<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0m1mNL_0vl9rbXj00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0m1mNL_0vl9rbXj00" width="1280" height="960" ></figure>One day after a city inspector cited CKO Real Estate for rehabbing numerous apartments without a city permit, the landlord issued an illegal 30-day vacate notice to tenants, threatening arrest if they did not comply. In addition to the 10 code violations documented, the Crusader has learned that gas service was turned off, leaving residents without hot water for over a month. This incident marks a troubling escalation at the apartment building located in the 6700 block of South Paxton, where residents suspect CKO Real Estate is attempting to force them out to make way for new tenants who can pay higher rents. A Crusader journalist, also a tenant, received an illegal vacate notice and was similarly threatened with arrest.As previously reported by the Chicago Crusader, CKO Real Estate had left tenants with water issues last month after resuming gut renovations of several vacant units. At the center of the controversy is Bryant Lee, a representative of CKO Real Estate, who on September 12, issued the 30-day vacate notice. This was the second such notice given to tenant Nancy Jones after she inquired about the status of repairs on a project that was supposed to take just two days but has dragged on for over a month. The notice violated a rent control ordinance that mandates a 120-day notice for tenants who have lived in their units for over two years.Jones and other residents were informed that their water service would be turned off on August 23 for two days to allow workers to replace old pipes. Because the water was functioning properly prior to the notice, residents became suspicious. They received no information on how many pipes had been replaced or whether the project had been completed. As CKO Real Estate escalates its renovation efforts, tenants believe the company is falsely claiming plumbing issues to justify their removal.In response to the ongoing issues, Jones and fellow tenants filed complaints with Chicago’s rent control hotline, but CKO Real Estate has failed to provide updates on the purported water pipe project, which was meant to last just two days.Due to the lack of hot water, residents are forced to boil water for bathing and washing dishes. On September 12, Jones received another 30-day notice, which was also delivered to other tenants, including this journalist. The notice threatened arrest should tenants fail to vacate by October 12. It stated that on that date, the “plumbing will be completely turned off at 9 a.m.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Ot2Fm_0vl9rbXj00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Ot2Fm_0vl9rbXj00" width="1024" height="768" ><figcaption>A MAINTENANCE WORKER speaks to CKO Real Estate Property Manager Bryant Lee as Peoples Gas trucks wait to turn the heat back on after tenants filed complaints of having no hot water.</figcaption></figure>Lee had previously assured tenants that he would not turn off the water, claiming during two phone conversations that the project would take a month. The notice, posted on tenants’ doors and at building entrances, read, “This is a notice to move!” It continued, “Due to unforeseen plumbing issues at this property, we must shut down the property for repairs. This shutdown will be for an undetermined time, so everyone must make arrangements to move out permanently.”The notice does not specify the percentage of pipes replaced or how close workers are to completing the project. CKO Real Estate has claimed it will assist residents in applying to other properties it owns. The notice further offered tenants a payment equal to one month’s rent for their relocation.Near the end of the notice, a section was bold, in all caps and underlined, stating: “REMEMBER – THE PREMISES MUST BE VACATED ON OR BEFORE 9 A.M. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2024. ANYONE LEFT AT THE PROPERTY AFTER THIS TIME WILL BE SUBJECT TO ARREST FOR TRESPASSING.”The following paragraph urged tenants to contact Lee to confirm their move-out dates.The notice arrived just one day after tenants observed a city inspector visiting the site on September 11. The inspector, arriving in a Chicago Department of Buildings van, took notes while speaking to workers who had been gutting and rehabbing units. The workers abruptly left the property an hour after the inspection, and have not returned since.The Crusader uncovered the reason for this halt: the Chicago Department of Buildings issued CKO Real Estate 10 code violations during the inspection. The Crusader obtained a copy of the city’s inspection report, which revealed that CKO Real Estate was gutting and renovating at least 18 units without the necessary permits. Permits issued by the Department of Buildings ensure that construction work complies with minimum safety standards to protect the health and welfare of tenants. According to the department, a permit is required before starting most construction, demolition, and repair work.On the inspection report obtained by the Crusader, the owner’s phone number was listed, but the inspector noted “No Answer.”As of now, residents remain without hot water. It was revealed that the gas to the building had been shut off. On September 24, Lee told a Chicago Housing Authority official he was present with Peoples Gas to turn the heat back on, but he was not seen as two Peoples Gas trucks waited outside. A Crusader journalist overheard a CKO maintenance worker on a call with Lee, saying, “Bryant, we can’t get inside the boiler room because the dumpster is blocking the door.”At that point, the journalist identified himself, and Lee was heard telling the maintenance worker, “Take me off speaker.”For weeks, the dumpster had obstructed access to the boiler room, as maintenance workers left debris from their renovations. After work was halted post-inspection, the dumpster remained, blocking the entry. Peoples Gas workers waited for an hour for CKO Real Estate to remove it, but when no action was taken, they drove off.According to its website, CKO Real Estate owns 20 properties in Chicago, with 18 located on the South Side. The building in question is less than five minutes from the site of the Obama Presidential Center and Library.For this story, the Crusader reached out via email to CKO Real Estate’s top executives, including Principal Chikoo Patel, Managing Broker Alexander Rek, Director of Operations Roseann Veloz, and Tenant Relations Coordinator Pam Gore. None responded by press time.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

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Landlord threatens arrest after illegal vacate notices

One day after a city inspector cited CKO Real Estate for rehabbing numerous apartments without a city permit, the landlord issued an illegal 30-day vacate notice to tenants, threatening arrest if they did not comply. In addition to the 10 code violations documented, the Crusader has learned that gas service...