R Kelly

Two years ago R&B superstar R. Kelly had a guardhouse built in front of his gated Olympia Fields estate. But it was only last month that he asked the village board for the permits required to build it. The village board denied the request, and on Tuesday Kelly filed lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court.

Citing his status as "a nationally known, Grammy award-winning recording artist," Kelly wants a judge to reverse the board's decision and allow his guardhouse to stand.

In an already filed lawsuit, the village says it wants the guardhouse torn down, as it was built without proper permission. The same lawsuit accuses Kelly of allowing his dogs to roam the neighborhood and says he has improperly parked buses and trailers in front of his estate, violating local zoning laws.

"It's just one thing after another with this guy," said village president and Kelly neighbor Linzey Jones. "He acts as if he doesn't have to live up to the same high standards everyone else lives up to in Olympia Fields."

Kelly's property is already surrounded by a 6- to 8-foot-high wrought-iron fence, Jones said, and Kelly cited no examples of privacy violations when he made his request to the village board.

"He just said, 'I need it because I'm a celebrity,'" Jones said. "We've got judges who live here who are much more concerned about their safety."