Judge Tells Kostka: Clean Up Property by Next Court Date

A trial date will be set at the next court hearing in the village of Palatine’s lawsuit against former councilman, Warren Kostka, if he doesn’t clean up his property by then, a judge ruled Thursday.

The two parties made a second Cook County Court appearance May 17 after the was extended so Kostka’s attorney could answer the complaint filed by the village.

at 108 N. Forest Avenue. In addition to a fine of $500 per day per violation, the village is seeking an injunction to force Kostka to correct the violations and to also pay the cost of the village’s legal fees.

Palatine’s director of community services, Harry Spila, and village inspectors testified Thursday that little had been done to improve the state of Kostka’s property since the last court date, with the exception of some tall grass and weeds that had been trimmed.

The judge asked whether there was anything dangerous or hazardous on Kostka’s property and if he could clean up the outside before the next court date, scheduled for June 20. If Kostka addresses the property violations, the village would dismiss the case, the judge said.

In January, the village conducted a visual inspection of Kostka’s property and consisting of:

• Changes to the property's grading that have been done in a manner as to create a nuisance that consist of deep trenches with unstable and hazardous side slopes; sand bags; various spoil piles of dirt, asphalt and concrete remaining on property; fabric fencing; exposed dirt areas with no permanent or temporary vegetative cover.

• Missing sections of siding, gutters and downspouts, handrails and guardrails.

• Broken pane of glass in the south elevation window.

• Driveway in disrepair.

• Wood boards lying on the roof.

to testify on behalf of Palatine, saying that his property is a hazard to public safety and is making it difficult to sell a home in the area.

Kostka, who ran for mayor in 2009 and served on the village council from 1997 to 2000, has said that a federally mandated project to separate Palatine's sanitary sewer and storm water system in the 1980s resulted in flood damage to his home.