FREEBURG, Ill. – A veteran of the Army Reserves, Lisa Rhodes has lived at Freedom Farm Park for 21 years.
“It’s nice and quiet. The animals out here. It’s just beautiful,” she said.
She owns her house, but she rents the land that it sits on from the American Legion Post 58, where she says she is a member. The post tried to evict her earlier this year.
“To do this to me, it puts a blight on them. And I want people to know about it. After this next year, I’ll never join an American Legion again,” Rhodes said.
The attorney for Post 58 would not discuss the reason for the eviction.
Rhodes showed FOX 2 a copy of the lease. It reads, “Will terminate at the death of the lessee and/or descendants.” We saw no specifics about when rent is due or if it’s paid monthly or yearly.
Rhodes went to court to fight the eviction notice. The case is sealed but Rhodes showed FOX 2 a document detailing an agreement between her and Post 58. She agreed to terminate the lease if she could stay on the land until next July and would not have to pay rent anymore. But there is nothing in writing about the house. She said she needs to sell it to move.
FOX 2 contacted Doug Stewart, the attorney for the post, if the legion was considering buying the house from Rhodes to help her get her equity out of the property.
“The misconception that I think Ms. Rhodes has and I think other lease holders have is that there’s a significant batch of resources for the legion to draw from. The legion does not have the funds,” he said.
Rhodes is not the only one being evicted from Freedom Farm Park. FOX 2 is told there are a few other residents still out there. We came across a notice from Stewart left on another leaseholder’s door, notifying the renter of the legion terminating the lease.
Rhodes alleges it is all because the legion wants to sell the land to St. Clair County. So, we called county board member Andy Bittle.
“We’re waiting on the American Legion to clear up their title issues that they have,” he said. “We have the money in the county budget to purchase the property once they get their title cleaned up.”
Bittle said he would like to see the land restored to a park. The area used to be a big draw for people in the area with fish fries, parties, and a lake. Neighbors said they miss it.
“It was beautifully maintained by the veterans; the yards were cut; people lived back here; they became our friends; and it was a lovely place,” Debbie Martin, a neighbor of the park, said.
Bittle said he has talked with Rhodes in the past but that it is up to the American Legion to work with the lease holders.
“There’s no intent or willingness at this time to compensate leaseholders for any equity they have in the house. The ability to determine that market value is very difficult,” Stewart said.
He said Rhodes is free to try and sell the house, but the legion is not going to lease the land again.
“It can be moved, which I can’t afford, and/or before I move, I will strip everything,” Rhodes said.
FOX 2 will continue to reach out to other leaseholders to hear their experiences.
