Carbondale, Il-The Carbondale city council this week approved a resolution to allow city landlords to go after former tenants for unpaid back rent regardless of how old the debt is. The city council cited an obscure state law from 1869 that exempted rent debt from the civil statue of limitations. Longtime Carbondale landlord Michael Wadiak was ecstatic. “I’ve got dozens of old rent debts that have never been paid. One in particular from 2000 at my 306 W. College property not only didn’t pay their rent but also harassed me almost weekly. Their at the top of my list”
Several debt collection agencies worked to lobby the city council to pass the resolution. While they wouldn’t go on the record one company representative stated that the unpaid debt for the entire city could be in the millions for the last 20 years alone.