Judge lifts order, woman to return to Lake in the Hills home

A Lake in the Hills woman ordered out of her condominium two months ago after it was found filled with garbage, human feces and an overflowing toilet leaking sewage-like water into a neighboring unit can return home, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Judge Michael Caldwell lifted a restraining order barring anyone from living in the residence after learning that its owner, Gail Biging, had taken steps to clean it up and bring it in compliance with county health regulations.

"She did it on her own with the help of her family," Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Jamie Rein said. "She complied with everything the (McHenry County) Health Department required."

Biging was not in court Wednesday when Caldwell cleared her to return home.

County authorities took action against Biging on March 26, about six weeks after firefighters responded to her home at 1343 Cunat Court, Unit 2B, to search for a suspected water pipe break and instead found her one-bedroom unit in a deplorable state.

Firefighters had been contacted by residents of the unit below Biging's at the Prairie Point Manor condominium complex after water began leaking into their home from above. Instead of broken plumbing, they found a backed up toilet as the source of the leak, along with trash stacked throughout the condominium and feces and used toilet paper on its floors.

County health authorities initially gave Biging time to clean up the home on her own, but when she failed to do so obtained the restraining order declaring it a public health threat and requiring her to move out until it was cleaned.