A state lawmaker has spoken out over the plight of a Chicago property owner who took matters into his own hands by moving in with alleged squatters who refused to vacate his home.
Marco Velazquez, who owns a South Side property and was preparing it for sale told local media he took action when his estate agent discovered two people already in the house.
Illinois State Representative La Shawn Ford told Newsweek: “I am distraught by the situation that Marco Velazquez has faced. This incident is a stark reminder of the challenges that many property owners encounter across Illinois.”
Newsweek has contacted Chicago police outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Squatting disputes in Illinois, and particularly in Chicago, have drawn increasing attention as homeowners encounter major legal hurdles when trying to remove unauthorized occupants. Under current state law, police often cannot immediately remove individuals who claim to have a right to be on the property.
The episode has brought renewed attention to Illinois’ laws around property rights and squatting, as lawmakers consider revisions to how law enforcement can respond to such incidents. Just last month, a proposed “Squatter Bill” sponsored by Ford was passed in the state Senate and is awaiting further action in the House.
What To Know
The alleged squatters, identified as Shermaine Powell-Gillard and her boyfriend Codarro, claimed they had purchased the home owned by Velazquez, according to local news outlet ABC7 Chicago.
They showed the police a mortgage document but Cook County officers did not find the mortgage on record, said the report. Velazquez told an ABC reporter police informed him that they weren’t able to do anything and that the case needed to go to a civil court.
“When police told me they couldn’t do anything, I said, ‘I’m not going to leave,'” Velazquez said. “I called a couple of friends, stayed overnight and I knew they were not going to like that.”
Ford said a loophole in existing laws gives people “legal standing to illegally possess real estate owned by property owners.”
Velazquez, his wife, and several friends spent the night on air mattresses in the home’s living room while the couple stayed in one of the bedrooms. “At one point they’ve got to leave, they’ve got to get tired of us being in the property,” he told the news outlet.
After a tense standoff, Powell-Gillard and Codarro allegedly demanded $8,000 to leave the property. Velazquez negotiated a lower amount and ultimately paid $4,300 through a cash-for-keys agreement to get them out.
“We didn’t want to give them money, but we heard really bad stories about squatters taking over properties for six, eight, 10 months, even a year,” Velazquez told ABC.
He later learned that Powell-Gillard is the same woman arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including burglary, forgery, criminal trespass, and obstruction of identification, after allegedly squatting in another Chicago home, belonging to Marcia and Carlton Lee.
Powell-Gillard denied wrongdoing in a statement, saying the claims are “false and unfounded,” and asserted her right to be presumed innocent.
No charges have been filed in Velazquez’s case to date.
What People Are Saying
Illinois State Representative La Shawn Ford, told Newsweek: “No one should be powerless in their real estate investment, losing control because of criminals and criminal trespassing. Unfortunately, Illinois’ law is on the side of the criminal trespasser. The rise in squatting cases is a growing concern nationwide, including in Illinois. The number one reason is a loophole in existing laws that gives criminals legal standing to illegally possess real estate owned by property owners. When laws do not adequately protect property owners, they create environments where such abuses can thrive.”
He added: “We need robust legislative action to address these issues. I am proud to sponsor the state’s Squatter Bill, which aims to strengthen property owners’ protections and streamline law enforcement’s process for addressing unlawful occupancy. I stand with Mr. Velazquez and all homeowners struggling with similar challenges, and I am committed to working collaboratively with community leaders and law enforcement to find practical solutions.”
Illinois State Senator Lakesia Collins, discussing the proposed “Squatters Bill” last month, according to ABC7: “Senate Bill 1563 will give clarity for law enforcement to go in and remove trespassers. Squatters currently have to go through the legal process, which is sometimes long and lengthy, and it’s a burden for someone trying to remove them from their property.”
Newsweek has contacted the office of Senator Collins outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
What Happens Next
With pressure mounting over a spate of squatting incidents, Illinois lawmakers may soon be forced to reexamine the balance between property rights and due process.
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