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.
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Skokie, IL
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