Illinois Governor Signs Bill Empowering Police to Remove Squatters Without eviction
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed into law Senate Bill 1563, a legislative measure that grants law enforcement the authority to remove individuals unlawfully occupying a property without requiring a court-ordered eviction. The new law, effective January 1, allows police to enforce criminal trespassing charges against squatters, aiming to expedite the process of returning properties to their rightful owners.
The bill, which passed the General Assembly with overwhelming support, was championed by Senator Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago. collins stated that the legislation addresses a meaningful concern for her constituents, emphasizing that property owners should not have to endure lengthy eviction proceedings to reclaim their homes from squatters.”Law enforcement need to be able to do their job and return homes to their rightful owners,” Collins said in a statement.
The impetus for the bill was partly fueled by a personal experience of State Representative Marcus Evans, D-Chicago. last summer, Evans witnessed squatters occupying a home next to his residence in Chicago’s Avalon Park neighborhood. According to reports, the homeowners had placed the property on the market and discovered strangers residing there without any legal claim. Chicago Police informed the homeowners that they could not remove the individuals and would need to pursue a potentially months-long eviction process through Cook county court.
Evans, who advocated for the bill’s passage in the House, sponsored by Representative Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago, expressed his frustration on social media. “My community is full of hardworking, mortgage- and rent-paying citizens who believe in working, not stealing and scheming,” Evans posted. “We don’t support crooks who prey on hardworking people.”
The legislation received endorsements from various law enforcement, real estate, and property owner organizations. Prior to this law, Illinois state statutes did not explicitly empower police to remove squatters from private residences without a formal eviction order.
Senate Bill 1563 passed the Illinois General Assembly with only one dissenting vote, from Senator Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport.
