Complaint Review: Mike Maresso Michael Maresso M-1 Architecture & Consulting Inc Arcane Architecture & Con - Chicago Illinois

For the record, I do not hold a professional license of any type in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Regulations is very incompetent agency. They are harder on licensed architects than people illegally practicing unlicensed architecture. They'll spend a great deal of time, money and resources to discipline an architect that forgot to renew his/her license or to strip a license from someone like Walter Netsch for not fulfilling continuing education requirements for medical reasons (he lost his legs). A Cook County Circuit Court judge ruled against the state in a suit brought by the designer at great expense to the taxpayer. You can read about Netsch here: http://www.architectmagazine.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1006&articleID=726453 I filed a complaint with them over 3.5 years ago and they just closed the case 2 months ago and didn't take any action or inform me. The person I filed the complaint about has been illegally practicing architecture in Illinois for over a decade and does not have an Illinois license. He did obtain an architects license in Wisconsin using his illegal experience in Illinois in lieu of meeting the education requirements (Wisconsin has told me he doesn't have an architectural degree). He then went on to use his Wisconsin license here in Illinois. There are hundreds of violations and I provided the Illinois Department of Regulations with indisputable proof but they recommended to the architectural board that no action be taken. I discovered this unlicensed guy after a porch collapsed on a multi-family, on separate lots, home he designed. The Village of Lombard actually brought the unlicensed guy out as an architect to design a repair. Turns out this unlicensed guy designed the homes of the Village of Lombard's Mayor, Manager and Chief of Police as well as dozens and dozens of other home in the Village and neighboring towns plus some large commercial projects. You can read more about it here: http://www.eyeonlombard.com I found out the case was closed in the local paper, a Village of Lombard Official whose home was designed by the unlicensed guy (sold to him for over $100,000.00 under market value) responded to a question I sent to the local paper. It seems the Department of Regulations had all types of discussions with officials at the Village of Lombard but none with me. They won't even tell me anything about the case or why it was close without taking any action. Here is a recent (a week ago) email from the Illinois Department of Regulations (minus the names): ===== I have looked into the closure of this case. The only information I am able to share with you is that the Architecture Complaint Committee recommended to the full Architecture Board that your complaint be closed with no further action, and that the full board accepted that recommendation. The Department has no authority to proceed with a case once the Architecture Board closes a case. Senior Legal Counsel Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation James R. Thompson Center 100 West Randolph Street, Suite 9-300 Chicago, Illinois 60601 ===== Incompetence? Bribe? Political favor? It had to be one of those. Sylvia Perez even sent me a deceptive letter stating "The appropriate action has been issued to the Respondent, Paul Grimes" when in fact no action was taken at all. She did this probably thinking I would just drop the matter, I'm not. Anyhow I wanted to give you the following information that might help in your case (although it didn't on mine). If you caught this unlicensed guy in the act they are supposed to initiate an emergency investigation and give priority to the case. I caught the guy I reported right in the middle of a home being built before it was finished, apparently in my case the emergency investigation took 3.5 years. Here is the rule: TITLE 68:/ SUBCHAPTER b / PART 1150 / Section 1150.95 g) Complaints Involving Imminent Danger to the Public 1) When a complaint is made to the Department that alleges that a building, or other structure that requires the involvement of an architect in its design, is under construction, construction is imminent, or construction has been completed, and an architect is not or was not involved in its design, the investigation of that complaint shall be expedited to ensure the health and safety of the public. This investigation will be referred to as an "Emergency Investigation". 2) An Emergency Investigation will be given priority attention and assigned to an investigator as soon as possible. 3) Once assigned to an investigator, the Department, through its investigator, will convene a meeting of the Complaint Committee by teleconference to determine if the complaint shall continue to be treated as an Emergency Investigation. Such meetings will be deemed an emergency and notice of the meeting shall be provided in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. 4) Upon determination by the Complaint Committee that the complaint should be treated as an Emergency Investigation, the complaint will be investigated as soon as possible. 5) Upon completion of the Emergency Investigation, the investigator will again convene a meeting of the Complaint Committee by teleconference. This meeting shall also be considered an emergency and notice of the meeting shall be provided in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. The Complaint Committee will then decide whether to recommend to the Department that the complaint be referred to the Attorney General to seek a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction against the start or further construction of the project or, where the project has already been completed, to enjoin the use of the building or structure. The Complaint Committee will recommend that the case be referred to the Attorney General only upon a finding that the facts alleged in the complaint are credible and constitute an imminent danger to the public. It's available here: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/068011500000950R.html Violations of the Illinois Architecture Practice Act are misdemeanors for the first offense and felonies for the second and beyond. If you have evidence of the violations I would consider going directly to the States Attorney. Some other things to pursue would be if the guy is operating as a corporation or DBA and not registered with the Secretary of State or county the business is in, you are required to get permission from the Secretary of State prior to practicing architecture in Illinois. I would also report him to the Illinois Department of Revenue and the IRS because if he's operating an illegal business you can bet your last dollar he isn't reporting his income properly if at all.