House gets rehab after pot bust
By SARAH SUTSCHEK - ssutschek@nwherald.com
McHENRY – It took more than three months to overhaul Richard Matkovich’s house in McHenry after police said they found a renter’s massive pot-growing operation.
“On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 12,” Matkovich said. “Stressful isn’t even the word for it. I’m a 71-year-old man with congestive heart failure and Type 1 diabetes, and this is taking its toll on me.”
Police said they found more than 1,500 plants, with an estimated street value of more than $1 million Jan. 18 at the home on Homestead Drive.
Gordon Schwantner, 25, was named on the lease. He has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of marijuana plants, and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
If convicted of the most serious charge, Schwantner could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Insurance covered the bulk of the $60,000 in repairs, but Matkovich said he remained at a loss because of a deductible and some miscellaneous costs that weren’t covered.
Plus, the $1,500 rent had been paid through March, but he hasn’t seen a dime since.
Matkovich has been organizing the cleanup from his home 650 miles away in Mississippi. He said he bought the McHenry house after a divorce, but then he moved south and decided to rent it out after the housing market downturn.
Mike McMahon of McMahon Services and Construction, said the damage was unique for his company.
“We do a lot of fires, and we’ve had to clean up after people who have passed away, but nothing like this,” he said. “This was pretty professional.”
Instead of one fuse box, the house had three, McMahon said. There was insulation 2 inches thick on the walls and ceilings to keep it humid, a sprinkler system was installed, a floor joist was cut through, and holes had been drilled in the concrete floor for better drainage.
There also were two tanks about 8 feet wide and 6 feet tall, McMahon said.
Matkovich is unsure what he will do now that the city has declared the house certified for occupancy. With the housing market slump, putting it on the market does not seem profitable.
“I figure I’d take at least a $30,000 loss, then having to pay for a commission and then paying closing costs,” he said.
Matkovich said he never met Schwantner, but found him through a real estate agent. He said he contacted Schwantner after the pot was found. Schwantner told Matkovich that the drive to work from the house was too much, so he ended up finding someone to sublet it.
Matkovich said he paid the real estate agent to check up on the house but that the agent only drove by and never went inside.
Schwantner’s next scheduled court date is Friday.
