Somebody's Dumping Expensive-Ass Nuts in Chicago, and I Got Questions.

Apparently, somebody in Chicago has been paying people to scatter expensive-ass nuts throughout Lincoln Park, and now the neighborhood is dealing with rats.

Not just a couple rats, either. One resident told NBC Chicago he counted 42 of them in 15 minutes.

Forty-two fucking rats.6ix / 6ixtv

And we're not talking about somebody tossing leftover peanuts to squirrels. Residents describe piles of Brazil nuts, walnuts, and other food being dumped around the neighborhood.

According to reporting from WGN and Axios, Chicago officials allege that people working for billionaire Barre Seid have spread nuts and seeds around his property and into nearby Lincoln Park. City officials have issued citations, with Axios reporting the fines were paid without contest. The feeding reportedly continued. These are officials' allegations and residents' accounts, not a court finding of responsibility.

Now, here's where my mind goes somewhere different.

What if somebody actually wanted to make the neighborhood less desirable?

Think about it.

Property values aren't just about the houses themselves. They're also about the neighborhood surrounding them. The parks, the cleanliness, the safety, and whether people actually want to live there.

Now imagine a neighborhood where residents can't comfortably use their park because rodents are running around everywhere.

You think that couldn't influence somebody's decision to buy a house? Or make somebody who's already living there consider moving?

Because one resident reportedly told NBC Chicago that moving was something his family was considering.

So it raises a question: Could somebody intentionally create a nuisance to make nearby real estate less desirable, potentially creating opportunities to purchase property at a discount?

I'm not saying that's what's happening here.

There's no verified evidence that Seid or anybody associated with him is doing this to manipulate property values. And as far as the reporting goes, feeding squirrels and other wildlife remains a possible explanation. I have not established any decline in neighborhood property values.

But I'd be interested in examining nearby property transactions before dismissing the possibility entirely.

Who owns the surrounding properties? Who's buying? Who's selling? Have prices actually fallen? Those are questions that can be answered with records rather than speculation.

And even if there's absolutely no real estate scheme here, I've still got another problem with this story.

What the fuck is a fine supposed to accomplish when the person paying it is a billionaire?

According to Axios, the fines have been paid without being contested.

At some point, if a financial penalty isn't stopping behavior that officials say creates a public-health hazard, the city needs to examine whether its enforcement is accomplishing anything.

Because the people who live there still gotta deal with the rats.

The children who use that park still gotta deal with the rats.

And the taxpayers could potentially end up paying for damage to public property, according to the concerns described in city documents.

I don't know what the actual motivation is behind these nuts being dumped around Lincoln Park.

But I know damn well I'd like somebody to explain why it keeps happening.

Because whether this is some elaborate real estate play or somebody who just really fucking loves squirrels, the people living there shouldn't have to pay the price.6ix / 6ixtv

Watch the video and check the original reporting

Reporting note: The property-value hypothesis above is the author's question, not a proven allegation. No property-transaction analysis has been completed, and no real-estate motive has been established. The City's description of the feeding and its effects is attributed to city officials; a final court finding has not been identified.