Wilmot Mountain vs. Lake County IL

Just picked up on this Chicago Tribune Story:

Generations of local skiers have perched atop the slopes of Wilmot Mountain, waiting their turn among the crowd of novices, children and old pros before swooping down to the lodge.

Since 1938, Chicago-area skiers have flocked to the modest resort, happy to find quality runs just across the Wisconsin border.

At least they thought it was across the Wisconsin border.

That’s been called into question by the resort’s next-door neighbor in Illinois, the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Forest preserve officials say a land survey shows that the top of one of Wilmot Mountain’s steepest and most popular hills contains a tiny sliver of property that juts into an Illinois forest preserve and rightly belongs to the taxpayers of Lake County.

Here we go, a property battle. Normally, I would say Wilmot Mountain has the upper hand, but seeing who their opponent is, I am not so optimistic.

I do not blame Lake County for working to enforce their property rights, the story says Lake Forest bouAt least they thought it was across the Wisconsin border.

That’s been called into question by the resort’s next-door neighbor in Illinois, the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Forest preserve officials say a land survey shows that the top of one of Wilmot Mountain’s steepest and most popular hills contains a tiny sliver of property that juts into an Illinois forest preserve and rightly belongs to the taxpayers of Lake County.ght the land. However, we all know there rarely is any easy to spot line dividing properties, even when I know pretty close where the line lays I have a hard time establishing the exact line, how much harder is it in woods and over irregular land.

Read the whole story. The upshot is, Wilmot Mountain had better find something somewhere more solid than their word. Was not the land surveyed prior to establishing the run? I would think after so many years it would be reasonable for Wilmot Mtn to be allowed to maintain the run, but I also think it reasonable they purchase the land and come up with some sort of settlement on taxes.

Good Luck Wilmot Mountain!

Good Stuff!

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