Harvey approves redevelopment agreement with LLC associated with attorney saddled with complaints over real estate litigation

Julian Rucker walked into the City Council meeting on Oct. 27 with $350,000 in his pocket to invest in homes in Harvey. But after the council approved a deal with a new property developer, he’s threatened to walk out the door and put his money elsewhere. 

Rucker said he had been in talks with Harvey’s economic development department in August to acquire city-owned homes for him to restore and sell. He obtained $150,000 in credit for the project and underwent the city’s financial verification process. But, in September, his line of communication with the city went cold. His calls and emails have since gone unanswered. 

Rucker arrived at Monday’s meeting to ask what was going on with his application after weeks of crickets. That night, City Council approved an ordinance to sell city-owned property to an unknown developer called Turlington Homes. Turlington Homes has a primitive website with nothing beside a landing page. According to state records, it was established on Oct. 2. Its affiliated agent is John C. Norkus, a Park Ridge-based attorney with the DeBlasio Law Group.

Turlington Homes will acquire 10 city-owned properties along 151st St. and Turlington Ave. to redevelop. Homes will sell between $168,000 to $248,000, according to the ordinance. Construction will begin in 2026 and wrap in 2027.

“We don’t know their connection to Harvey,” Amanda Askew, a community member present at the meeting, told the HWH. “They have no documented evidence of economic or community development, not just in Harvey, but the entire Southland, or, heck, even the state of Illinois.” 

Norkus is also affiliated with Chi City Legal, which provides litigation support for landlords and property managers. Yelp reviews show some were less than pleased with Norkus’ services. A common accusation is that Norkus allegedly took money for services but could not be reached by clients thereafter, rated 1.7 out of five stars on the site.

“Do not hire John Norkus. He will dissappear leaving with very painful scars. Get someone reliable. Have 5 eviction cases and he is nowhere to be fo[und],” wrote one user. In another comment: “I sent him the money owed and he said he would start the process. It is now 3 months later and he is unreachable, I left numerous messages with office staff and voicemails. His phone number is now disconnected…. I have a tenant that is living for free and destructive. Guess he took the money and ran? Horrible and expensive experience.”

Norkus did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Ald. Dominique Randle-El (5th) was absent, and Alds. Tracy Key (4th) and Colby Chapman (2nd) voted against the redevelopment agreement. Alds. Telanee Smith (3rd), Shirley Drewenski (1st) and Tyrone Rogers (6th) voted yes.

Askew fears the land sale could lead to displacement of long-term residents. “It’s a fire sale, and we know what [comes next]: the G-word; gentrification,” Askew said. “We don’t want that to happen. It’s unfair to us as residents.”

As a longtime Harvey resident, Rucker wants first crack at buying up abandoned land and property. “I feel better investing in my own neighborhood than investing in a neighborhood I just have a financial interest in,” Rucker said.

Official business

At the first meeting of the Harvey City Council since a round of layoffs and furloughing 40 percent of city employees, those hoping for more information on the city’s fiscal health left without those items addressed. 

Mayor Chris Clark did not directly speak on the financial situation in Harvey. Instead, he used mayoral comment to commend the success of the city’s gospel festival, calling upon residents to keep moving forward under the guidance of God. 

Left off of the night’s agenda was aldermanic comment, a period where alderpersons typically provide ward updates and address the mayor directly. Ald. Chapman entered a motion to amend the agenda and add it. It failed. Mayor Clark refused a request from Ald. Key to speak during public comment. 

Alds. Chapman and Key voted against approving a slate of bills lists from the past few weeks. Alds. Drewenski, Rogers, and Smith voted yes; the measure passed. 

Chapman objected to paying the bills — including an $8,000 charge for lodging at downtown Chicago’s Londonhouse Hotel after a conference — until a financial audit could be completed. “I don’t know how we’re approving anything tonight, because we have not addressed our financial distress,” Chapman said.

Chapman advocated for the council to focus its energy on paying only bills related to the upkeep and public safety of the city amid the financial crisis. Clark retorted that just because the money isn’t there doesn’t mean the bills stop coming.

“Well, just like in your household, if you run out of money and all these things happen, that don’t mean you stay where you are in your household,” Clark said. “You’re going to make the changes. You going to do what you need to do to tighten up that bill.”