People who move in and try to occupy someone else’s home, soon will no longer be able to do so under one of the bills supported by Your Illinois REALTORS®.

Senate Bill 1563 is headed to Gov. Pritzker for his signature after passing unanimously in the Illinois House and garnering all but one vote in the Senate. The bill focuses on helping property owners who are absent from their homes for a considerable period and return to find other people living there illegally.

SB 1563 amends the Code of Civil Procedure to clarify that nothing in the Eviction Article prohibits law enforcement from arresting squatters under the criminal code or from interfering with the ability of a law enforcement official to remove persons or property from the premises where there is criminal trespass. The bill differentiates between tenants and squatters so that property owners do not have to spend months in the court system trying to evict unauthorized users.

As the Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly moves toward its final days, Illinois REALTORS® continues to advocate for elements of its “Housing Stability & Affordability Initiative” and to fight against any other bills that infringe on the rights of private property owners in Illinois.