Former tobacco CEO's wife sells on Astor Street

February 20, 2014

Editor's note: Your ProbateShark is always interested in the doings of  Ex-Judge Kawamoto, Alice R. Gore's Probate Court judge.  Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster,  ProbateSharks.com

 

 

Former tobacco CEO's wife sells on Astor Street

By Dennis Rodkin

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1555 N. Astor. Photo from Redfin

The wife of a retired chairman and CEO of tobacco company Altria Group Inc. sold a three-bedroom Astor Street condominium for $1.89 million after buying a condo in a new Lincoln Park high-rise. The seller was Deborah Szymanczyk, according to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, whose records say she paid $1.93 million in 2003 for the 3,200-square-foot unit at 1555 N. Astor St. The home was listed last fall for $2.15 million. Ms. Szymanczyk's husband is Michael Szymanczyk, who retired in 2012 as chairman and CEO of Richmond, Va.-based Altria in 2012. The Szymanczyks put the condo up for sale after paying $4.16 million for a unit in the Lincoln Park 2550 condo tower last year. Ms. Szymanczyk did not respond to a request for comment. The buyer was not identified in public records as of yesterday.

Figure in Vanecko trial sells La Grange home

This Victorian is 114 years old. Photo from Redfin.

A former Chicago Police Department official connected to the manslaughter case involving a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley sold a four-bedroom home in La Grange for $550,000, about 12 percent below his original asking price. Seller Thomas Epach Jr. and his wife, Lynne Kawamoto, an associate Cook County Circuit Court judge, owned the 114-year-old Victorian on Ashland Avenue since 1990. They sold because they are downsizing now that their children are grown, said their agent, Shannon Kutchek of Smothers Realty. Mr. Epach was a former high-ranking aide to Chicago police Superintendent Phil Cline in 2004, at the time of an investigation into the death of David Koschman, who died in a confrontation with Richard "R.J." Vanecko, Mr. Daley's nephew. In early February, Mr. Vanecko pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in that incident. In December, when a trial had seemed imminent, lawyers for Mr. Vanecko moved to keep Mr. Epach from testifying, based on claims that he had pushed for someone to be charged in the death. The sellers did not respond to a request for comment; the buyer was not identified in public records as of yesterday.

Oprah manager sells Glenview home

This house is 3,900 square feet. Photo from Redfin.

A manager at the Oprah Winfrey Network sold a five-bedroom home in Glenview for $1.03 million, about 17 percent more than he paid for it less than four years ago. Seller Gene Swytnyk, director of technical operations at OWN and Oprah.com at Harpo Studios, paid $880,000 for the house on Rogers Avenue in 2009, according to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. The 3,900-square-foot house was complete and livable but needed "cosmetic finishing" when Mr. Swytnyk bought it, said Martin Fenton, a broker at Real51 Inc., who represented Mr. Swytnyk in both transactions. The seller did not respond to a phone message. The buyer was not identified in public records as of yesterday.