Illinois Passes Bill to Speed Up Squatter Removal

Illinois lawmakers have passed a bill that will allow police to remove squatters from homes more quickly. The bill, SB1563, passed unanimously in the Illinois House and now heads to Governor J.B. Pritzker's desk. Current laws require a lengthy eviction process, leaving homeowners vulnerable to squatters for months. Representative La Shawn Ford, a co-sponsor of the bill, called it a "huge victory for homeowners statewide." He stated that the bill "will take away the legal standing of a squatter." The ABC7 I-Team has been covering alleged squatting cases for months, highlighting the struggles of homeowners trying to evict squatters. If signed into law, this bill will give police the authority to remove squatters immediately once the owner proves the property is rightfully theirs. The bill has been described as the furthest a squatter bill has ever gotten in the state of Illinois, reflecting the widespread support for addressing this issue.