HANKS ISSUES DON'T PASS SMELL TEST

INVESTIGATIVE REPORT By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE | Everyone remembers how former Mayor Lewis Towers, who still works at the Cook County Assessor’s office, filed for dual homestead exemptions on his house in Chicago and his house in Sauk Village.  All of his political opponents pounced on him for ripping off the taxpayers and how wrong it was and how he should go to jail.  Well, during the last election, a “stinky” flyer also came out making claims about David Hanks and some questionable matters as well.

Something just wasn’t passing the smell test and has been stinky since that flyer appeared.  I didn't like the flyer when I first saw it, I thought it was a cut and run piece but it raised many questions.  The flyer listed several mortgage recording numbers and dates which until recently I have not had the opportunity to investigate. Since that time I have looked into the the matter to see if I could confirm the allegations or if it was just nonsense. Well what I found does not pass the smell test and Hanks has some questions to answer!

It would appear that Sauk Village Mayor David Hanks has been voting from his current address, 1791 E. 223rd PL. since 1998 when he changed his residence, as required by Illinois law!   I do not argue the point that David and his wife have lived in their current residence since 1998 and that was their home!  A voter must change his voter registration within 30 days of a change in address. Hanks voted in every single election since then from the very same address! Very commendable and a good citizen, but wait there’s more.  (***CLICK HERE*** to see Hanks' Official Voting Record)

Here is where it gets messy and raised my eyebrows! Hanks voted in April and November, 2006 from the address he has resided since 1998, 1791 E. 223rd Place, Sauk Village, Illinois. The problem is that on December 23, 2006, Hanks took out a mortgage on a home he apparently did not live in at 1915 E. 223rd Street, Sauk Village and claimed by signing that document that he “shall occupy” and use the property as his “principal residence…” (***CLICK HERE*** to see Hanks' Mortgage Recorded with the Cook County Recorder of Deeds). It’s common knowledge that people get more favorable terms, better interest rates and more flexible loan to values if they claim a home is “owner occupied”.

To complicate matters Hanks signed, under oath, that he resided at 1915 E. 223rd Street, Sauk Village, Illinois (***CLICK HERE*** to see Hanks' 2007 Statement of Candidacy). So he must have moved back to his previous address at 1915 E. 223rd St. because in November 2006 he just voted from 1791 E. 223rd Place which is where he has been living since 1998, remember? Well looking at Hanks’ Official Voting Record, he voted in April, 2007 from his 1791 E 223rd Place address and NOT from his 1915 E 223rd St address that he swore was his address on his Statement of Candidacy!  So did he lie on the Mortgage from December, did he lie on his Statement of Candidacy or did he lie when he voted in April, 2007 stating that he lives at 1791 E. 223rd Place?   Smell test FAIL!

What makes this entire matter even more interesting is that the home at 1915 East 223rd Street was foreclosed on as the market conditions deteriorated in 2008 according to the Cook County Circuit Court Chancery Division. So during this entire time, Hanks was taking advantage of a homestead exemption, according to the Cook County Assessor's office, on a home where he was NOT apparently living.

Finally, I wanted to end another rumor that had been circulating that David Hanks filed for bankruptcy (Bankruptcy filings are public records). I paid out of my own pocket to do the research on this to confirm if David A. Hanks had filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy! Lo and behold, records confirm the fact that on March 25, 2004, while he was serving as your elected Village Trustee, David A. Hanks DID indeed file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy! While I can't fault anyone for running into financial difficulties and trying to reorganize their financial situation, Mayor David A. Hanks did not appear to have learned from this experience since he subsequently foreclosed on what he claimed was his primary residence at 1915 E. 223rd St. address just 4 short years later. Again, this doesn’t pass the smell test!

According to US Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois Case #04-11796, the case was discharged on July 19, 2004. What is interesting is that even though David A. Hanks listed 1915 E 223rd Street as his address of record on his Bankruptcy papers, the official voting records contradicts this as he voted from a 1791 E. 223rd St. address which does NOT legally exists. He did not correct this error of record to reflect his correct address of 1791 E 223rd Place until his Trustee re-election bid began in 2010 which is where he has voted since 1998 (***CLICK HERE*** to view Hanks' voter Registration Change 2010). So is it possible, was David A. Hanks trying to protect his asset at 1915 E 223rd St. by claiming it was “owner occupied” in his Bankruptcy filing when in fact it couldn’t have been since he was officially residing and voting at 1791 E 223rd Pl.?

Now the tough questions need to be addressed!

• Did David A. Hanks commit Mortgage Fraud, OR
• Did David A. Hanks commit Election Fraud, OR
• Did David A. Hanks commit Bankruptcy Fraud, OR
• Did David A. Hanks commit Voter Fraud?

Did David A. Hanks break the law at all or is all this information and evidence just wrong? Inquiring minds need to know because in just the past few weeks, Mayor David A. Hanks has depleted the Village's financial coffers of $449,806 to pay village’s debts that should have been accounted for in his budget and is now seeking a line credit in the amount $500,000, borrowing his way out of debt!  Raiding the Village's Water Fund to balance the Village's General Fund Budget is reckless.  This reminds one of the fiasco that occurred in 1986 when the Village was sued by Nanette Wargo and the late Nancy McConathy for using water funds to supplement the General Fund!  Since David Hanks wanted to look back in to what the Village's "past practices" were on handling the Village's finances, It only is fair to look at his past practices to see how he handled financial difficulties as well.  His method is financially irresponsible and the people now have his past practices on how he runs his finances!   

So if putting this information out here is “negative” then so be it! David A. Hanks is a mayor of a Village, is a big boy and is a public official, NOT a private citizen!   Most political leaders publish their tax returns, which they are not required by law to do!  They want everything to be out on the table in an open and transparent process.  We clearly have not had an open, honest, transparent and accountable administration in Village Hall thus far! 

The residents of Sauk Village are entitled to know this information which if known they can demand accountability from the Village officials about how their tax dollars are spent. Mine is not to answer these questions, but the questions I have raised certainly warrant serious considerations and serious answers.

LINKS:

You can check on the mortgage information by going to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds webpage http://12.218.239.81/i2/default.aspx   The address for the home in question during the election was 1915 E. 223^rd Street, Sauk Village, IL 60411.  The PIN Number for the property is 32-25-311-037-0000

Village Takes out Line of Credit to make Payroll:  CLICK HERE- NWI Times Article


NOTE: ALL information I have obtained is PUBLIC RECORD and was obtained online or through Freedom of Information Act Requests from the Village of Sauk Village, the Cook County Clerk’s office, the United States Bankruptcy Court records and the Cook County Recorder of Deeds office. 

Original material copyright 2013 Sauk Villager News; all rights reserved. 

David Hanks, Mayor of the Village of Sauk Village