Keep It Local Public Notice Illinois

Illinois Legal and Public Notice laws exist to ensure transparency in government and easy access to information.  Legal and Public Notice was entered into law more than 100-years ago to serve the subject of a legal matter, and the general community of a legal action to affect citizens.

In Illinois and Cook County, Legal and Public Notice is monopolized by a few, treated with entitlement, and used as a tool to reward and punish.   

Cook County Accredited Newspaper Association began a statewide initiative to keep Legal and Public Notice in the hands of the people it was intended to serve:  The citizens.

Please sign the Keep It Local Petition to send a message to Illinois Legislators that Legal, Public Notice transparency matters.  

Public Notice is Your Right To Know!

The following excerpt from the West Suburban Journal newspaper sheds light on how Legal Notice impacts community:  For full story click the following https://westsuburbanjournal.com/public-notice-keep-it-local-suburban-life-cook-county-suburban-publishers/

"Chicago West Suburban residents interviewed by West Suburban Journal don’t take lightly the matter of Public Notice misappropriation.  “Public Notice is intended to inform the community and residents…. that’s just wrong. ” Kevin Nolan, a West Suburban resident and U.S. Federal Agent said.  Nolan added, “If my neighbor’s house foreclosed, or my house for that matter, I want to know that my property value is affected by a foreclosure….I want to know what bank to call if the foreclosed home falls into disrepair, or the grass is not cut, or squatters move in… it’s not the village’s responsibility to monitor a foreclosed home, it’s the banks.”, Nolan said.  “How am I made aware of anything when Public Notice is not published in my local newspaper.” Nolan said.

Betty Williams, a resident of Maywood, said, “It’s all greed…what they doing to black communities…”   Williams added, “I think it’s important to know what goes on in the village, why else have public notices.”  “I like to know.” Williams said.

Darnell Davis formally lived in a Maywood apartment located on 5th Ave.  Davis said notice of foreclosure is important to apartment rental tenants. “We used to live on 5th Ave.  The building we lived in was foreclosed, but the landlord never told us.  He kept collecting rent from us [tenants], next thing we know the lights out, the heat off, the electricity cut off, and we all on the street… women, children, everybody with nowhere to go.” Davis said.  Notice of foreclosure in West Suburban Journal would have informed us early on, Davis explained.  “West Suburban Journal is our only paper.” Davis added. “Why I gotta go to Oak Park, River Forest or LaGrange and pay for a newspaper to read Maywood notices.”

To the Law Bulletin’s $299 annual subscription fee Williams commented, “I never heard of no Law Bulletin… I never seen or read no Law Bulletin newspaper and I was born and raised in Maywood.” said Williams.  Williams added, “I can’t afford $299 and why should I pay when I got a free newspaper.”

The West Suburban Journal assisted women and children of the foreclosed rental property, where Davis formally resided, find temporary housing through Maywood-based Proviso Leyden Council for Community Action (PLCCA).

Both Williams and Davis manage living expenses on fixed income.  Williams, 68, is retired.  Davis, 34, receives Sec 8 housing vouchers.  Neither have access to the internet."