Elgin researching program to inspect foreclosed homes

Elgin Mayor Ed Schock directed staff Wednesday to research whether the city has the people, money and legal right to inspect foreclosed homes for code violations.

As part of the program, inspectors would zero in on features such as illegally added apartments, faulty wiring, blocked staircases, fire hazards and significant water damage that causes mold.

Right now, there are more than 1,000 foreclosed homes in Elgin, some that have been empty for at least a year.

Schock doesn't want people buying a foreclosed house with features they may not know are illegal or unsafe and says some have already reported unauthorized units in basements and attics.

"There's a lot of reasons to check and see safety issues," Schock said, adding that the problem of illegal units is particularly widespread in town. "I think there's a universal agreement that we're not finding all of them."

Schock envisions a quick walk-through, in which the inspector would report obvious violations back to the city.

Officials have yet to determine who would be ultimately responsible for bringing the property up to par, but that answer is expected to be outlined in the staff report.

Councilman Dave Kaptain was concerned how far the city would go with the measure.

"Do we trim bushes and do those types of things?," he asked.

Staff is expected to complete the report within a month.