Last One Out of 1340 W. Morse

EXCLUSIVE - The Bench learned tonight that the last tenant has left the notorious 1340 W. Morse 1345 W. Lunt apartment complex in Rogers Park. But the initial report was confused. Early in the CAPS 2431 beat meeting tonight, a representative of the new owners of the buildings said that only one resident remained. He said that one tenant refused to vacate a unit "on the Lunt side" and has not paid rent for December or January. The tenant, described simply as a man in his 30's, was reportedly fighting the new landlord, Newcastle Limited. A possession order was issued by the Cook County Circuit Court on December 10, 2007 in Newcastle's favor, but stayed on December 31, the representative said. But a second representative of Newcastle arrived minutes before the meeting ended and revealed that he had just learned that the tenant had just vacated. But he noted that the tenant had been living on the Morse side, not the Lunt side of the twin buildings. The late rep said that Anne Sullivan of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore's office had been working to assist in the matter. He said that Sullivan spoke to him earlier today and said the tenant was out. A security man with the representatives said that there was furniture in the hallway just outside of the last tenant's apartment earlier today. The Newcastle reps said that the presence of the man had not delayed any of the renovation work currently going on in the buildings. FLASHBACK: New Landlords Take Over Troubled Morse/Lunt Apartments