Giant concrete blocks interfere with Harvey’s business; Mayor says owners aren’t paying property taxes.

HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) — Harvey businesses say the city is denying them business licenses and blocking their storefronts with giant concrete blocks to prevent them from operating. The mayor said it’s because they don’t pay property taxes, but business owners say that’s unfair.

At Harvey’s Auto Center, Benecia Gonzalez is unable to conduct business due to cement barricades. They were even locked with a padlock and chain.

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City officials recently placed cement blocks there after Gonzalez’s business license was suspended. According to letters sent to the company, the licenses were suspended because of delinquent property taxes that it and others like Michael Kinsch owe to Cook County, not the city of Harvey. The city uses these taxes for city services.

“I was shocked. They came in huge trucks. A giant crane and 20 people,” said Kinsch, who is in the same situation at his Michael Motors used car lot. There was also a cease and desist order on his door.

“And it was this big production that came in and shut us down,” Kinsch said.

Municipalities have traditionally relied on Cook County’s process to send notices of delinquent payments and potentially sell tax proceeds to buyers, who can then place a lien on the property.

CONNECTED: More suburban Cook County property owners aren’t paying property taxes on time – Treasurer

But in Harvey, the city is taking action. Businesses that are denied a license can pay the city a fine of $20,000 for a one-year license or make monthly payments that cost up to $30,000 for a year. But that money won’t go toward paying overdue property tax bills, just toward a business license, which the city says typically costs about $250 a year, depending on the size of the business.

City officials would not tell the I-Team how many other businesses were denied licenses, but said hundreds of commercial properties are years behind on their taxes, owing more than $12 million in county property taxes.

“Because these taxes were not paid, it became difficult to govern and govern the city,” said Mayor Christopher Clark.

Clark said the city relies on those county property taxes.

READ MORE: Why is your Cook County property tax bill so high? The southern and southwestern suburbs were recently reassessed

“When businesses don’t pay property taxes, residents have to pay more,” he said.

That’s why, he said, the city recently passed a law that allows them to deny business licenses. But the law says nothing about the use of concrete barricades.

“I think this might be the best way for now. We can use different tactics,” the mayor said of the tactics.

But does this mean the city is heavily arming businesses?

“Do you know who was heavily armed? The people of the city of Harvey, because they’re losing homes at a tremendous rate because these businesses aren’t paying their taxes… It’s being passed on to the homeowners,” Clark said.

MORE COVERAGE Some must pay erroneous Cook County property taxes after bills are not corrected by the due date.

The mayor’s office recorded our interview with its own camera. We asked if the additional $20,000 cost of a business license has gotten these business owners so far behind that they’ll never be able to catch up.

“Again, if they were at all good corporate citizens and did what they were supposed to do, they would have already paid their taxes, and if they had paid their taxes, they wouldn’t be in this situation,” the mayor said. said.

Gonzalez said she recently paid off most of her delinquent property taxes, but was left with a large bill when she inherited the store.

“How are we going to make money to pay them? How are we going to make money to even pay property taxes,” she said.

Business owners say they will never be able to pay their taxes if they pay fines. It comes at a time when property taxes and assessments in the southern suburbs have risen sharply.

Harvey’s mayor said he is not aware of any other suburbs taking similar action.