Real Estate Law

(Castro, D-Elgin; Mah, D-Chicago) prohibits a landlord from (1) threatening to disclose or disclosing information regarding the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant to any person with the intent of harassing or intimidating the tenant for exercising his or her rights; or (2) bring an action to recover possession of a dwelling unit based solely or in part on the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant. A landlord is not liable for complying with the law or a court order. A similar affirmative defense is created as a defense to an eviction action. Passed both chambers. 

(Andersson, R-Geneva; Mulroe, D-Chicago) creates the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act. The Act would standardize court-filing fees and fines into 13 schedules of potential assessments for criminal and traffic offenses, and four schedules for civil court cases, which are divided by the kind of offense or case. The Act also caps the maximum amount of money that can be assessed under each schedule and for various services or filings within the court process. The money collected under these assessment schedules would then be distributed at the state, county, and local levels for officials to decide how to best allocate their portion for maintaining the courts. House Bill 4594 would also provide a sliding-scale waiver for some civil litigants and criminal defendants depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level. House Bill 544 (Mulroe, D-Chicago; Andersson, R-Geneva) is a trailer bill to resolve technical concerns. Both bills passed both chambers. 

(Welch, D-Westchester; Harmon, D-Oak Park) provides that if the property is an interest in real property, a bona fide purchaser or mortgagee for value shall take the subject property free and clear of the action challenging the transfer instrument if the transfer to the bona fide purchaser or mortgagee for value occurs before the recordation of a lis pendens for an action challenging the transfer. Sets forth conditions under which a financial institution or similar entity is not liable for distributing or releasing property the transfer is challenged. Passed both chambers. 
 

(Unes, R-Pekin; Koehler, D-Peoria) provides that if a service member who has entered into a residential leases covered by this Act is killed in action or while on active duty, then the immediate family or dependents of the service member may terminate the lease. Passed both chambers. 

(Ford, D-Chicago; Castro, D-Elgin) create a three-year pilot program that allows the recorder of deeds to establish an administrative law process to adjudicate expired mechanic’s liens that have been recorded but not litigated or released under the Mechanics Lien Act. Passed both chambers. 

(Halpin, D-Rock Island; Raoul, D-Chicago) provides that if a written lease specifies costs, they must be for damage beyond normal wear and tear and reasonable to restore the leased premises to the same condition at the time the lease began. Passed both chambers. 

(Harmon, D-Oak Park; Feigenholtz, D-Chicago) includes registered interior designers under this Act. Passed both chambers.

(Tracy, R-Quincy; Keith Wheeler, R-North Aurora) creates authorization for and requirements to follow using email as a method of service under this Act. Passed both chambers. 

(Mulroe, D-Chicago; Arroyo, D-Chicago) authorizes a retainage of 10% of the payment may be withheld from a payment under a construction contract before the completion of 50% of the contract. After 50% of the contract is completed, the amount of retainage for any later payment may not exceed 5%. Passed both chambers.