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Task Force Targets Illegal Construction

The Department of Buildings began an intensified enforcement action recently that will help identify and stop illegal construction in Chicago.

A task force of City building inspectors, Commissioner Stan Kaderbek and Chicago Police officers who specialize in neighborhood property problems, began a series of inspections intended to stop and cite illegal construction work. The task force made inspections on Dec. 21, 2004 and Jan. 14, 2005.

During the first two days, task force City building inspectors visited 115 construction sites and issued 40 stop-work orders that halted illegal construction.

Altogether, inspectors wrote 58 violations ranging from “no permit on site” and “no plans on site” to “work without a permit.” In one case, a complete gut-rehab of a building had been done with only a “remove and replace roof decking” permit. In another case, a contractor alleged to be the owner of the home he was working on under a permit issued for a different contractor whose name had been obscured on the posted permit with typewriter correction fluid.

“We took immediate action against a serious problem,” Kaderbek said. “If left unabated, this crime would leave neighborhoods with many buildings that are too large, unsafe and built without - or contrary to - approved plans and permits. If you are engaged in illegal construction work, you will be caught and held responsible.”

In the coming months, the task force will target several neighborhoods where citizens, aldermen and inspectors have reported high concentrations of illegal construction. The action began in community areas of Chicago’s Near West and the South sides.

The Department of Buildings receives thousands of complaints about illegal construction each year. Many complaints come from neighbors and aldermanic offices. The Department of Buildings receives numerous calls from homeowners who report that the new buildings or units that they have purchased have problems because of construction done without permits.

“Unfortunately, it is often first-time homeowners or a retired couple that have moved back into the city who become the victims of illegal building practices,” Kaderbek said. “We are working to stop illegal work before the building is completed and the faulty residence is sold to people who just want to live in safety and comfort.”

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