Adverse possession in Illinois generally requires 20 years of possession (735 ILCS 5/13-101). The period drops to 7 years when the occupant holds under claim and color of title 'made in good faith' and pays all taxes assessed (735 ILCS 5/13-109), or holds connected record title with 7 years of actual residence (735 ILCS 5/13-107).
Under 735 ILCS 5/13-101, no action to recover land may be brought 'unless within 20 years after the right to bring such action... first accrued,' the baseline adverse-possession period. Two shorter 7-year paths exist. Section 13-107 covers land 'possessed by actual residence thereon for 7 successive years' under 'a connected title, deductible of record' from the State or United States. Section 13-109 reduces the period to 7 years where the occupant holds vacant or unoccupied land 'under claim and color of title, made in good faith' and 'pays all taxes legally assessed' during that time. Possession must always be actual, hostile, exclusive, continuous, and open and notorious. Owners remove unauthorized occupants through the Article IX eviction process, not self-help.
No specific statutory penalty for the owner. An adverse-possession claim that fails to meet every element (including the full statutory period and, for the 7-year color-of-title path, payment of all taxes) is defeated, and the record owner retains title. Unauthorized occupants who do not satisfy the statute can be evicted through court action.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Aurora, IL
Aurora requires vehicles on residential property to be registered, operable, and have current plates. Inoperable or unregistered vehicles must be stored in e...
Aurora, IL
Aurora prohibits commercial vehicles above B-plate classification from parking or storage in residential areas. This includes tow trucks, panel trucks, dump ...
Aurora, IL
Aurora limits residential fences to a maximum height of 6 feet (including posts and end caps), restricts fences within 15 feet of intersecting property lines...
Aurora, IL
Aurora prohibits feeding wildlife that creates nuisance conditions. Trash must be secured to prevent wildlife encounters. The Fox River corridor attracts coy...
Aurora, IL
Aurora requires working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in all residences per Illinois law (425 ILCS 60 and 430 ILCS 135). Rental properties ar...
Aurora, IL
Aurora is not in a designated wildfire hazard zone. Illinois does not have wildland-urban interface zones like western states. Standard fire prevention codes...
See how Aurora's squatter's rights & adverse possession rules stack up against other locations.
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