Vintage East Lincoln Park 3-Bedroom Now 20% Below 2002 Price: 2341 N. Commonwealth
Some of you have already chattered about this 3-bedroom at 2341 N. Commonwealth in East Lincoln Park in some of the other East Lincoln Park threads.
Yes, it’s a short sale.
On the market since October 2009, it has been reduced $195,000 in that time.
It has also been reduced $20,000 since coming on the market in March as a short sale.
The unit is now listed about 20% below the 2002 purchase price.
It has much of the vintage features found in the midrise buildings of that era built near the lake front including crown molding, french doors and big room sizes.
It has a separate dining room.
The kitchen has been updated with 42 inch maple cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
However, the unit does not have an in-unit washer/dryer, central air or deeded parking (it is rental in the neighborhood.)
The listing says it is in the Lincoln school district.
Is this a steal at this price?
Violet Sudler at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #2B: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in December 1995 for $205,000
- Sold in January 2002 for $408,000
- Originally listed in October 2009 for $524,900
- Reduced numerous times
- Lis pendens foreclosure filed in February 2011
- Re-listed as a “short sale” in March 2011 for $349,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $329,900
- Assessments of $533 a month (includes heat, cable)
- Taxes of $5934
- No central air
- No in-unit washer/dryer
- No parking
- Bedroom #1: 14×14
- Bedroom #2: 15×8
- Bedroom #3: 10×7
Snooze…
Still 60% above the 1995 price. How come you never phrase it like that?
“Bank trying to unload toxic asset to knife-catcher at 60% premium to 1995 price”
It’s a deal if you like to go out to laundermats, don’t have a car and sweating to death all summer long is a must.
its a short sale… not gonna happen at that price, no way the bank lets it go for this little unless the sellers or the agent have “connections”
and I guess people DO place quite a premium on modern amenities such as in unit w/d, a/c, and parking, as well as bathrooms redone in the last 50 years
my guess is that since this is still ELP it sells @ 400k, in 2 years
“Is this a steal at this price?” Yes.
I really feel for the sellers. I also question the wisdom (the broker’s wisdom?) of putting a place on the market in 2009 – in October, no less – at a price of $525k, despite the fact that the majority of would-be 3 bedroom/Lincoln attendance area buyers want a parking space and a w/d (many will rough it with window a/c, but the parking and w/d are killers). When these sellers purchased this place in 02′ for $408, I doubt they had kids (without whom a w/d, and even parking, aren’t necessarily deal killers). I realize they put a bit into the place, it just seems that there was a real misjudgment of the market/comps in the fall of 09 (and after 7 years they should have made a good dent in the principal, but perhaps they borrowed in order to make renovations).
That said, assuming that the bank will actually close for around the listed price, it really is a lot of charming space on a quiet block just around the corner from the park. Even factoring in an extra $200 or so to rent a parking space (which I think is about a block away), it seems like a solid value.
having to go to a laundry room with little kids isnt too bad. you can stick them in the washing machines (top loaders) so they stay put.
This is the undesirable tier of this building.
The units in the front tier of the building have the better layouts.
how can there not be a washer/dryer and a/c in a place like this?? it looks pretty nice otherwise (definitely not my style, but still nice nonetheless).
not having those two simple items takes the entire place down a notch or two.
This is true East Lincoln Park location.
The association in this building is ROCK SOLID!
The onsite super, amazing.
It’s a good opportunity for someone who desperately wants Lincoln and can compromise to get it at this price (we even considered it), but the number of people willing to spend this much a month and have no laundry, parking or AC are few and far between, even if it is in a great location. I’d be more willing to squeeze my kids into a 2/2 with those amenities at that price.
Washer and dryer in your unit means you much do your own laundry.
MUCH prefer to send that out to get done. I have a Spanish speaking lady who does an Excellent job!
You should look into it.
Those amenities weren’t standard when this building was converted to condos. The lack of w/d, ac, and parking will be a tough sell to the demographic that would buy this unit. Why buy this when you can just rent?
People generally want to buy a place that is nicer than what they can rent.
“Washer and dryer in your unit means you much do your own laundry.”
Not really, no. You just *can* do your own laundry; option remains to send it out, and *adds* the option to have your cleaning lady do it in your house.
James are you a Realtor?
No, not the Realtor.
I have inside knowledge of this building.
“Still 60% above the 1995 price. How come you never phrase it like that?”
Ever heard of inflation? Per CPI it’s listed 10% over the 1995 price in real dollars.
If James were the realtor would he have said it was in the undesirable tier?
“Ever heard of inflation? Per CPI it’s listed 10% over the 1995 price in real dollars.”
Or 35% below 2002 purchase price.
“People generally want to buy a place that is nicer than what they can rent.”
True, though there aren’t many places that are comparable to this unit with a montly rental cost that is the same or lower than the monthly purchase cost (yes, HD, “howmuchamonth”) as this place (but, as Sonies notes, it might not sell at the so-called “list”). Such rentals are out there, but there’s hardly an abundance.
As for the w/d, I’m not certain (James would likely know whether there’s an outright ban, or if some units are grandfathered), but when I made an inquiry on this unit (nine months ago?), I believe the broker said that there’s a hook-up in the kitchen (or a hook-up can be readily installed). That’s not optimal, but it’s an option (though unless they reconfigure the kitchen to provide for a laundry closet, the w/d would be out in the open).
As for a/c, I lived in a place roughly this size for a couple of years just up the street, and two big window units sufficed, for the most part. Again, not ideal, but it worked.
But one thing that got to be a real drag after a while was walking a block to get to the garage in which we rented a parking space.
If there’s ever been a place that awaits a NYC transplant (who’s limited to this price range), this is it.
Not too many people with little kids want to send their laundry out.
Friends lived in this building for many years; they owned a rear-unit with alley frontage.
Tight courtyard configuration means only street-facing units have any “view”. Ventilation is limited to the captured air in courtyard, gangways between adjoining buildings, or alley. You definitely need your window air-conditioners, and everyone else’s air-conditioner noise means that natural ventilation during warm weather is a noisy proposition.
Units have one large bedroom, and one or two small bedrooms with tight dimensions. One extra bedroom is definitely maid’s room with the super-tight 2nd bathroom. Limited storage, but I remember smaller bedrooms had old-fashioned cupboards.
Immaculately kept building; high assessments for no central air, no doorman, no garage, no common deck, etc. walk-up building. Sounds like a candidate maybe for a boiler replacement to reduce heating costs; on-site super alone can’t be reason for relatively high assessments.
Just make sure the kids laundry doesn’t get done where poor people do theirs.
I’ve been in this building and the units are beautiful. It feels rock solid and has loads of vintage charm.
I agree with others here on the lack of amenities considering the relatively high assessments. Sounds like a W/D could be installed, and window unit AC doesn’t seem like that big a problem. I think there’s parking across the street, not a block away, but I may be wrong.
I know some here have complained about the price, but I have to disagree. This sounds like a great price for this unit considering its vintage qualities and location.
Oh and imagine sending out your sheets during a bed bug outbreak. Ew.
Bedbugs are for the poor and the unattractive.
great description, it sounds like living in an Edward Hopper painting…
“Friends lived in this building for many years; they owned a rear-unit with alley frontage.
Tight courtyard configuration means only street-facing units have any “view”. Ventilation is limited to the captured air in courtyard, gangways between adjoining buildings, or alley. You definitely need your window air-conditioners, and everyone else’s air-conditioner noise means that natural ventilation during warm weather is a noisy proposition.
Units have one large bedroom, and one or two small bedrooms with tight dimensions. One extra bedroom is definitely maid’s room with the super-tight 2nd bathroom. Limited storage, but I remember smaller bedrooms had old-fashioned cupboards.
Immaculately kept building; high assessments for no central air, no doorman, no garage, no common deck, etc. walk-up building. Sounds like a candidate maybe for a boiler replacement to reduce heating costs; on-site super alone can’t be reason for relatively high assessments.”
If he was not the listing agent for the specific property he might very well have said that. I just notice that he seems to have comments that suggest inside information which apparently he had.
“If James were the realtor would he have said it was in the undesirable tier?”
Also I did not ask if he was the Realtor, but a Realtor. He said he is not the Realtor, which means the listing agent for this property but he might still be one.
deja vou all over again
Assuming the bank would ever agree to this price, it seems like a fair deal to me; and reflects well its nice features and obvious drawbacks. I don’t even think the assessments are too bad, though Architect is probably right about the new boiler.
Here’s another place listed for $349:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1322-S-Wabash-Ave-60605/unit-C/home/14083828
What is the record for number of total allowed MLS listing photos used up by singular flower shots?
Perhaps it’s to evoke tulip mania?
Oh really Marie Antoinette? Also the poor should get cake if they cannot afford buying bread?
“Bedbugs are for the poor and the unattractive.”
They’d be frikin lucky to get cake
Fvck the poor!
you CAN buy twinkies with food stamps
But can you send your laundry out with food stamps?
“But can you send your laundry out with food stamps?”
One of Bob’s friends might be interested.
I think I’ll take the bed bugs instead.
“you CAN buy twinkies with food stamps”
You can even buy margarita mix.
“But can you send your laundry out with food stamps?”
No. You are terrible for trying to defraud the system, Jennifer. Food stamps are for basic needs and foodstuffs like..margarita mix.
Bob, I saw a couple using food stamps at Whole Foods. Just seemed wrong to me…
Saw someone today using a Link card to buy Fritos and candy bars when I stopped at a little corner store on Granville to pick up a paper. I thought, Aldi’s is a block away, and Dominick’s is two blocks away, with their huge selections of sensible food, and you are buying Fritos and other trash. I didn’t know such stuff was even considered food.
Love this apartment, but can’t see this price if there is not even a laundry room in the building.
Typical bleeding heart liberal democrats/socialists!!! You were the ones constantly chanting “Yes we can” in 2008 – and now that your guy has been elected, you can’t understand why the poor people won’t cooperate with your idiotic socialistic views. Morons – what do you expect from people on food stamps/welfare, etc?
Man you guys are so unsympathetic. Even the educated elite, eat unhealthy food and have issues. It is not enough that most of this people never had a chance to learn about healthy eating habits and have tough lives, but now have to be subject to scorn. If having empathy for your fellow human beings makes you a liberal then I embrace the adjective. I agree that there should be supervision to not waste tax payer’s dollars, but common people.
BTW, yes we can seems to have done a much better job making this country safer than systematic tax cutters who claim monopoly on defence and morals.
We walked by the other day and I talked to the on-site engineer (very nice man btw). He said that a couple other units had put in w/d, one in the master bath and one in the kitchen. He said we could talk to the building across the street (corner of Commonwealth/Fullerton) about parking in their garage, or else there *may* sometimes be availability behind another building directly across the street. He also showed me the laundry room… there are back stairs that lead down there. Not ideal, and we would definitely look into installing in the unit if possible. Those are the 2 biggest problems for us but if they could be taken care of we are definitely interested. Location (does it get any better?) and school are what sell this place. It is beautiful, but with all the negatives (no outdoor space? no fireplace!?!?) we wouldn’t consider it otherwise.
I’ll post again if we go see it.
BTW, schadenfreude is strongly correlated to envy. I have noticed people with sense of entitlement who feel they didn’t get as much as they deserve demonstrate the trait. Satisfied people tend to have much less enjoyment of misery of others. In fact, they feel sorry for others suffering. To me a sick individual who uses the F word for poor people many of whom are children who go to bed with hungry stomachs with no fault of their own is clearly in need of help.
miumiu:
I’ll stick to agreeing with the competing ideology, if not for that those that adhere to it for the most part have a far greater grasp of grammar and structure of the English language. And are more perceptive and realistic as well.
“It is not enough that most of this people never had a chance to learn about healthy eating habits”
LOL. This coming from someone who writes:
“but common people.”
“defence”
This isn’t HK, we don’t spell defense “defence” here. You give yourself away as an outsider with your writing. And in that line of thought: what does an outsider like you do being arrogant enough to think you actually know how the end results of your ideology work on the ground here?
It amazes me how immigrants like you come here and basically want to change the country into one more like the one you came from. Do you even understand why you came here? It doesn’t appear so.
Re: eating habits–it has nothing to do with education, miumiu.
Did you hear they want to make the warning labels on the cigarette packs bigger AND add graphic pictures onto them. Do you REALLY believe those who eat garbage food just aren’t aware it is bad for them? Could you possibly be that stupid? I guess yes because a lot of liberals are.
It has to do with people: 1) not giving a shit (I know this is crazy to understand) and 2) being lazy but still economically constrained.
You can’t make people give a shit and live the way you think people should. You can ban all the Happy Meal toys whose meals fall above a certain calorie count and add nutrition labels all over every single food item. That matters little: you can’t make people give a shit.
That’s where you aren’t living on planet earth, miumiu. You are living on fantasy island where your dreams about the way you think reality should be substitute in your mind for the way reality really is.
Not sure I follow your logic Bob, any one who is a US citizen has a right to vote. If you don’t agree with the law, you should pursue legal action to change it. Also are you native American? Otherwise I assume your ancestors were immigrants too sir. So what is your requirement for having a right to vote?
BTW, you speak English which is the language that you guys inherited from UK and they spell “defence”. So at least in HK they got it right…lol. That being said I sure hope that as a native speaker you have a better grasp of your language than me.
An interesting story regarding the subject of wealth was once told to me by a wise man. He said that you could take everyone’s money away and give every person 200k and, within 10 years the rich will be rich again and poor will be poor again. Believe me, there is a reason that everything happens – and circumstance and lack of opportunity are just excuses that people use to explain their lack of success (in this country, at least)
I beg to differ. I don’t think people are smarter or have some sort of genetic superiority say in Japan or Italy than US hence they have better eating habits. One’s palate is developed partially based on what one has been exposed to. For the same reason that if you have never heard certain sounds before a certain age you cannot later on hear them. For instance, the food here is very sweat and hence most folks tend to have a high tolerance for sweets. I can hardly eat any of the cereals here as I find them too sweet.
“eating habits–it has nothing to do with education, miumiu.”
I am not a communist Clio. In fact, I am a big believer in free market. I agree that some people are more hard working, talented,… than others, but you cannot say circumstances and opportunities that one has had along the way does not make a difference. Then why do you all want to send your kids to good schools?
Defence is the English spelling of the word. Defense is the American English spelling. If you want to be technical. It takes a long time to get out of the habit of spelling things in a different way when you have spelt those words a certain way for as long as you have been reading and writing.
I agree that it’s very hard to have sympathy for people using their food stamps to buy all junk food, all the time, but if you compare the cost of fresh food to the cost of processed food it’s not hard to understand why it happens. It’s definitely a dilemma.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to see more compassion for those who have fallen on hard times. It doesn’t automatically mean you support the lazy welfare cheats just because you think people in real need should be able to get help. I’ve seen firsthand what an unanticipated health crisis can do to a family, and we were lucky enough to have insurance and savings. It’s hard to hear people say that this doesn’t need to change.
clio… Yep! Split it up, spread it around,and in 10 years it will all be back to ‘the same people’. No accident.
BTW, there is a quote that I like a lot about dreamers:
“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.”
“You are living on fantasy island where your dreams about the way you think reality should be substitute in your mind for the way reality really is.”
“I’ve seen firsthand what an unanticipated health crisis can do to a family, and we were lucky enough to have insurance and savings. It’s hard to hear people say that this doesn’t need to change.”
You’re naive enough to believe that you actually have to pay medical bills, aren’tcha, Jennifer? I’m not paying for medical treatment of of obese people buying those fritos and snickers, mark my words–I know how easy it is to shrik one’s tax liability.
We already pay for the LINK people’s medical though via medicaid. But that’s enough already.
Here is actually a heartwarming story about how things can be changed for some less fortunate people:
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/news/local/ct-met-all-to-college-0505-20110504,0,5610658.story?track=rss
Thanks Jennifer you worded it so much better than me. I just find it so callous when people say mean things about others lack of fortune. I don’t like to jump into conclusion and just assume they deserved what happened to them before knowing the circumstances.
Oh and when I talk about not paying med bills guess what happens, Jennifer? It get sent to collections. Then your FICO gets dinged.
And you probably care about FICO for the same reason you’re underwater on real estate these days, isn’t it?
You’re a credit lemming trying to have a discourse with someone who isn’t a spendthrift and frequently doesn’t have need for credit.
Bob, lot of people go bankrupt because of medical bills. Many of them are hard working honest people.
mm.
Sorry but there is something on the basic local news regularly about eating healthy, morning shows, oprah, and on and on and on… Now add in the amount of TV people in the US watch, and you just can’t say ‘people don’t know and aren’t educated on the matter’ that’s not the reason.
So what is the reason in your opinion Ze? Why are kids becoming more and more overweight? It cannot be genetics. After all most people here were not overweight in say fifties, right?
Have you seen this video BTW?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ennInSbIqXw
You can see the inherent superiority of intellect of the rich here. They know the real way to test a theory (especially one that might flatter their own self-image) is via wise men telling interesting stories.
Must be their genetic makeup…
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clio on May 4th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
An interesting story regarding the subject of wealth was once told to me by a wise man. He said that you could take everyone’s money away and give every person 200k and, within 10 years the rich will be rich again and poor will be poor again. Believe me, there is a reason that everything happens – and circumstance and lack of opportunity are just excuses that people use to explain their lack of success (in this country, at least)
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gringozecarioca on May 4th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
clio… Yep! Split it up, spread it around,and in 10 years it will all be back to ‘the same people’. No accident.
miumiu – what a waste of a school bus – this is why I hate socialist liberals – they waste the money of the rich!!!
mm.. Not easy to see videos when i’m on the farm, i won’t put internet into my house yet, and i’m here for the next few days.
I don’t know the reason, maybe it’s because the bad choices are just so readily available, convenient, and inexpensive. You lived in europe. Remove 1 main street in paris and you can walk the entire city without seeing 3 fast food restaurants next to one another. Where do you not see that in the US! Hell even in the carribean those dudes are poor and eat well and are ripped, so it ain’t poverty either.
Avoiding the doctor because you haven’t paid your last bill might work for some but when you have a newborn that needs neurosurgery it doesn’t work like that. Even last week the pediatrician wouldn’t treat his double ear infection until we’d paid the amount due from the last visit (which according to the bill still isn’t due for another week).
And FYI I don’t currently own any real estate. My credit score is important to me, but more importantly paying my way matters to me. I don’t believe in taking just because you can.
“Even last week the pediatrician wouldn’t treat his double ear infection until we’d paid the amount due from the last visit (which according to the bill still isn’t due for another week).”
Don’t lie – your pediatrician will sue you and then you really won’t have any money.
roma.. My apologies for any genetic implications, not directed towards you or made for the reason you imply. Glad i left out the snide remark i was about to make to mm about italians,august, and work habits!
Thanks for the link about Urban Prep Clio. They’ve been waiting to find out about the ivy league acceptances. That is great news.
But according to people who post on this site- the college admissions game is rigged. If you aren’t born into the “right” family or have connections- you can NEVER get into the prestige schools. Right? Isn’t that what was argued here?
Wrong!
This is a wonderful achievement and should inspire their younger classmates to dream big. You can get the american dream through education.
“They put on baseball caps for their college picks, which included Morehouse, Oberlin, Grinnell and the University of Michigan.
This is the second year in a row that all seniors at Urban Prep’s Englewood campus were accepted into college, but the Ivy League achievement made the charter school’s founder and CEO, Tim King, particularly proud.
“It’s a special kind of badge of honor when a student is admitted to an Ivy League school,” King said. “It speaks to what is possible even in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city of Chicago, in a Chicago public school and with students coming in performing below grade level. If you can create a school with the right kind of culture and give students the support they need, then students can do well and achieve.””
For $329k (which I doubt) this place is a deal IMO. It may not be in a desirable location of the building, but the unit looks great, spacious, intact vintage features and the location simply cannot be beat.
There are plenty of people who can live without WD/CAC/Parking and Im sure one of them will find their way to this listing.
I cannot imagine living without W/D. So you take everthing to laundry and pay how much. I mean there are ones cloths (think under wear that needs to be changed every day), towels, sheets, table cloth, kitchen linens. It will be crazy.
Or one has to go to one of those self service places and seat for hours doing laundry. Sorry for the first option you have to richer than someone who’ll buy this and for the second option you have to be poorer and quite young to have the time to waste. A/C and parking don’t seem as crucial to me.
By the way- I’m tired of the comments about immigration.
We are a nation of immigrants from all over the globe. America IS the United Nations.
If you wish to discuss this topic- please go to another forum to do so. I will delete those comments and I will ban people who go on and on about immigration.
If I’m sick of the comments, I’m sure everyone else is too.
Thanks.
Bob: “I know how easy it is to shrik”
Bob: “It get sent to collections.”
And you’re picking on other peoples spelling/grammar/typing, Bob? Really?
“But according to people who post on this site- the college admissions game is rigged. If you aren’t born into the “right” family or have connections- you can NEVER get into the prestige schools. Right? Isn’t that what was argued here?”
That’s a (partial) strawman, Sabrina. There are plenty of us who take the opposite view.
miu miu, sorry. I read it as the realtor, not a. my mistake
“But according to people who post on this site- the college admissions game is rigged. If you aren’t born into the “right” family or have connections- you can NEVER get into the prestige schools. Right? Isn’t that what was argued here?”
“That’s a (partial) strawman, Sabrina. There are plenty of us who take the opposite view.”
Yeah, and Sabrina was (to some extent) pushing the strawman view, that special admits are “worse than EVER.” Coming from the “wrong” family, if you have managed to get the grades and test scores (which is of course not easy), is a bigger potential advantage than someone coming from an upper middle class family with a parent alum.
http://cribchatter.com/?p=10417#comment-151731
Once upon a time people in apartment buildings didn’t beef-and-whine about having to go to – gasp! – the laundromat in the basement to do laundry. They were grateful for the extra closet/kitchen space that would otherwise accommodate an appliance that got used maybe once a week. OK, more if you had kids in old-fashioned cloth diapers, but I’m old enough to remember when “diaper services” existed along with “regular” laundries (my relatives actually used to work in them).
Or a housewife would “take in laundry” from her neighbors and earn some extra cash. (Yes, this went out with my grandmother’s generation, although there may still be some “lower-socioeconomic-class” areas where it’s still done.)
Oh, these spoiled-rotten Gen Xers! 😮
Also once upon a time, girls in junior-high and high-schools (and even some colleges) were given classes in “home ec” in which proper nutrition and cooking techniques were taught. This was considered to be especially important where immigrant/poor children lived, so that the future mothers of America would produce and feed a healthier generation of kids. For some reason (feminism?) these classes aren’t doing the job to many of the current generations of future mothers (of all socioeconomic levels).
Rich kids, given the chance, will go for the junk food just like poor kids, only they’ll eat chocolate-covered-granola bars and Pirate’s Booty instead of Snickers and Fritos.
“I cannot imagine living without W/D. So you take everthing to laundry and pay how much. I mean there are ones cloths (think under wear that needs to be changed every day), towels, sheets, table cloth, kitchen linens. It will be crazy.” – miumiu
You’re right, taking your laundry into the basement of your own building and paying $2.50 to wash and dry a full load is crazy. Go ahead and get that $1000 WD combo.
Dude, I was not aware that an option of basement shared facilities exists. That is definitely a huge improvement. So this place has that?
Still, I don’t like sharing W/D with others if I can help it. Also paying a one time $1000 is still way less than taking things to laundry all the time.
“Avoiding the doctor because you haven’t paid your last bill might work for some but when you have a newborn that needs neurosurgery it doesn’t work like that. ”
You can go to another doctor. They can’t refuse treatment–and neurosurgery doesn’t sound like an optional thing.
“Bob, lot of people go bankrupt because of medical bills. Many of them are hard working honest people.”
Too honest for their own good, then. I’ll never go bankrupt due to medical bills because I’ll just hide the $. Hiding $ really isn’t as difficult as it sounds and need not require stashing it behind drywall.
If the statist system is designed in such a manner to extract economic blood from those _able to pay_ I will work outside the confines of the statist system. Because means testing is morally wrong, IMO and two wrongs make a right, to me at least.
“You can go to another doctor. They can’t refuse treatment”
Shows what you know. Yes, in non-emergency situations, they most certainly *CAN* refuse treatment.
“Shows what you know. Yes, in non-emergency situations, they most certainly *CAN* refuse treatment.”
Her example did not appear optional.
“Her example did not appear optional.”
Lots of things aren’t “optional”, but a given doctor–legally, if not necessarily ethically–can refuse treatment to those who cannot provide a guarantee of payment.
anon is correct and what is scary and what most people don’t realize is that malpractice in the state of illinois is so ridiculous that we have a lack of neurosurgeons available (esp. in downstate areas). People don’t realize that if they get into an accident anywhere but the chicagoland area, and they need neurosurgery, they will probably die. Worst kept secret around….. and nobody is doing a damn thing about it because all the politicians are attorneys and don’t want to touch the malpractice gold mine for their peers.