Debts and donations

A politically connected Springfield lawyer, George Petrilli, who was fined more than $46,000 by the city for failing to maintain a dilapidated property, had almost all of his debt forgiven and later donated $2,500 to Mayor Jim Langfelder’s reelection campaign.

The city has waived fines and forgiven utility bills in hundreds of cases during 2022, Illinois Times has learned. But Langfelder’s administration has refused to release the names of those who benefited, claiming it is personal financial information exempt from public records laws.

In response, Illinois Times filed a lawsuit March 6 in Sangamon County Circuit Court requesting that the identities of the forgiven debtors be released.

Joe Craven, an attorney representing the newspaper, said it will likely be at least 60 days before the names become public.

“There are a plethora of Freedom of Information Act decisions, both court opinions and public access counselor opinions, that essentially state that debts owed to a public body are not personal financial information because they relate to the receipt of public funds and are therefore public information,” he said.

Although Craven expressed confidence that the newspaper would prevail in the lawsuit, it is unlikely the information will become public before the April 4 mayoral election.

“The legal system has its own clock set up,” he said.

Illinois Times obtained Petrilli’s identity independently of the FOIA process.

Petrilli said during an interview with Illinois Times that there is no correlation between the forgiven debt and his decision to donate to Langfelder’s campaign.

“I have (had) no conversations or contact with the mayor’s office,” he said. He added he does not know Langfelder personally.

“I ran for alderman back in 2007 or so, OK? So, I followed city politics and things pretty closely. I think he’s a good mayor for Springfield,” Petrilli said.

Petrilli is a Democratic precinct committeeman and is employed as a lawyer for Facilities Management and Construction LLC, a firm owned by politically connected developer and cannabis entrepreneur Chris Stone. In 2020, Petrilli ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois’ 18th Congressional District, losing to Republican Darin LaHood.

Petrilli’s $2,500 donation was one of the largest Langfelder has received during this election cycle, according to documents filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Petrilli acquired a two-story house at 820 N. Sixth St. about 11 years ago from Enos Park Development for $1. The nonprofit land bank sells distressed houses at nominal cost to people who commit to renovating them and making them single-family, owner-occupied homes.

Petrilli said it took him far longer than he initially anticipated to make the repairs. He added another setback was that thieves broke into the house and stole wiring from the basement.

Petrilli said he negotiated down his debt with the office of the city’s corporation counsel. He paid $4,050 and had the remaining $42,000 debt eliminated on April 11, 2022. 

Petrilli made his $2,500 donation to Langfelder’s campaign Jan. 30 of this year. Despite having the money to donate to a political campaign, he is delinquent on his 2021 taxes for the property. Sangamon County records show he owes $1,038 in back taxes on the house in Enos Park.

Petrilli said one factor he pointed to in his negotiations with the city was that he improved the property to the point that an occupancy permit was issued. Kateah McMasters, senior assistant corporation counsel, said in a written statement to Illinois Times: “In an attempt to gain compliance, the City also began to ask the Administrative Court to impose a $750 per day penalty fee. On March 10, 2021, the City imposed an additional $42,000 for the per day penalty fee and agreed to waive said penalty fee amount if the violations were abated and the property was fully repaired. …Waiver of said penalty fees is also a routine procedure utilized in administrative court, but only after the property owner has achieved full code compliance and made all building repairs.”

When contacted March 6 by Illinois Times, Brian Green, an employee with the city’s Building and Zoning department, said an occupancy permit apparently was issued for the property last year. But he said he could not find any record of the underlying building permits being issued that would have been necessary to bring the house up to code.

Green said he brought the matter to his supervisor’s attention and a decision was made to send an inspector to the property the following morning. Green said the inspector found the structure was unfit for habitation and the occupancy permit was revoked as of March 7.

The property remains unoccupied. Petrilli said he plans to continue to make improvements to the house but has yet to decide what to do with it. He said he will not be moving into the home.

Petrilli and his family live on Bates Avenue, near Illini Country Club.

Although Petrilli points to his occupancy certificate as an underlying reason for the debt relief, others in similar circumstances say they have received far less leniency from the city.

Keshia and Stephen Barbee purchased a dilapidated house from the land bank in 2017, just two blocks from Petrilli’s property. They focused initially on fixing the interior of the house so they could move in, but in June 2020 they received a letter from the city fining them $750 for not having adequately improved the house’s façade, Keshia Barbee said.

“So, we were in lockdown. Neither me nor my husband were working,” she said. “We didn’t have the money to pay this fine, and we didn’t have the money to work on the house at this point. … and then about six months later we got a knock on the door from the sheriff telling us that we were being sued for that $750.”

Barbee said city officials have not committed to waiving the fine if they make the improvement, saying only that they would consider it.

“They have been making us go every six weeks in front of the judge to update him on our progress. They definitely have not made it easy on us and have not made the experience pleasant.”

Ward 5 Alderwoman Lakeisha Purchase said the city needs to be consistent in how it goes about forgiving debts and that does not appear to be happening. She added that, although the house owned by Petrilli is in her ward, no one with the city administration informed her of the debts being waived.

“I think it would be upsetting to many voters to learn that someone who owes back taxes has made a political contribution and has had that much debt forgiven,” she said.

Purchase added council members may need to consider passing an ordinance that would require a vote by the city council in order for future debts of this magnitude to be forgiven.

Linda Maier, who helps administer the land bank for Enos Park Development, said to the best of her knowledge Petrilli’s house has remained empty for more than 10 years. Neighbors have complained about grass not being mowed and the property being otherwise unsightly.

Maier said when Petrilli bought the house in 2012 from the land bank it was an occupied rental property.

“We were pretty excited about a young professional investing in the neighborhood and thinking he was going to renovate it and live there,” Maier said. “And as you can see, that did not happen. That’s a disappointment.”

This story has been updated to include comments from the city’s corporation counsel office and building and zoning department.

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This article appears in A push to diversify.