When Chicago homeowner Marco Velazquez discovered two suspected squatters had taken over his property, he faced limitations due to local laws preventing immediate removal. Velazquez, gearing up to sell his home, was confronted by Shermaine C. Powell and Codarro T. Dorsey, who claimed rightful ownership with questionable documentation. Current Illinois law requires a lengthy eviction process, leaving Velazquez feeling helpless. Rather than engage in a court battle, he decided to move in with the squatters to protect his property while new legislation aimed at expediting removal processes gains support in the statehouse.
"I couldn't believe it. It was like a nightmare," Velazquez told ABC Chicago. The sheer disbelief of a homeowner being confronted by squatters defines the dread of property ownership.
When confronted by Velazquez's realtor and police officers, the couple showed off an official-looking mortgage document, claiming they had every right to remain in the house.
The news frustrated Velazquez as he feared he couldn't do anything. "The worst thing happened, when police told me they couldn't do anything. It needs to go to a civil court," he said.
New legislation, SB1563, making its way through the statehouse, would allow the immediate removal of alleged squatters if the rightful homeowner can prove the property is theirs.
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