Covid-19

Illinois Eviction Courts Likely to Remain Closed

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Opening Day Postponed?

UPDATE:  See here.  We have been monitoring the eviction court situation closely.  In his press conference on May 26, 2020, Governor Pritzker indicated that he was likely to extend the eviction moratorium (in a sense, overruling the legislature that just decided not to extend an eviction moratorium), likely for another month.  Currently, the Governor’s executive order 30 and the local orders of many County Circuit Courts, including Cook County, put eviction courts on hold until May 31, 2020.  It is now looking like an eviction court opening date of

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Update on SB3066

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Covid-19 Legislation stalls

This was a hard-fought battle.  The tenants’ rights advocates are blaming the money paid to state representatives by the real estate industry, but just as likely was in-fighting between City and suburban legislators about how much relief money would go to Chicagoans versus others throughout the state.  The end result is that

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What is in SB3066 that is bad for Illinois Landlords?

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What’s Wrong Here?

Obviously, there is quite a bit of activity going on today (5/22/20) regarding SB3066.  This law has it all – rent cancellation, government control of landlords, eviction moratorium, and eviction sealing.  This is going to HURT housing providers.  What if the State of Illinois passed a law allowing people to just take what they want from the 7-11 store because of Covid-19 hardship?  That’s what they are proposing here.  Government sponsored theft.

Let’s take a look at some of the key points:

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Mayor Lightfoot expected to propose Covid-19 related landlord tenant ordinances

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Big week for new legislation at City Hall?

We’ve heard that in addition to the Covid-inspired rent forgiveness statute proposed by Rep. Ramirez (and a similar provision likely to be proposed in the Illinois Senate), it is likely that there will be a bit more movement in the City Council this week.  One of the complaints of city aldermen about the Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge is that the pledge is… voluntary.  We can’t just have landlords being nice all on their own, can we?  Instead,

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State Rep. Ramirez Sneakily Files Covid-19 Bill

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Anti-landlord property rights grab finally filed

I blogged two weeks ago about the COVID-19 Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act, a law that, much to the chagrin of Mayor Lightfoot I am sure, gives very little grace to landlords.  The law, allegedly drafted by folks from the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing, a tenant advocacy group, was filed by Representative Delia Ramirez not as a standalone bill, but instead, as an amendment to House Bill 5574.  Before the amendment, House Bill 5574 was an amendment introduced by Rep. Ramirez to the Illinois Housing Authorities Act regarding a tenant’s criminal background history.  I’m not a state legislator, so I wonder, why in the world would a totally unrelated bill for sweeping changes to the landlord-tenant law of Illinois be filed as an amendment to a totally unrelated law? 

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Illinois Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act

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Here we go again

Round up the usual suspects.  Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) and Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago), backed by national progressive think tanks and policy institutes like the Shriver Center (which has been a major force in pushing anti-landlord housing policy changes nationwide), are coming out hot.  They’re ready to take advantage of this pandemic to re-shape the world in their progressive image in the form of the Illinois Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act.  This is the thanks that landlords get for “giving grace” to tenants at a time of crisis. 

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Did Chicago miss an opportunity with the Housing Solidarity Pledge?

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Anything New Here?

I watched the whole press conference.  Mayor Lightfoot announced the City’s Housing Solidarity Pledge.  There were lots of heavy hitters making that pledge.  There were big banks.  Bank of America, BMO Harris, Fifth Third, PNC Bank, First Midwest Bank, US Bank, Wintrust and more (although I did note that ubiquitous Chase was not mentioned).  There were well respected landlord and property advocates like the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance, Chicagoland Apartment Association, and the Chicago Association of Realtors.  There was even a tenant’s rights group in the form of the Lawyer’s Committee for Better Housing.  But did anything really get done?  And was a big opportunity for change missed?

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