Illinois Foreclosure Evictions to Resume

Cook County Sheriff Dart said that he will restart evictions at foreclosed homes after making a deal with lenders to ensure the protection of some tenants. He said that there are tenants who have been paying their rent promptly but who haven’t been notified of evictions properly.

Dart suspended foreclosure evictions during the first week of October because he found out that some landlords were collecting rent from their tenants but were not paying their amortizations on time. He also discovered that mortgage companies were not identifying the occupants of foreclosed properties before issuing eviction notices.

The sheriff avowed that he’ll only carry out evictions if the following conditions are met:

• The mortgage banks have furnished the court with a description of the property to be foreclosed and the names of all persons occupying the property during the time the foreclosure is filed.
• The banks have stated the date of the last inspection of the property to be foreclosed.
• The banks have informed tenants of their right to a grace period of 120 days, the length of time granted by state law to make it possible for tenants to find housing before they move out.

Dart also declared that he’ll appoint a social worker to assist tenants find new housing and help them apply for social services available in Cook County.

According to Dart, the number of foreclosed properties in Chicago and its surrounding areas has soared rapidly since the issuance of the first foreclosures in 2006. During that year, there were nearly 19,000 cases filed. This year, the number is expected to soar to more than 40,000.

Dart’s actions were criticized by the state’s banking association, which insisted that Dart was remiss in one of the duties for which he was elected for. It called on Dart to stand up for the law regardless of his personal views and to accomplish his legal duties, one of which is carrying out evictions.