Ex-Chicago Bear's Northfield Mansion To Be Auctioned, Judge Rules

NORTHFIELD, IL — Former Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs is facing foreclosure on two North Shore properties, a 4,780-square foot mansion in Northfield due to be auctioned in early 2019 and a two-bedroom townhome in Northbrook.

A Cook County judge this month ordered the Pro Bowler's Northfield home to be auctioned on March 1, Crain's Chicago Business reported. The five-bedroom house on a 1.05-acre lot is currently listed for just under $2 million.

In 2006, Briggs purchased a townhome in the 900 block of Enfield Drive for $371,500, according to property records. Then in 2009, the California native bought the newly constructed three-story brick and stone Northfield home in the 100 block of Coach Road for $2.3 million, borrowing $1.72 million the next year from mortgage lender Citimortgage.

Briggs played for the Bears for the entirety of his 12-year NFL career before his retirement in 2015. He is now a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, according to Cook County property records, and he has not commented on the two Cook County foreclosure proceedings. Briggs first listed the Northfield home for sale in October 2016, asking for nearly $2.5 million, according to Realtor.com.

UPDATE: Foreclosed Former Home Of Ex-Bear Lance Briggs Sells For $1.1 Million

The 15-room Northfield property has a three story elevator, a first floor master suite, a vaulted living room and a second floor family room loft with a huge deck connecting to three family bedroom suites. The basement is described as a "'man cave' on steroids," according to its listing, including a service bar, rooms for wine, recreation and games and a sixth en-suite bathroom.

In July 2017, Citimortgage launched a foreclosure action against the Northfield property. In court documents, the bank said Briggs still owed it the full $1.72 million, Crain's reported.

Deutsche Bank followed suit in September 2017, filing a foreclosure action for Briggs' nearly $300,000 mortgage on the Northbrook property.

In addition to the foreclosure proceedings for the two properties in Cook County Court, Briggs also faces lawsuits from a prospective buyer of the Northbrook property and a neighbor of the Northfield property.

In a 2016 lawsuit, Boris Liechten alleged he offered the full asking price of the property Briggs had listed for sale intermittently since 2008 with no contingencies, but Briggs abruptly pulled out of the deal July 2015, Crain's reported. That case is due back in court next month, according to court records. That same year, a neighbor in Northfield, John Damisch, also sued Briggs, claiming that Briggs flooded his property and built a fence and pit bull enclosure on his property in violation of village code. The next court date for his suit is in February.

Cyrus Hosseini, an Evanston attorney representing Briggs, told Crain's he expects both foreclosures to be resolved soon. He said the foreclosure of the Northfield property was unrelated to Briggs' "financial situation" but declined to elaborate.

Read more: Foreclosure Sale Of Ex-Bear's North Shore Mansion Awaits Approval