Trouble on Front Street? Businessman Battles with Bank

Edwin Miller has worked as an insurance agent in Mokena for years, once sharing a building with

The problems between Villa Rosa's Mauro DiSabato, who ran the Mokena location on behalf of his family's company, and the bank were not isolated, Miller claims. 

Miller, who had established a three-year lease renewable in similar increments with the previous landlord of the building, said he had his own issues with the bank from the day it took over the foreclosed building.

Following the foreclosure, Miller claims he had several run-ins with the bank, culminating in a legal battle over his lease. 

“We had no air conditioning for 15 days, 10 business days total,” Miller said. “Then, none of the lights were changed in the building. My girls refused to work here because it was pitch black. The bank told me to change the light bulbs that were 40-feet in the air [myself].”

A Patch reporter's calls to Great Lakes Bank went unreturned.

Miller said the biggest sticking point was the lease, which the bank labeled undervalued. He said that while the lease was indisputably a good deal, he didn't see why he should renegotiate if he had a firm lease that was in his favor.

After standing firm on the terms, and after the bank allegedly failed to maintain the building in a manner he thought was appropriate, he withheld one month's rent from the bank. The bank then reportedly attempted to evict Miller, which led to the legal battle between the two parties.

“We did withhold one month's rent, when we did not have air conditioning in here for 15 days, 10 of which were business days,” Miller said, adding, “But, Paul Van Zee [Great Lakes Bank CFO] and I came to an agreement where I would pay half a month's rent [for the month].”

From there, Miller claims that two months later, in December 2011, the bank “lost” two rent checks, which were both meant for that month. He said that two days after Christmas, the bank then notified him that he was being evicted.

Miller would eventually go on to win the legal battle; the bank's lawyer notified Miller that they had located the checks.

Now, almost six months after the eviction notice and legal tango, Miller stands in his Front Street location, extremely happy to remain in Mokena.

“Front Street is absolutely awesome, it has a great old-town charm to it,” he said.

That being said, Miller remains wary of the bank and their joint business dealings.