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Between 2021 - 2025 Normandy House reported $2.4 million in "donations." Residents say it was rent.

Normandy House, Inc. runs sober living apartments in Des Plaines and Chicago. Its federal tax returns report $2,463,339 in gifts and contributions from 2021 through 2025, and no rent. A resident's lawsuit says that money is the rent residents pay every week to keep their homes.

Follow the money Read the records

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Google reviews report misclassified rent A public Google review said Normandy charges “a RENT payment that they refer to as a ‘Donation.’” Normandy then reported $1,073,237 in contributions for 2024 and 2025. Reviewer's name blurred.
One-star Google review of Normandy House Sober Living, posted 3 years ago: '$1,000.00 a month. It's a 501C3 that hides behind the fact that they charge a RENT payment that they refer to as a “Donation” per week. Shameful!!'

Follow the money

Five years of "donations"

Every dollar Normandy House reported from 2021 through 2025 is listed as a gift, grant, contribution or membership fee. None of it is listed as rent.

"Gifts, grants, contributions, and membership fees received"
2021 $410,796
2022 $464,136
2023 $515,170
2024 $522,213
2025 $551,024
Total $2,463,339
Source: Normandy House, Inc. 2025 Form 990, Schedule A, Part III, line 1.

  • Residents pay every week

    The resident who filed suit says he pays $230 a week by money order. Normandy's written rules say "Donations are due on Sunday" and allow "No Exceptions or you will be asked to leave." (Complaint ¶¶ 9, 11)

  • A label doesn't change what rent is

    Cook County's tenant ordinance defines rent as "all payments to be made to the landlord under the rental agreement," whatever the landlord calls them. (Cook County Code § 42-803)

  • $366,000 in rent, paid to someone

    The same return reports $366,000 in rent expense for 2025 without saying who received it. It answers "No" when asked whether Normandy did business with a current or former officer or director. (Form 990, Part IV, line 28a)

  • Who owns the building

    Cook County Assessor records list Brown Str. Six Flat LLC as the taxpayer of record for 1471 Brown St, the Normandy apartment building at the center of the lawsuit. Annual reports to the Illinois Secretary of State list Kenneth Ivaska as that LLC's manager and as Normandy's president. (Assessor record) (Complaint ¶¶ 3, 5)

What residents sign

Paying "guests," no renters' rights

The lawsuit says every resident must sign a two-page form, "Guest Copy of Expectation and Rules," as a condition of moving in. Its own words:

  • "I understand that I am a guest at Normandy House Sober Living and do not have renters' rights."
  • "If you are asked to leave you will leave that same day."
  • "Donations are due on Sunday."
  • "No Exceptions or you will be asked to leave."

Quoted in the verified complaint, ¶¶ 11 and 13; the form is its Exhibit B. In suburban Cook County, a rental agreement can't waive a tenant's rights, and a landlord can't enforce a term that tries. (Cook County Code § 42-804(F), (G))

The lawsuit

What the label is for

A resident reported safety problems to the City. Three days later, the complaint alleges, he was told to get out. These are allegations; the court has not ruled on them.

Filed Oct 30, 2026

Sherrick v. Normandy House, Inc., et al.

Circuit Court of Cook County, Second Municipal District · Case No. 20262005977

  • 3 days from the resident's reports to the City to the threat of same-day removal
  • 5 counts under the Cook County tenant ordinance and the Illinois Landlord Retaliation Act
  • Dec 21 first court date, 1:30 p.m., Courtroom 0202, Skokie

The complaint alleges

  • The resident pays Normandy $230 a week to live in an apartment at 1471 Brown St. Normandy calls the payments "donations" and calls him a "guest."
  • On October 26 he reported missing smoke detectors, ungrounded outlets, unpermitted construction, overcrowding and the "guest" form to the City of Des Plaines.
  • On October 29 the house manager entered his apartment without notice, produced the "guest" form, and threatened to remove him that day.
  • He reported the threat to the Des Plaines Police and served a cease and desist the same day. He remains in his apartment.

It asks the court to

  • Declare him a tenant who can be removed only by court order
  • Void the "guest," "renters' rights" and "leave that same day" terms
  • Bar lockouts and entry without notice
  • Award $7,973.32 in statutory damages

Defendants: Normandy House, Inc.; Brown Str. Six Flat LLC; Kenneth Ivaska; Charles Frost.

Report, then threat

Reported Monday. Told to leave Thursday.

The sequence below comes from the verified complaint and the City of Des Plaines service requests filed with it.

  1. August 2026

    Moves into a Normandy apartment in Des Plaines and signs the "guest" form.

  2. Monday, October 26

    Reports fire and building code problems, overcrowding and the "guest" form to the City (Requests #4015, #4016, #4017 and #4020).

  3. Tuesday, October 27

    The City says Fire Prevention will contact the property owner and sends the rest to building inspectors.

  4. Thursday, October 29

    The house manager enters without notice and threatens removal that day. The resident files a police report and serves a cease and desist.

  5. Friday, October 30

    Files suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

  6. December 21

    First court date.

Know your rights

Living in a Normandy house?

Thinking of moving in? Ask for a copy of the form you'll sign before you pay anything. Already there? These answers come from suburban Cook County's tenant ordinance and Illinois law. They're general information, not legal advice.

  • 01

    I pay a "donation." Am I a tenant?

    Rent is "all payments to be made to the landlord under the rental agreement." The label on the money order doesn't change that.

    Cook County Code § 42-803

  • 02

    I signed a form saying I have no renters' rights.

    A rental agreement can't waive your rights under the ordinance or Illinois law. A landlord who knowingly uses a term like that can owe the tenant damages.

    Cook County Code § 42-804(F), (G)

  • 03

    Can they make me leave today?

    For a rule violation, a landlord must give at least 10 days' written notice and a chance to fix it, then win an eviction case. Even threatening a lockout is illegal.

    Cook County Code §§ 42-809, 42-813

  • 04

    Can staff walk into my room?

    Outside an emergency, a landlord must give two days' written notice before entering, and can't use entry to harass you.

    Cook County Code § 42-808

  • 05

    I reported the house to the City. Now what?

    A landlord can't retaliate for a complaint to a government agency. Action taken within a year of the complaint is presumed to be retaliation.

    Cook County Code § 42-812 · 765 ILCS 721

  • 06

    Isn't sober living a treatment program?

    Illinois law calls recovery homes without a state license "independent living residences that only provide peer support." Ask to see the license.

    20 ILCS 301/55-40(a)

Public records

Check it yourself

Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources.

  • Normandy House, Inc. 2025 Form 990 IRS return, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · EIN 90-0618268 Open filing
  • Every Normandy House Form 990 on file ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer Open list
  • 1471 Brown St, Des Plaines Cook County Assessor · PIN 09-17-402-079-0000 Open record
  • Normandy House, Inc. and Brown Str. Six Flat LLC annual reports Illinois Secretary of State business search Search
  • Sherrick v. Normandy House, Inc., et al., No. 20262005977 Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court, case search Look up
  • Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance Cook County Code § 42-801 et seq. Read it

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