Whitney Strohmeyer News Today

An LLC that allowed the property to deteriorate and its affiliates own nearly 150 properties in St. Clair County.

He spent six figures flying friends in on his private jet for his dog’s birthday party, while weeds grew, garbage accumulated and power bills went unpaid at the strip mall, a lawsuit alleges.

The 77-year-old didn't pay his property taxes, and St. Clair County foreclosed his home. His story reveals a series of breakdowns in a system that struggles to deal with people who don't fit into traditional society or follow all its rules.

“(After the eviction) I said, ‘Are you OK?’ And he said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ It was so sad. I wanted to cry because he just had a pillow and his cart,” said a neighbor.

The historical society in Belleville, Illinois, and other preservationists are discouraged by the city’s demolition of neglected landmark homes and other buildings.