Joliet Township HS District 204 Has Lawsuit Against Basinger's Pharmacy Owner: Here's Why

JOLIET, IL — High School Superintendent Karla Guseman and the Joliet Township High School District 204 remain embroiled in a late summer 2024 condemnation lawsuit they filed against the owner of Basinger's Pharmacy, Harish Bhatt, and Standard Bank and Trust Company, Joliet Patch has learned.

According to Will County Courthouse filings, District 204 hired the Joliet law firm of Rathbun, Cservenyak and Kozol to bring the condemnation lawsuit against Bhatt on July 31, 2024. "Joliet Township High School District 204 desires to purchase vacant property located at SEC Hammes Avenue and Oneida Street in Joliet ... for a building or for educational purposes," their court filings show.

Last year, Allstate Appraisal based in Chicago Heights provided District 204 Assistant School Superintendent Ilandus Hampton with an appraisal of the Basinger Pharmacy property owner's vacant corner parcel of commercial land at Hammes and Oneida near the Joliet West High School campus.

The land is zoned for business and contains 2.73 acres.

"The interests in real property described and sought to be acquired by the District is needed as a site for a building or for educational purposes," the Joliet school district lawsuit asserted. "District has made a good faith effort to negotiate with defendants. Defendants' property has a face value of $290,000, but requires $140,000 in arsenic remediation, thus making the fair market value less remediation $150,000."

District 204's lawsuit indicated that Bhatt and the defendants were offered $100,000 for their property "but parties could not agree on a price."

Court files indicate that Joliet's high school district passed a resolution indicating that District 204 "requires the site for building or educational purposes and authorizing the District to proceed with condemnation action .... the land is private property, and the named defendants have a legal ownership interest therein."

The lawsuit pointed out that Will County Treasurer Tim Brophy and Lauren Staley Ferry, who was Will County clerk at the time of the lawsuit, were named as parties "for the purpose of assuring the payment of taxes and transfer of liens. The subject property has been appraised in conformity with the appropriate state laws, regulations, policies and procedures in connection with the acquisition."

On behalf of District 204, attorney Frank Cservenyak has asked Will County's judges to assess a compensation that his clients shall pay to the owners and "to enter its order for possession to put plaintiff into possession of real property."

The next hearing on District 204's condemnation lawsuit against Harish Bhatt is set for Sept. 11 in Courtroom 903 of Will County Judge Bobbi Petrungaro. It's a status hearing.