740 ILCS 105/ Lewdness Public Nuisance Act.

(740 ILCS 105/0.01) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 0.01)

Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Lewdness Public Nuisance Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(740 ILCS 105/1) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 1)

Sec. 1. All buildings and apartments, and all places, and the fixtures and movable contents thereof, used for purposes of lewdness, assignation, or prostitution, are hereby declared to be public nuisances, and may be abated as hereinafter provided. The owners, agents, and occupants of any such building or apartment, or of any such place shall be deemed guilty of maintaining a public nuisance, and may be enjoined as hereinafter provided.

(Source: Laws 1915, p. 371.)

(740 ILCS 105/2) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 2)

Sec. 2. The State's Attorney or any citizen of the county in which such a nuisance exists, may file a complaint, in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, perpetually to enjoin all persons from maintaining or permitting such nuisance, and to abate the same, and to enjoin the use of such building or apartment, or such place for any purpose, for a period of one year. Upon the filing of a verified complaint therefor, in the circuit court, the court, if satisfied that the nuisance complained of exists, shall enter a preliminary injunction, with bond unless the complaint is filed by the State's Attorney, in such amount as the court may determine, enjoining the defendant from maintaining any such nuisance within the jurisdiction of the court ordering the injunctive relief. No such injunction may be entered, however, except on behalf of an owner or agent, unless it is made to appear to the satisfaction of the court that (1) the owner or agent of such building or apartment or of such place, knew or had been personally served with a notice signed by the plaintiff; (2) such notice has been served upon such owner or such agent of such building or apartment or place at least 5 days prior thereto; (3) such building or apartment or such place, specifically describing the same, was being so used, naming the date or dates of its being so used; and (4) such owner or agent had failed to abate such nuisance, or that upon diligent inquiry such owner or agent could not be found within the United States for the service of such preliminary notice. The lessee, if any, of the building or apartment, or of the place shall be made a party defendant to such complaint.

(Source: P.A. 83-346.)

(740 ILCS 105/3) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 3)

Sec. 3. The defendant shall be held to answer the allegations of the complaint as in other civil proceedings. At all hearings upon the merits, evidence of the general reputation of such building or apartment or of such place, of the inmates thereof, and of those resorting thereto, shall be admissible for the purpose of proving the existence of such nuisance. If the complaint is filed upon the relation of a citizen, the proceeding shall not be dismissed for want of prosecution, nor upon motion of such relator, unless there is filed with such motion a sworn statement made by such relator and his attorney, setting forth the reasons therefor, and unless such dismissal is approved by the State's Attorney in writing or in open court. If the court is of the opinion that such proceeding ought not to be dismissed it may overrule such motion and may enter an order directing the State's Attorney to prosecute such cause to final determination. The cause shall be heard immediately upon issue being joined, and if the hearing is continued, the court may permit any citizen of the county consenting thereto to be substituted for the original relator. If any such complaint is filed upon the relation of a citizen, and the court finds that there was no reasonable ground or cause for filing the same, the costs may be taxed against such relator.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 3635.)

(740 ILCS 105/4) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 4)

Sec. 4. The plaintiff at any time before, but not later than 10 days after, the filing of the answer, unless further time be granted by the court, may file interrogatories in writing concerning matters material to the allegations of the complaint or respecting the ownership of the property upon which it is claimed the nuisance is maintained. A full answer to each interrogatory under the oath of the defendant shall be filed with the clerk within 10 days after a copy of the interrogatories has been served upon him or her or his or her attorney-at-law. For a failure to so answer interrogatories the court may strike the answer to the complaint from the files and enter an order of default and final judgment, and a rule to answer interrogatories may be entered and the court may punish a defendant for contempt of court for a refusal to obey such rule. No person shall be excused from answering interrogatories under oath on the ground that an answer may tend to incriminate him or her or subject him or her to a penalty or forfeiture. The answer may be used as evidence against, but not for, the defendant; it shall not be used against the defendant in any criminal proceeding nor shall he or she be prosecuted or subjected to a penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter or thing disclosed by him or her in such answer responsive to the interrogatories.

(Source: P.A. 83-345.)

(740 ILCS 105/5) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 5)

Sec. 5. If the existence of the nuisance is established, the court shall enter a judgment perpetually restraining all persons from maintaining or permitting such nuisance, and from using the building or apartment, or the place in which it is maintained for any purpose for a period of one year thereafter, unless such judgment is sooner vacated, as provided in this Act, and perpetually restraining the defendant from maintaining any such nuisance within the jurisdiction of the court. While the judgment remains in effect, such building or apartment, or such place shall be in the custody of the court. An order of abatement shall also be entered as a part of such judgment, which order shall direct the sheriff of the county to remove from such building or apartment, or such place all fixtures and movable property used in conducting or aiding or abetting such nuisance, and to sell the same in the manner provided by law for the sale of chattels in the enforcement of a judgment, and to close such building or apartment or such place against its use for any purpose, and to keep it closed for a period of one year unless sooner released as hereinafter provided. The sheriff's fees for removing and selling the movable property shall be taxed as a part of the costs, and shall be the same as those for levying upon and selling like property in the enforcement of a judgment. For closing the building and keeping it closed the court shall allow a reasonable fee to be taxed as part of the costs. No injunction may be entered against an owner, nor may an order be entered requiring that any building or apartment, or any place be closed or kept closed, if it appears that such owner and his agent have in good faith endeavored to prevent such nuisance. Nothing in this Act authorizes any relief respecting any other apartment than that in which such a nuisance exists.

(Source: P.A. 84-546.)

(740 ILCS 105/6) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 6)

Sec. 6. The proceeds of the sale of the movable property shall be applied in payment of the costs of the proceeding and of the abatement, and the balance, if any, shall be paid to the defendant or other person having an interest in said property.

(Source: Laws 1915, p. 371.)

(740 ILCS 105/7) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 7)

Sec. 7. In case of the violation of any injunction or order of abatement issued under the provisions of this act, the court may summarily try and punish the offender for his contempt of court. The hearing may be had upon affidavits, or either party may demand the production and oral examination of witnesses.

(Source: Laws 1965, p. 3635.)

(740 ILCS 105/8) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 8)

Sec. 8. If the owner of such building or apartment, or such place appears and pays all costs which may have been assessed, and files a bond with sureties to be approved by the clerk, in the penal sum of not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, conditioned that such owner will immediately abate such nuisance and prevent such a nuisance from being established or maintained therein within a period of one year thereafter, the court shall vacate its judgment, so far as the same may relate to such building or apartment, or such place, and shall also vacate the order directing the sale of the movable property. This release shall not release such property from any judgment, lien, penalty, or liability to which it may be otherwise subject by law.

(Source: P.A. 79-1366.)

(740 ILCS 105/9) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 9)

Sec. 9. Whenever a fine or costs shall be assessed under the provisions of this act against the owner of any property herein declared to be a public nuisance, such fine or costs shall constitute a lien upon such property to the extent of the interest of such owner, and an order of execution shall issue thereon.

(Source: Laws 1915, p. 371.)

(740 ILCS 105/10) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 10)

Sec. 10. If any lessee or occupant shall use leased premises for the purpose of lewdness, assignation or prostitution, or shall permit them to be used for any of such purposes, the lease or contract for letting such premises shall, at the option of the lessor, become void, and the owner may have the like remedy to recover possession thereof as against a tenant holding over after the expiration of his term.

(Source: Laws 1915, p. 371.)

(740 ILCS 105/11) (from Ch. 100 1/2, par. 11)

Sec. 11. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, or part of this Act is adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this Act, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment has been rendered.

(Source: P.A. 79-1366.)