Problem Solver: Taxing situation slow to be resolved
June 18, 2013
By her own admission, Monica Gonzalez is not what you would call a "numbers person."
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Problem Solver: Old sentiments (and cables) hard to bury
June 16, 2013
Ed Spletzer retired from AT&T in 1990 after 34 years in the business.
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Problem Solver: State's slow payment puts man in collections
June 13, 2013
The state's seemingly perpetual budget woes didn't cause Arup Das' health scare, but they did leave an ugly mark on his credit history.
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Problem Solver: Woman moves, but mail doesn't follow
June 11, 2013
After her husband died in March, Catherine Wirtz's children wanted her closer.
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Mom has a long wait for a short sale
June 9, 2013
A divorce forced Ann Walker to sell her house last year.
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Problem Solver: Updates on damaged wheelchair, delayed refund for halted flight
June 6, 2013
Valerie Roberts' monthlong wheelchair saga should soon be over.
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Problem Solver: Peace Corps work disqualifies woman from federal internship
June 2, 2013
Since graduating from Glenbard South High School in 2003, Sharon Wegner has devoted her life to community service.
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Problem Solver: Woman finds it difficult to cancel Comcast cable
May 30, 2013
A serious heart condition landed Helen Smith in the hospital March 28.
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Problem Solver: Updates on the NIU dorm contract, state massage license
May 28, 2013
Chris Lewandowski was so convinced Northern Illinois University would rule against him in his dorm dispute that he had already mentally conceded the financial loss.
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Problem Solver: Warranty company folds, leaves customer in cold
May 26, 2013
When he bought new furniture five years ago at The Room Place, Henry Huang didn't intend to buy an extended warranty.
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Problem Solver: Journey is long to get refund for canceled flight
May 23, 2013
The Las Vegas trip was to be a celebration for Lorraine Lierman's niece, who was turning 40, but the festivities never got off the ground.
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Problem Solver: Dorm dispute at Northern Illinois University could put student in financial hole
May 21, 2013
Chris Lewandowski wasn't sure he wanted to live in student housing next school year, so the Northern Illinois University freshman did some due diligence.
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Problem Solver: Missing wheelchair returned, but is in bad shape
May 19, 2013
As the Allegiant airline employee pushed Valerie Roberts down the ramp to her airplane at the Clearwater, Fla., airport May 3, she reminded the man to take good care of her property.
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Problem Solver: Conflicting PepsiCo letters cause confusion over life insurance benefit
May 16, 2013
Jean Nieth worked 32 years at Wilson Sporting Goods, much of that time making golf clubs at the company's River Grove plant.
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Problem Solver: Updates on stolen bank check, dog's vet bill
May 14, 2013
Who took Harriet Hausman's $4,643.75 state tax refund check remains a mystery, but the 89-year-old River Forest resident has gotten her money back.
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Problem Solver: Couple 'wait, wait' for a refund from WBEZ
May 12, 2013
There are several things Bob Saville enjoys about the "Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me!" radio show.
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Problem Solver: State license takes some massaging
May 9, 2013
Stacey Kemerer tried to be proactive.
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Problem Solver: Updates on a broken washer, insurance payment
May 7, 2013
Tony La Piana's days of visiting the laundromat are over.
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Problem Solver: After dog fight, owner fights for money
May 5, 2013
The attack happened so quickly that neither Elizabeth Morrissey nor her dog, Mia, had a chance to react.
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Overpayment on gas bill causes headache
May 2, 2013
By the time Peter McNamara discovered his mistake, it was too late.
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Problem Solver: Missing tax refund check is fraudulently cashed, investigation ensues
April 30, 2013
For years, Harriet Hausman deposited checks into her bank account by mail.
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Problem Solver: Kenmore washer breaks, replacement part missing
April 28, 2013
When he bought his Kenmore combination washer and dryer from Sears in Oak Brook on July 13, 2011, Tony La Piana decided not to pay for an extended warranty.
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Problem Solver: Hospital billing causes financial sting
April 25, 2013
When the symptoms first hit, Lynn Mattingly feared the worst.
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Problem Solver: Canceled trip finally resolved
April 23, 2013
When Mary Weisman first contacted What's Your Problem? in late 2012, she had a simple request.
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Problem Solver: Family cancels AT&T service, but bills keep coming
April 21, 2013
It's been more than a year since Jeff Landreth switched from AT&T to Comcast for phone, Internet and TV service.
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Problem Solver: Simple mistake leads to mail mix-up
April 18, 2013
The mistake was caused by just a click of the computer mouse, but its impact has been long-lasting.
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Problem Solver: Updates on bills for eyeglasses and MRIs, and furniture delivery
April 16, 2013
For Diana Sanchez, the first part of her fight is over, but she's not finished with her quest to get reimbursed for her new eyeglasses.
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Problem Solver: Tainted BP gas damages van but repair claim rejected
April 14, 2013
Paul Goss had barely driven his van out of the gas station's lot before it started riding rough and making jerking movements.
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Problem Solver: Gas shut-off leaves renter in cold
April 11, 2013
One of the first things Tricia Klebba did when she moved into her new Portage Park apartment Feb. 15 was call ComEd to put the electric bill in her name.
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Problem Solver: Ample time passes before kidney stone billing error resolved
April 9, 2013
The pain in his stomach was almost debilitating.
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Problem Solver: Elderly woman charged for cellphone she never used
April 7, 2013
At 91-years-old, Florence Sobolewski has no need for a cellphone.
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Problem Solver: Mailbox key elusive for new renter
April 4, 2013
It was love at first sight for Emily Wysocki.
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Problem Solver: 'Transaction failure' leads to cellphone shut-off
April 2, 2013
For Howard Wood, a functioning cellphone isn't a luxury; it's vital for his job.
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Problem Solver: Eyewear receipt has customer seeing red
March 24, 2013
Diana Sanchez paid $280.17 for new glasses at J.C. Penney Optical in the Orland Square Mall.
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Problem Solver: Updates on parking tickets, insurance refund, model dinosaur
March 21, 2013
After a sleepy winter during which motorcyclist Loreen Targos received no parking tickets, the Loop resident awoke March 13 to find a new violation envelope affixed to her motorcycle, allegedly for "parking or standing in violation of an erected sign."
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Problem Solver: Care kit for furniture ruins leather, negates warranty
March 19, 2013
The protection plan Julie Conway bought for her Macy's leather furniture set is called WorryNoMore.
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Problem Solver: Seat shuffle irks airline passenger
March 17, 2013
When she planned her family's spring break trip to Phoenix, Lesley Shifrin was meticulous.
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Problem Solver: Rental van scratches become whodunit
March 14, 2013
There were small scrapes on the van Sean McCartney rented Dec. 15, but the Enterprise Rent-A-Car employee told him not to worry.
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Problem Solver: UnitedHealthcare's prescription drug plan a real pain
March 12, 2013
Navigating a prescription drug plan can be difficult, but Barbara Stonewater was sure she had it figured out.
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Problem Solver: Legal document goes missing, and Northern Trust wasn't looking
March 10, 2013
Chicagoan Deborah Harrington never had a mortgage. When she bought her apartment in a South Shore co-op building more than two decades ago, she paid in cash.
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Problem Solver: Ex-husband dies, but credit debt lives on
March 7, 2013
It has been almost a decade since Donna Mosier got divorced.
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Problem Solver updates: Water flowing; medical claim still ailing
March 5, 2013
For the first time in almost a month, the water is flowing in Cassandra Austin's town house.
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Problem Solver: Pipe leak halts neighbors' water for weeks
March 3, 2013
On her kitchen table, Cassandra Austin keeps two milk jugs, a 96-ounce orange juice container, stainless steel pots and an assortment of plastic pitchers.
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Problem Solver: Medical billing causes patient pain
February 28, 2013
Before he visited the doctor to get custom orthotics, Gil Harris contacted both Medicare and his supplemental insurance company, Aetna, to see if they would pay for the shoe inserts.
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Problem Solver: 2nd charge leads to pain at the pump
February 26, 2013
It was a glorious fall day and Steve Thompson's in-laws were visiting from California, so he gathered up the family for an afternoon drive.
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Problem Solver: Decade-old parking ticket resurfaces
February 24, 2013
It was a remodeling project that led Juli Eardley to the old file cabinet.
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Problem Solver: Bus driver ticketed in accident, but CTA denies fault
February 21, 2013
Finding a parking spot on North Halsted Street in Lake View is rarely easy, so when Bridget Bowen saw an open space in the 3500 block on the evening of Nov. 17, she thought she had struck gold.
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Problem Solver updates: Nicor honors request to stop billing for gas
February 19, 2013
The gas was still flowing at Jennifer DeGraff's house in Crystal Lake on Monday morning, nine months after she first asked Nicor to turn it off and more than a month after she was featured in What's Your Problem?
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Problem Solver: Sprint customer wants to drop service over dropped calls
February 17, 2013
When he's in his house, Steve Sehy has no trouble making calls on his cellphone.
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Problem Solver: Mortgage company leaves homeowner in $2,909 escrow hole
February 14, 2013
It wasn't until last fall that Glen Eirich noticed the negative balance in his escrow account.
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Problem Solver: Double student loan payment puts dad in financial hole
February 12, 2013
Anyone with a kid in college knows tuition isn't cheap.
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Problem Solver: Great Expectations, not-so-great experience
February 10, 2013
There have been some lonely moments for Barbara Marks since her husband of nearly four decades died five years ago.
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Problem Solver: Broken china shatters shipping experience
February 7, 2013
It was during a visit to his mother's home in New Mexico last summer that Timothy Reddinger found his grandmother's set of fine china.
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Problem Solver: 1 infraction, 2 tickets, 2 rulings
February 5, 2013
It was late in the evening of Nov. 30 when Michael Plantz realized his license plates were set to expire the next morning.
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Problem Solver: Water keeps flowing after owner asks that it stop
February 3, 2013
When Darnell James bought the house at 12053 S. Michigan Ave. out of foreclosure, he thought he was doing something good for the community.
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Problem Solver: ADT security system is canceled; customer alarmed
January 31, 2013
It wasn't by choice that Mary Lou Novak called ADT Security Services on Jan. 13 and asked to cancel her home security system.
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Problem Solver: Updates on ambulance check, doorman and yard battle
January 29, 2013
Jane Love can finally put her ambulance ride on July 9, 2011, behind her.
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Problem Solver: Passenger kicked off plane after carry-on argument
January 27, 2013
Barbara Brotine bought her small Samsonite suitcase in December for flights like the one she took on JetBlue last Sunday.
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Problem Solver: Dinosaur misses Christmas
January 24, 2013
Christmas has finally arrived for 12-year-old Lauren Villano, or at least the dinosaur skeleton portion of the holiday.
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Problem Solver: With unemployment payments set to stop, confusion starts
January 22, 2013
It's been more than a year since Larren Davis had a job.
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Problem Solver: Motorists get tickets while feeding meter
January 20, 2013
As is often the case in life, timing is everything.
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Problem Solver: Family shuts off gas, utility turns it back on
January 17, 2013
It wasn't by choice that Jennifer DeGraff moved out of her house in Crystal Lake last May.
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Problem Solver: Son loses patience waiting for mom's medical records
January 15, 2013
Adam Jacobs doesn't know all the details about the events that led to his mother's death Sept. 10, but he'd sure like to find out.
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Problem Solver: Ambulance ride ends in billing headache
January 10, 2013
When she called for an ambulance July 9, 2011, Jane Love feared she was having a heart attack.
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Problem Solver updates: Garden or weeds?
January 8, 2013
The fight over Kathy Cummings' front yard is not over yet.
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Problem Solver: Heating aid hits snag over name switch
January 6, 2013
Despite Chicago's unseasonably warm winter, Danuta Lenckos knows cold days lie ahead.
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Problem Solver: Canceled flight sends teen scrambling
January 3, 2013
Lainie Weisman's first cross-country plane trip alone never got off the ground because of bad weather.
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Problem Solver: Readers resolve to be nice
January 1, 2013
Every year at about this time, I get on my What's Your Problem? soapbox and deliver a batch of consumer resolutions.
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Problem Solver: Award-winning garden ticketed for 'weeds'
December 30, 2012
On the wall outside her front door, Kathy Cummings proudly displays the plaque she received in 2004 for her natural garden.
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Problem Solver: Award-winning garden ticketed for 'weeds'
December 30, 2012
On the wall outside her front door, Kathy Cummings proudly displays the plaque she received in 2004 for her natural garden.
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Problem Solver: The checks have landed
December 27, 2012
The Bears' season might have fizzled toward the end, but it finally paid off for fan Chuck Lesnik.
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Problem Solver: Property tax refund goes missing
December 25, 2012
Carl Bank didn't realize he was eligible for Cook County's Senior Freeze Exemption on his property taxes until this spring.
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Problem Solver: Free email account becomes costly
December 23, 2012
Back before high-speed Internet, way back in the 1990s, Thomas Tobin signed up with AT&T for dial-up service.
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Problem Solver: Ticketgate ends in settlement
December 20, 2012
Mark Geinosky may never know why he received 24 unwarranted parking tickets, but the former Orland Park resident finally has some closure in the case.
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Problem Solver: Emotional weight lifted after disputed hospital billing
December 18, 2012
Through diet and exercise, Patrick Antos shed 160 pounds in 2007.
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Problem Solver: Gary schools payment hits sour note
December 16, 2012
Kids can be hard on their band instruments. School districts can be even harder on the people who repair the instruments.
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Problem Solver: Scam drains Lowe's customer's gift card
December 13, 2012
When he purchased the Lowe's gift card in March 2011, Jesse Houk thought it was an incredible deal.
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Problem Solver: ComEd meter wires are crossed, customer is frazzled
December 11, 2012
David Wilhelm and his wife moved into their Rogers Park neighborhood condo in June 2011, and by January their monthly electric bill seemed out of whack.
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Problem Solver: Unlimited calling plan isn't 'unlimited'
December 9, 2012
Mindy Hartman tried other phone companies, but none of them worked out.
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Problem Solver: Checks, closure arrive
December 6, 2012
Mike Skogmo has recovered from the snowboarding accident that broke three vertebrae and lacerated his liver. But it's taking longer to fix his insurance mess.
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Problem Solver: Superstorm Sandy fallout continues for marathoner
December 4, 2012
For Jennifer Cole, running 26.2 miles in the nation's capital wasn't the toughest part of the Marine Corps Marathon.
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Problem Solver: Bear down, StubHub
December 2, 2012
Chuck Lesnik didn't want to miss the Bears game last Sunday against the Vikings, but he thought he was going to be out of town.
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Problem Solver: Sears customer doesn't like reception when picking up TV bought during pre-Black Friday sale
November 29, 2012
The email promised that because she was a Sears "premier" member, Cathy Graves would have access to the company's exclusive pre-Black Friday sale.
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Problem Solver: Medicare aid and information slow in arriving
November 27, 2012
The good news arrived in Hilde Loebe's mailbox in late August.
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Problem Solver: Van stolen, driver's license suspended
November 25, 2012
You have to give the thief this much: He was certainly bold.
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Problem Solver: Giving thanks
November 22, 2012
Not long after I started this column more than seven years ago, I came to realize the folks who read it are among the best on Earth.
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Problem Solver: Tree finally falls; dogs rejoice
November 20, 2012
It took almost seven months, but Tom Gorski's century-old maple tree is finally gone. All of it.
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Problem Solver: Child support case becomes a hot mess
November 18, 2012
Christopher Isit has been paying child support for his twin daughters for more than a decade.
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Problem Solver: Seller's merchandise, money disappear on Amazon.com
November 15, 2012
It's been more than two years since Elizabeth Guinea sold a percussion bell set through Amazon.com.
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Problem Solver: Passengers left holding the bag on airline luggage fees
November 13, 2012
The trip was to celebrate the Robertses' 20th wedding anniversary, and for the most part it was spectacular.
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Problem Solver: Snowboard accident hurts spine; insurance error hurts pocketbook
November 11, 2012
It was Christmas Day 2010, and Mike Skogmo was making his last snowboard run of the morning at Big Bear ski resort in Southern California.
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Problem Solver: I-Pass bill shocks driver
November 8, 2012
Ryan Sarti learned there was a problem with his I-Pass transponder when he received a letter from the Illinois Tollway.
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Problem Solver: Tree removal gets thorny
November 4, 2012
The roof on Tom Gorski's garage had rotted through, and the Villa Park resident knew it was time for a new one.
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Problem Solver: Motorist has disconnect with emergency vehicle service
November 1, 2012
William Herman has always been loyal to General Motors.
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Problem Solver updates: Found money to aid animals
October 30, 2012
Some of the best resolutions come after a column runs.
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Problem Solver: Envelope stuffed with green falls into a gray area for retailer
October 29, 2012
She could see the cash stuffed inside, but Maggie Kent did not count the bills after picking the envelope off the floor at Von Maur store in Lombard.
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Problem Solver: CTA machine gobbles up senior's card
October 28, 2012
Her reduced-fare senior card was almost depleted, so on July 27, Jean Carroll tried to add money to it.
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Problem Solver: Fire hydrant, handicapped parking at odds
October 25, 2012
A car accident stole Philomena Russum's mobility. The oncoming driver turned left and smacked into her car, breaking her hip.
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Problem Solver: Chicago parking meter fast to take money, slow to refund
October 23, 2012
By the time Dawn Benavides realized what had happened, it was too late.
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Problem Solver: Delayed IRS refund steams woman
October 18, 2012
At 93, Alvina Pryor has lived long enough to recognize when she is getting the runaround. And the Hickory Hills resident is pretty sure the Internal Revenue Service is yanking her chain.
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Problem Solver: Customer shocked by ComEd bill
October 16, 2012
For years, Phyllis Baren believed her electric bills were too high, but when she had ComEd check her meter, she was told there was nothing wrong.
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Problem Solver: Big Mac deal becomes a big pain
October 14, 2012
Susan Taylor isn't a fan of McDonald's food, but her teenage stepsons are.
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Problem Solver: Computer monitor never arrives, gift card refund lost
October 9, 2012
Connor Loughlin's grandmother had nothing but the best intentions.
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Problem Solver: Mustard stains shirt, strains relations
October 7, 2012
The only thing everyone seems to agree on is this: Matt Gudgeon walked into Honky Tonk BBQ in Pilsen on Sept. 8 wearing a perfectly clean J. Crew shirt.
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Problem Solver: Water refund gets clogged up
October 4, 2012
Sophie Lemke lived in her house in the 3400 block of South Lituanica Avenue for more than 40 years.
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Problem Solver: Updates on tickets, air conditioner, check for water damage
October 2, 2012
Loreen Targos continues to park her motorcycle in a free, legal parking spot in the Loop — and Chicago police continue to give her tickets.
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Problem Solver: Customer says Sears technician's advice just didn't cut it
September 30, 2012
When you live on an acre of land, a regular lawn mower just doesn't cut it.
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Problem Solver: Phantom toll violation in New Jersey has now disappeared
September 25, 2012
It was physically impossible for Wendy Brown to have driven through the E-ZPass lane in Woodbridge, N.J., on May 30.
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Problem Solver: Property tax refund stuck in red tape
September 23, 2012
The house wasn't much to look at. Its windows were old and leaky, and the paint was flaking so badly there were spots that were stripped clean. And the lawn was overgrown.
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Problem Solver: Adoption plans halt health insurance coverage application
September 20, 2012
By any plausible measure, Scott Dolezal is a healthy man.
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Problem Solver updates: Parking tickets continue to pile up for motorcycle
September 18, 2012
Well, that didn't take long.
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Problem Solver: Motorcyclist received 38 tickets in legal parking spot
September 16, 2012
Parking along the 0-100 block of West Randolph Street isn't cheap.
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Problem Solver: Faulty sleep aid machine causes unrest
September 13, 2012
For years, Sandra Lichtman has used a CPAP machine at night, a device designed to combat the symptoms of sleep apnea and help her breathe.
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Problem Solver: Months after air conditioner breaks, cooler heads prevail
September 11, 2012
With record-setting heat, this summer was one of the worst times in Chicago history for Patrick Maher's air conditioner to break.
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Problem Solver: Cable dispute not so rosy
September 7, 2012
Over the years, Sophia Twaddell has spent a small fortune landscaping her Evanston backyard.
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Problem Solver: Car stolen from dealership while in for repair; negotiations stall
September 4, 2012
When Leanne Digan dropped off her car for repair Aug. 6 at Autobarn Volkswagen of Countryside, the 2006 Passat needed only minor work.
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Problem Solver: Old debt sinks student loan
September 2, 2012
It started, as these problems often do, with a hospital billing error.
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Problem Solver: Dead tree will be removed
August 30, 2012
The dead tree towering menacingly over Bill Tortorello's front lawn will soon be gone.
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Problem Solver: DuPont herbicide Imprelis kills tree, but restitution moves slowly
August 29, 2012
The herbicide was supposed to kill the weeds in Bill Tortorello's yard.
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Problem Solver: U-Haul rental comes unhinged
August 26, 2012
As employees at the Irving Park U-Haul facility attached the tow dolly to the rental truck, Neal Seroka could sense trouble ahead.
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Problem Solver: Hospital bills cause headache
August 23, 2012
When he arrived at Central DuPage Hospital on Jan. 12 for surgery to repair a herniated disc, Gary Clousing was asked to pay $1,000 upfront.
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Problem Solver: One refund returned, another still missing
August 21, 2012
The folks at Noble Horse Theatre have done the noble thing and refunded the last bit of Grace Lutheran Church's deposit money.
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Problem Solver: 2 Chicago police officers not guilty in Ticketgate
June 13, 2012
Someone wrote a series of bogus parking tickets to Mark Geinosky, but it was not Chicago police officers Paul Roque or Horst Hegewald, the Chicago Police Board has ruled.
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Problem Solver: Police cite 3 officers over fake tickets; man vindicated
November 7, 2011
For years, Mark Geinosky has steadfastly maintained that the mountain of parking tickets that arrived in his mailbox were bogus.
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Problem Solver: DirecTV customer dishes on costly attempt to cancel
October 4, 2011
DirecTV has been around for 17 years.
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River North restaurant is hot spot for big steaks, big stars
September 5, 2011
Chicago Cut Steakhouse
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Parking ticket case heads to federal court
March 5, 2010
It took Mark Geinosky eight administrative hearings to get all 24 of his unwarranted parking tickets thrown out, but the Orland Park man still doesn't know why Chicago police officers targeted him.
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A year later, no answers in parking ticket probe
February 23, 2010
The mysterious parking tickets that once filled Mark Geinosky's mailbox have stopped arriving.
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Long wait for testing adds to patient's pain
January 29, 2010
By the time Mark Frye visited Cook County Hospital in Oak Forest last fall, the pains in his stomach were weeks old.
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24 tickets--many from 1 cop--kept coming
February 24, 2009
Over the last 16 months, Mark Geinosky has received 24 parking tickets.
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Despite move, woman stuck with ticket over city sticker
June 29, 2008
Tracy VanderLuitgaren moved out of the city in 2006, but even in Kane County she could not avoid the long arm of Chicago's Department of Revenue.