Foreclosure filed on property linked to Thomas Buske

United Community Bank is foreclosing on a Troy property with connections to an Edwardsville man at the center of a hotly contested divorce, massive civil judgment and federal fraud charges in Wisconsin.

Thomas H. Buske, whose divorce from his wife of more than a decade is contested by S.C. Johnson and Sons Inc., is one of the managers of limited liability corporation that owes more than $1 million on a mortgage for property at 914 Edwardsville Road in Troy.

United Community began foreclosure proceedings on the Troy property, which is site of Kriegers Sports Grill, on Sept. 23.

According to the filing, the mortgage was issued March 9, 2007 to SKB Development LLC. The company filed with the Secretary of State Dec. 8, 1999.

Thomas Buske of 22 Greystone Lane in Edwardsville is listed in the company's filings with the Illinois Secretary of State as one of its managers along with Kevin Jones, Steven Gardner, Patrick Ryan of Edwardsville and Nailesh Patel of Fairview Heights.

Thomas Buske resided at the Greystone address until earlier this year.

According to the foreclosure complaint, SKB, Buske, Jones, Gardner, Ryan and unknown owners failed to make payments on the $1,730,000 mortgage in November and December of last year and have not made any payments this year.

The debt now stands at $1,834,331.60 as of Sept. 4. United Community seeks a judgment of foreclosure, order shortening the redemption period, possession of the property, and costs and attorneys' fees.

Buske is currently charged with multiple fraud counts in a Wisconsin federal court for allegedly defrauding S.C. Johnson of millions using inflated invoices from his trucking concerns.

S.C. Johnson received a $203.8 million judgment against Buske in 2008. Buske's wife, Sara Buske, filed for divorce eight days later.

S.C. Johnson has attempted to intervene in the couple's divorce claiming it is a fraud to hide monies owed to it under the Wisconsin judgment.

The Racine-based company wants a December 2008 order enjoining it
from collecting on the Wisconsin verdict completely vacated. Madison County Associate Judge Thomas Chapman heard arguments on the matter Sept. 25.

S.C. Johnson is also suing both Thomas and Sara Buske in the
federal Southern District of Illinois.

Thomas Buske has filed several motions with the court asking that attorneys' fees be paid from an escrow account at the Bank of Edwardsville.

Although Chapman heard arguments as to fees for Thomas Buske's attorneys last Friday, the last ruling on the matter from then-presiding judge Duane Bailey did not grant Thomas Buske's request.

Bailey expressed concern in his remarks at the time over Thomas Buske's lack of affidavit of assets and liabilities and lack of testimony about his monetary matters.

Thomas Buske has not testified in his divorce beyond stating his name, taking the Fifth Amendment.

United Community is represented in the foreclosure by Emmet Fairfield of Springfield, according to the foreclosure complaint.

Thomas Buske is represented in his divorce by Vickie Cochran of St. Louis and others.

The foreclosure is Madison case number 09-CH-910.