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January 1, Police ‘Powerless’ as Squatters Take Over Woman’s Home in Chicago [Video]
A woman is stuck in a costly and time-consuming legal struggle to remove squatters from her family’s home in Chicago.
The situation arose when Karen Polk, who lives out of state, tried to sell her family’s home in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood. Her mother passed away, leaving the house empty, so Polk decided that it was time to sell the property. That’s when she discovered that the modest home was, in fact, occupied — by a squatter who refused to leave.
Polk said the individuals told her they paid several months rent to another person who claimed to be the homeowner and signed a lease. Polk told WGN9 that she wasn’t sure if that was true or part of the scam. Regardless, police told her they were “powerless” to verify the legitimacy of the lease, and she’d have to go to court.
“This all started in September but we didn’t get a court date until mid-December,” Polk said. “And that particular session, none of the occupants showed up. That’s just how the process goes. If they don’t show up, another court date is assigned.”
Aaron Stanton, a real estate attorney and partner at a Chicago law firm, said such scams occur “more than you think.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s prevalent, but it happens more than you think,” Stanton said. “The problem is anyone can print a lease off from the internet. Fill it out. Put the address in. Sign a bogus landlord.”
A WGN reporter confronted one of the occupants. The woman claimed to be a victim of a scam herself, but failed to provide a copy of the lease she allegedly signed. The reporter noted that attempts to reach people who could supposedly verify her side of the story were unsuccessful.
Stanton said the lengthy legal process could be extended by scammers who know their way around the court system.
“It could take anywhere from six months to 12 months to possibly 18 months, if they know how to work the system and get delays in court,” the real estate attorney said. “In the meantime, they are in your home.”
Source: WGN9
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Linda Schmidt
March 11, 2023 at 7:55 pm
Get a gun and make them leave have all the locks changed immediately.
Tim Mitcham
March 11, 2023 at 10:49 pm
Get a gun and force them out was my first thought, BUT this happened in Chicago! Chicago is NOT the best place for Honest Law Abiding Citizens to have guns! AND in Chicago, it seems that criminals have more rights than good people! If she was friends with some members of a motorcycle club (think 1%ers, outlaw bikers, etc) and acted before contacting Law Enforcement, she could have rented her house out for the weekend for a biker’s party – with an understanding that the only “damage” should be done to the squatters! LOL I don’t ever see that happening to me, but I still won’t comment as to what I would do in that situation. It’s called “plausible deniability”. 😁
Tim Kuehl
March 12, 2023 at 9:29 am
There is a line at the beginning of the TV show “Leverage” that says “Sometimes the best good guys are the bad guys.” I believe this is one of those times.
kurt gandenberger
March 11, 2023 at 7:58 pm
when scabs and deadbeats know how to work the system honest citizens have little recourse. i certainly cannot advise her to get someone tobeat them up as that is illegal.
John
March 11, 2023 at 8:18 pm
The law is against honest people these days, especially in “Blue states.”
Fckbdn
March 12, 2023 at 5:37 am
Cops are powerless because the judicial system is more corrupt than the crooks and scammers !! ESPECIALLY IN demoCRAP states !!!
Rattlerjake
March 11, 2023 at 11:15 pm
It all because the laws are designed to benefit the lawless. When the US became a corporation (1871) and the states soon followed, the entire judicial system reverted to a fraudulent illegitimate system.
VON
March 17, 2023 at 7:44 pm
THE REAL OWNER, SHOULD JUST RENT THE HOUSE AND FILL IT WITH ANYONE & EVERYONE……OR………..HAVE ELECTRICITY/GAS/WATER TURNED OFF, INSTALL A FENCE WITH BARBED WIRE AT TOP, AND A GATE THAT CANNOT BE OPENED ONLY ELECTRONICALLY…..(PREFERABLY BEFORE ELECTRIC IS TURNED OFF….)……
john
March 11, 2023 at 8:16 pm
Hire a “friendly” motorcycle gang to temporarily occupy the house and the squatters will soon depart in haste!
Tim Mitcham
March 11, 2023 at 10:53 pm
Had not read your comment until AFTER I replied to someone, suggesting to let a motorcycle club use the house for a party. I just told my wife how I would handle it – since wives cannot be forced to testify against their husbands! LOL
Frank
March 11, 2023 at 8:49 pm
Law in present-day America is basically a full-employment program for scheissters rather than a system designed to achieve justice for anybody. We are being pushed towards the conclusion that we will have to roll our own, rather like on the old-west frontier. Oh by the way, some judges may have to be listed with the outlaws.
John Richardson
March 12, 2023 at 1:55 am
Where I come from if you don’t show up for a court hearing you automatically lose!! Seems to me a judge needs to go back to school.
Gerald Ladd
March 12, 2023 at 11:51 am
So the cocks are as worthless as the mayor. Chicago IS a shit hole!
Old Fur Trapper
March 16, 2023 at 9:23 pm
I’d say it’s time to call in some exterminators! The kind that removes trash like this for fun and profit! Use the real stuff! Fumigate the place with the trash in it! Tell them the house was reported to the building inspector as infested with rats and mice and bugs! Once in the door, toss the bug bombs and start spraying like hell! When they’re out, lock the doors! And bring backup to keep them from trying to regain entrance! Also change the locks immediately! I’m sure there are some local professional companies willing to take on this job!