97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5646

 

Introduced 2/15/2012, by Rep. Anthony DeLuca

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
735 ILCS 5/9-120

    Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that if a lease contains the required notice, no additional termination notice or demand for possession is required to initiate a forcible entry and detainer action based on the use of the premises for criminal activity, however, a notice specifying the lease violations shall mailed to the lessee and posted on the premises. Provides that the office of the State's Attorney or the corporation counsel of the municipality in which the property is located shall give a written response within 3 days after receiving a lessor's request for the office to accept an assignment of the lessor's right to bring a forcible entry and detainer action. Provides that the owner or lessor remains liable for the court cost of the eviction and fees to the sheriff for execution of an order for possession (instead of liable for the cost of eviction) whether or not the right to bring the forcible entry and detainer action has been assigned. Deletes language stating that this provision shall not be construed to diminish the lessor's rights to terminate a lease for other lawful reasons or under the lease. Makes other changes.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB5646LRB097 18268 AJO 65687 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
5changing Section 9-120 as follows:
 
6    (735 ILCS 5/9-120)
7    Sec. 9-120. Leased premises used in furtherance of a
8criminal offense; lease void at option of lessor or assignee.
9    (a) If any lessee or occupant, on one or more occasions,
10uses or permits the use of leased premises for the commission
11of any act that would constitute a felony or a Class A
12misdemeanor under the laws of this State, the lease or rental
13agreement shall, at the option of the lessor or the lessor's
14assignee become void, and the owner or lessor shall be entitled
15to recover possession of the leased premises as against a
16tenant holding over after the expiration of his or her term. A
17written lease shall notify the lessee that if any lessee or
18occupant, on one or more occasions, uses or permits the use of
19the leased premises for the commission of a felony or Class A
20misdemeanor under the laws of this State, the lessor shall have
21the right to void the lease and recover the leased premises.
22Failure to include this language in a written lease or the use
23of an oral lease shall not waive or impair the rights of the

 

 

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1lessor or lessor's assignee under this Section or the lease.
2This Section shall not be construed so as to diminish the
3rights of a lessor, if any, to terminate a lease for other
4reasons permitted under law or pursuant to the lease agreement.
5    (a-5) In actions brought under this Section, when the
6required notice is included in a written lease, no additional
7notice of termination or demand for possession shall be
8required to initiate a forcible entry and detainer action,
9however, notice specifying all alleged violations of the lease
10to be considered by the court shall be delivered to the lessee
11by sending a copy by certified mail and by posting the notice
12on the premises. Failure to include the required notice in a
13lease, or the fact that the lease is oral, shall not waive or
14impair the rights of the lessor or the lessor's assignee under
15this Section or the lease, but the lessor shall be required to
16deliver a 5-day notice to quit to lessee specifying all alleged
17violations of the lease to be considered by the court prior to
18initiating a forcible entry and detainer action.
19    (b) The owner or lessor may bring a forcible entry and
20detainer action under this Section. When the lessor has
21received notification from any government office alleging that
22an act occurred that would constitute a felony or a Class A
23misdemeanor and , or, if the State's Attorney of the county in
24which the real property is located or the corporation counsel
25of the municipality in which the real property is located
26agrees, the lessor may assign to that State's Attorney or

 

 

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1corporation counsel the right to bring a forcible entry and
2detainer action on behalf of the owner or lessor, against the
3lessee and all occupants of the leased premises. A lessor's
4request to the office of the State's Attorney or the
5corporation counsel that the office accept an assignment of the
6lessor's right to bring a forcible entry and detainer action
7under this Section shall be in writing and the office of the
8State's Attorney or the corporation counsel to which the
9request is made shall respond in writing within 3 days after
10receipt of the request. The assignment must be in writing on a
11form prepared by the State's Attorney of the county in which
12the real property is located or the corporation counsel of the
13municipality in which the real property is located, as
14applicable. If the owner or lessor assigns the right to bring a
15forcible entry and detainer action, the assignment shall be
16limited to those rights and duties up to and including delivery
17of the order of eviction to the sheriff for execution. The
18owner or lessor shall remain liable for the court cost of the
19eviction and fees to the sheriff for execution of a judgment
20for possession whether or not the right to bring the forcible
21entry and detainer action has been assigned.
22    (c) A person does not forfeit any part of his or her
23security deposit due solely to an eviction under the provisions
24of this Section, except that a security deposit may be used to
25pay fees charged by the sheriff for carrying out an eviction
26and for any other purpose defined by the lease agreement.

 

 

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1    (d) If a lessor or the lessor's assignee voids a lease or
2contract under the provisions of this Section, notwithstanding
3and the tenant or occupant has not vacated the premises within
45 days after receipt of a written notice to vacate the
5premises, the lessor or lessor's assignee may seek relief under
6this Article IX. Notwithstanding Sections 9-112, 9-113, and
79-114 of this Code, judgment for costs against a plaintiff
8seeking possession of the premises under this Section shall not
9be awarded to the defendant unless the action was brought by
10the plaintiff in bad faith. An action to possess premises under
11this Section shall not be deemed to be in bad faith when the
12plaintiff based his or her cause of action on information
13provided to him or her by a law enforcement agency, the State's
14Attorney, or the municipality.
15    (e) After a trial, if the court finds, by a preponderance
16of the evidence, that any of the allegations in the complaint
17have been proven, the court shall enter judgment for possession
18of the premises in favor of the plaintiff and the court shall
19order that the plaintiff shall be entitled to re-enter the
20premises immediately.
21    (f) A judgment for possession of the premises entered in an
22action brought by a lessor or lessor's assignee, if the action
23was brought as a result of a lessor or lessor's assignee
24declaring a lease void pursuant to this Section, may not be
25stayed for any period in excess of 7 days by the court unless
26all parties agree to a longer period. Thereafter the plaintiff

 

 

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1shall be entitled to re-enter the premises immediately. The
2sheriff or other lawfully deputized officers shall execute an
3order entered pursuant to this Section within 7 days of its
4entry, or within 7 days of the expiration of a stay of
5judgment, if one is entered.
6    (g) Nothing in this Section shall limit the rights of an
7owner or lessor to bring a forcible entry and detainer action
8on the basis of other applicable law.
9(Source: P.A. 97-236, eff. 8-2-11.)