Tried to turn his mansion into a church to avoid property taxes

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-lake-bluff-church-24-web-jul24,0,6482499.story

Office's financial investigators to aid appeal of $80,000 break

By Susan Kuczka | Chicago Tribune reporter
2:29 PM CDT, July 23, 2008

<snip>State officials granted Michael an exemption on his annual $80,000 property-tax bill after the Realtor and bank company official presented affidavits showing he had converted his $3 million North Shore home into the Armenian Church of Lake Bluff.

Michael, who obtained a pastor's degree from an online religious site in 2006, told officials that he converted part of his home into a church in 2007 so his disabled wife and daughter would not have to travel to an Armenian church in Chicago the couple previously attended. snip

Following the Revenue Department's June 24 ruling to grant the exemption, village officials used the same affidavits that Michael had presented to the state to fine him $115,000 for allegedly operating a church without the required zoning permits. Michael notified village officials July 3 that he would stop hosting Sunday services for about a dozen church members while he appealed the fine.

[Selatius]

1. Now he has to pay the property tax but also the 115K fine on top of that.

Penny-wise and pound-foolish. It's people like him that are the reason why the estate tax was first implemented in the first place.

[CrispyQ]

2. I hope he gets stuck with the fine & the taxes.

Greedy fuck.