'Next-level squatting': Couple says squatters moved into South Side home, lawmaker taking action

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A South Side woman is pleading for help after she said squatters moved into her home, refusing to leave.

The ABC7 I-Team has been covering alleged squatting cases for weeks.

The new case is being described by the homeowner as "next-level squatting." She and her husband said a person inside is posing as the new owner with bogus mortgage documents.

They're demanding that laws be changed to protect property owners, and one state lawmaker is working to do just that.

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"Since Thursday, we have been fighting to get these people to get out of our property," Marcia Lee said.

They have been standing in the rain, practically begging a stranger to move out of their home.

Marcia and her husband Carlton Lee never thought they'd be facing off with alleged squatters.

"Someone is in my house, saying that they moved in a month ago," Marcia said. "I am livid right now."

Marcia said she came by her property last week to show it to a prospective buyer. To her surprise, she said a family of three and their dog had moved in.

"I have a realtor on the sidewalk waiting to see this property. The buyer is across the street," Marcia said. "I had to apologize, like, 'I can't show you this house right now.'"

She and her husband came back with police. They said a woman, who identified herself as "Stacey," claimed that she bought the home in February and was the new owner.

'They said, 'We've been here for a month.' I said, 'No you haven't. I just showed this property two days ago,'" Marcia said.

They said the woman showed them a mortgage document, but after looking closely, Marcia said she noticed the property pin was inaccurate.

The I-Team did some digging and learned the pin matches a house in Country Club Hills, not the South Side property.

"This documentation is not valid, so she's trespassing on my property," Marcia said.

But the couple said police still wouldn't remove them.

"Oh you're both victims. We can't make them get out," Marcia said. "They're laughing at me as they're telling me this is a civil matter."

SEE ALSO | Man connected to alleged south suburban squatting charged with burglary, forgery in Evergreen Park

"We saw [the ABC7 I-Team's] story before," Carlton said. "We like your coverage. That's why you were the first one we called, because we want action."

Illinois state representative La Shawn Ford said he's working hard in Springfield to crack down on squatting.

"It's happening across the state, and it puts owners and landlords in a bad position," Ford said.

As rent prices continue to soar, he believes the problem is only going to get worse in Illinois.

"Once they get in, the landlord has to go through the Forceable Entry Act," Ford said. "That means that you have to go to court."

Under Ford's proposed law, police would have the power to remove a squatter from the property the moment the rightful owner can prove it's their home, bypassing the months-long eviction process. It's legislation the Lees call common sense.

Representative Ford met the couple at their property and knocked on the door, hoping to speak with the woman inside. No one would come out to speak.

The couple said they are at their wit's end, but one thing they won't be doing is paying the people to leave.

"The first thing they asked my husband was, 'Are you going to give us our $8,000 back?'" Marcia said. "I spent $150,000 to rehab this property, to let someone come in and tear my property up and tell me it's theirs... Yeah, I'm upset.

ABC7 did try calling "Stacey," the woman inside the home, but she did not return the call.

Chicago police said Area Two detectives are investigating.

Representative Ford said his proposed bill is being reviewed in the rules committee, but he has gotten some pushback from homeless advocates who fear this would increase homelessness in Illinois.

Ford said he's working with utility companies to prevent squatters from putting services in their name.

How to protect your home from squatters:

- Install cameras on your property, whether it's occupied or vacant. Police can usually remove illegal occupants if they catch them in the act of a break-in.

- Ask neighbors to check in on vacant property, that includes homes that are for sale.

- Weigh the pros and cons of "for sale" signs when putting a home on the market. It could potentially attract squatters or bad actors.