McHenry County wants condo cleaned

Firefighters responding last month to a suspected water pipe break at a Lake in the Hills condominium complex instead found a residence filled with garbage, used food containers, human feces and an overflowing toilet that was leaking sewage-like water into the unit below, according court papers filed Wednesday.

Now McHenry County officials are asking a judge to grant an injunction and temporary restraining order against the condominium's owner, Gail Biging, labeling her residence a threat to public health and demanding she vacate it until it is cleaned thoroughly.

"Given the fact that this is a condominium with neighbors living so closely together, there's a much greater impact than if this were a single-family home," Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Jamie Rein said Wednesday. "We're trying to expedite this case as much as we can because it's a public health hazard the way it is."

Biging, who could not be reached for comment, is expected in court April 2 to answer to the claims. It is not clear whether she is living in the condominium, but her neighbors report her coming and going late at night, Rein said.

The litigation comes about six weeks after Algonquin-Lake in the Hills firefighters made the discovery Feb. 10 on Cunat Court in the Prairie Point Manor condominiums.

Owners of the unit below Biging's contacted the department after water began leaking into their home from above, court documents state. When firefighters entered Biging's one-bedroom condo to investigate, they found trash stacked throughout the residence, feces and used toilet paper on its floors, and a backed-up toilet as the source of the leak, according to court papers.

Biging met with representatives of the McHenry County Department of Health about a week later and received notice of what she needed to do to bring the residence in compliance with health codes.

But efforts by the health department to re-inspect the property earlier this month were unsuccessful because Biging did not show up for several scheduled appointments, court documents state.

County officials hope to get a court order next week allowing them back into the condominium to see if Biging performed the required cleaning and repairs. If not, officials want authority to pay someone else to do it, then require Biging to reimburse the county for its costs.