Mount Prospect Pays $315K to End Property Battle

A longstanding real estate saga in the northwest suburb of Mount Prospect is nearing its conclusion.

Mount Prospect has agreed to pay $315,000 to the descendants of one of the village’s pioneers, settling a four-year battle over ownership of an 1,800-square-foot property that was once a private alley in downtown’s “Busse triangle,” the Daily Herald reported.

The private alley — which historically served businesses in the triangle bounded by the Northwest Highway, Busse Avenue and Main Street — originally belonged to John Meyn, the village’s first blacksmith. In 1947, Meyn deeded the alley to a family trust after subdividing his property in 1931.

However, the adjacent lots were sold over the years, and in 1979 and 1980, Cook County allocated 7.5-foot sections of the alley to six neighboring parcels, imposing property taxes on them. The village eventually acquired all six parcels, but the Meyn family’s ownership of the alley was later discovered by a title company.

In 2019, Mount Prospect initiated legal action to take ownership of the alley, contending that it no longer served any purpose and hindered redevelopment. The family trust filed a counterclaim, seeking compensation for the lost land.

The settlement not only allows the village to acquire the property for essential public parking, but it also puts an end to the costly and uncertain trial proceedings. Mount Prospect officials are relieved that the saga has come to an end.

“I think all of us agree that we needed to get past this,” village Trustee William Grossi told the outlet. “The title to the alley will be in the village. And it removes all cloud on title that existed within the triangle, so we can move forward and not worry about this in the future.”

The amount which the village paid the trust was fair given the values of similar downtown properties, Grossi contends.

— Quinn Donoghue