclosure cases filed in the county. This year, the number is expected to be more than 43,000. As CBS 2's Jim Williams reports renters have been caught in the squeeze.
Maria Cruz, her husband, and their four children were stunned when sheriff's deputies showed up at their apartment in the Albany Park neighborhood.
"We were completely surprised," Maria said. "We've always been on time. We paid our rent."
Never missed a rent payment, they said, but they and others in the building were going to be evicted because the building's owner had stopped paying the mortgage - then fled the country.
That case and others like it prompted Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart to protect renters who have done nothing wrong.
"They're playing by the rules, then they show up and their stuff is out on the street, and that's just wrong," Dart said.
Dart is suspending all foreclosure evictions until the banks take two basic steps in court.
So here's how it works: Let's say you own a building and rent someone an apartment. They've paid the rent faithfully but you don't pay the mortgage and face foreclosure. The bank has to indicate they live there and give them sufficient time to look for another place to live.
Dart says an ideal time is four months.
"These mortgage companies only see pieces of paper, not people, and don't care who's in the building," Dart said in a news release. "They simply want their money and don't care who gets hurt along the way. On top of it, they want taxpayers to fund their investigative work for them. We're not going to do their jobs for them anymore. We're just not going to let them evict innocent tenants. It stops today."
For now Maria Cruz and the others here can still call this home.
"We're happy we'll stay, and we've learned there are a lot of people around the city who are in the same situation," Maria said.
Her case will be settled in court.
People who don't pay their rent can still be evicted, so can homeowners who don't pay their mortgage. The sheriff is trying to help innocent renters. But the Illinois Bankers Association is angry. The group accuses him of ignoring the law and carrying out vigilantism.
Dart said the sheriff's office is on pace to conduct 4,500 mortgage foreclosure evictions this year, compared with only 1,771 in 2006.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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