Because the tree sits on city property, crews came there on Monday afternoon and removed the potentially racist figures themselves.
Alderwoman Stephanie Coleman knocked on the door of a Gage Park home in the 5800 block of South Artesian, asking the homeowner to remove ropes hanging from a tree that she said resemble nooses.
The owner wasn't home, but she was able to reach him by phone.
"He was very, very well informed that it was taken as a noose. As he said, 'my friends made jokes about it.' And as I informed him, this is no laughing matter," Coleman said.
Coleman said the homeowner told her he had the ropes hanging up since October for Halloween decorations.
"'Oh, it was something for Halloween. We have things hanging for Halloween. Some five months ago,'" Coleman recalled him saying.
"Our sons would ask what's going on, like 'what is that?' We don't know how to explain it," said April Bailey, a neighbor.
Bailey said she moved in next door two days ago and was shocked when she saw the ropes hanging, thinking they resembled a noose, as well.
"It reminds me of my people who once hung on them. And what happened back in the day. It's like history is replaying itself. I don't know what to think," Bailey said.
On Monday, with chainsaws, city crews removed the ropes and surrounding tree branches, as Alderman Raymond Lopez said, to prevent this from happening again.
"That's why I asked them to trim these limbs, to make sure nothing will hang off these trees, because clearly you don't know how to appreciate and respect your neighbors in this community," Lopez said.
"We don't tolerate this. This is unacceptable. This is ignorance. It is, as Alderman Lopez and I said, this is quite frankly dumb," Coleman said.
The homeowner is still not home yet, to respond to all of this.
As soon as he's here and ABC7 is able to speak with him, we will keep you updated.