Four Logan Square residents have filed a lawsuit against their landlord, James Feeney, and his realtor, Stuart Schwartz, for allegedly violating the city’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. The tenants, who are not named in the lawsuit, claim that Feeney and Schwartz failed to provide them with proper notice of the intent to sell the building and did not give them the opportunity to buy the property.

Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act

The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, which took effect in March 2025, gives longtime renters the opportunity to buy their building when it’s listed for sale or to otherwise line up a buyer who has their interests in mind. The law requires landlords to provide tenants with written notice of their intent to sell and access to financial documents if they choose to explore their buying options.

In this case, the tenants claim that Feeney and Schwartz failed to follow the law by not providing a notice of intent to sell the property 30 days before listing it. They also allege that Feeney tried to persuade them to waive their right during the time period and unlawfully showed the apartments during the 30-day window despite Department of Housing officials instructing them to stop.

The tenants are seeking an injunction and a trial to get the financial and property documents from Feeney as part of the law and to nullify the second-floor tenant’s non-renewal notice until the program timeline starts over. They are also asking Feeney to nullify the contract with a potential buyer and restart the clock so they can have a fair shot at trying to buy the building.

Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.