Village Shuts Down Mo Massage for 'Advertising Restrictions'

LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL - The village of Lake in the Hills has forced a massage business to shut down for violating the village's municipal ordinance for advertising restriction, village officials said Thursday.

Mo Massage, at 61 Polaris Drive in Lake in the Hills, applied for a massage establishment license in December 2016. That license was granted in February and the business was open from Feb. 15 to March 8, according to a news release. Their license was revoked on March 9 for violating the village's ordinance for advertising restrictions.

The imagery they were using to advertise their business was elicit and suggestive messages and went against Lake in the Hills policies for advertising, said Amanda Schmitt, Public Information Officer/Community Relations Coordinator, in a news release.

The village did not elaborate on what the business did to violate this ordinance.

"As of today, all appeals in this matter are exhausted and ‘Mo Massage’ is no longer doing business in Lake in the Hills," Schmitt said.

Magic Spa operated at the same location prior to Mo Massage. In September 2016, Magic Spa's license was also revoked for violating Lake in the Hills ordinance for advertising restrictions.

In October 2016, Magic Spa appealed the denial of the license. President Paul Mulcahy upheld the denial and no license was granted.

The village of Lake in the Hills in recent years has taken an aggressive stance against illegal activities that take place at illegitimate massage establishments, Schmitt said. In 2015, the Lake in the Hills Village Board approved the ordinance on massage establishments, which placed stronger restrictions on all massage establishments and would help to do several other things to protect the community of Lake in the Hills.

This includes specific types of licensing, hygienic issues, and advertising restrictions.

"The ordinance allowed for legitimate massage establishments to be welcome and to operate in the village," Schmitt said. "Massage establishments that promote illicit activities would not be tolerated."