Public Act 094-0841
 
HB4196 Enrolled LRB094 14426 AJO 49359 b

    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Township Code is amended by changing Section
85-50 as follows:
 
    (60 ILCS 1/85-50)
    Sec. 85-50. Demolition, repair, or enclosure of buildings.
    (a) The township board of any township may formally request
the county board to commence specified proceedings with respect
to property located within the township but outside the
territory of any municipality as provided in Section 5-1121 of
the Counties Code. If the county board declines the request as
provided in Section 5-1121 of the Counties Code, the township
may exercise its powers under this Section.
    (b) The township board of each township may demolish,
repair, or enclose or cause the demolition, repair, or
enclosure of dangerous and unsafe buildings or uncompleted and
abandoned buildings within the territory of the township and
may remove or cause the removal of garbage, debris, and other
hazardous, noxious, or unhealthy substances or materials from
those buildings.
    The township board shall apply to the circuit court of the
county in which the building is located (i) for an order
authorizing action to be taken with respect to a building if
the owner or owners of the building, including the lien holders
of record, after at least 15 days' written notice by mail to do
so, have failed to commence proceedings to put the building in
a safe condition or to demolish it or (ii) for an order
requiring the owner or owners of record to demolish, repair, or
enclose the building or to remove garbage, debris, and other
hazardous, noxious, or unhealthy substances or materials from
the building. It is not a defense to the cause of action that
the building is boarded up or otherwise enclosed, although the
court may order the defendant to have the building boarded up
or otherwise enclosed. Where, upon diligent search, the
identity or whereabouts of the owner or owners of the building,
including the lien holders of record, is not ascertainable,
notice mailed to the person or persons in whose name the real
estate was last assessed and the posting of the notice upon the
premises sought to be demolished or repaired is sufficient
notice under this Section.
    The hearing upon the application to the circuit court shall
be expedited by the court and shall be given precedence over
all other suits.
    The cost of the demolition, repair, enclosure, or removal
incurred by the township, by an intervenor, or by a lien holder
of record, including court costs, attorney's fees, and other
costs related to the enforcement of this Section, is
recoverable from the owner or owners of the real estate or the
previous owner or both if the property was transferred during
the 15-day notice period and is a lien on the real estate if,
within 180 days after the repair, demolition, enclosure, or
removal, the township, the lien holder of record, or the
intervenor who incurred the cost and expense shall file a
notice of lien for the cost and expense incurred in the office
of the recorder in the county in which the real estate is
located or in the office of the registrar of titles of the
county if the real estate affected is registered under the
Registered Titles (Torrens) Act. The lien becomes effective at
the time of filing.
    The notice must consist of a sworn statement setting out
(1) a description of the real estate sufficient for its
identification, (2) the amount of money representing the cost
and expense incurred, and (3) the date or dates when the cost
and expense was incurred by the township, the lien holder of
record, or the intervenor. Upon payment of the cost and expense
by the owner of or persons interested in the property after the
notice of lien has been filed, the lien shall be released by
the township, the person in whose name the lien has been filed,
or the assignee of the lien, and the release may be filed of
record as in the case of filing notice of lien. Unless the lien
is enforced under subsection (c), the lien may be enforced by
foreclosure proceedings as in the case of mortgage foreclosures
under Article XV of the Code of Civil Procedure or mechanics'
lien foreclosures. An action to foreclose this lien may be
commenced at any time after the date of filing of the notice of
lien. The costs of foreclosure incurred by the township,
including court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, advances to
preserve the property, and other costs related to the
enforcement of this subsection, plus statutory interest, are a
lien on the real estate and are recoverable by the township
from the owner or owners of the real estate.
    All liens arising under this subsection (b) shall be
assignable. The assignee of the lien shall have the same power
to enforce the lien as the assigning party, except that the
lien may not be enforced under subsection (c).
    (c) In any case where a township has obtained a lien under
subsection (b), the township may enforce the lien under this
subsection (c) in the same proceeding in which the lien is
authorized.
    A township desiring to enforce a lien under this subsection
(c) shall petition the court to retain jurisdiction for
foreclosure proceedings under this subsection. Notice of the
petition shall be served, by certified or registered mail, on
all persons who were served notice under subsection (b). The
court shall conduct a hearing on the petition not less than 15
days after the notice is served. If the court determines that
the requirements of this subsection (c) have been satisfied, it
shall grant the petition and retain jurisdiction over the
matter until the foreclosure proceeding is completed. The costs
of foreclosure incurred by the township, including court costs,
reasonable attorneys' fees, advances to preserve the property,
and other costs related to the enforcement of this subsection,
plus statutory interest, are a lien on the real estate and are
recoverable by the township from the owner or owners of the
real estate. If the court denies the petition, the township may
enforce the lien in a separate action as provided in subsection
(b).
    All persons designated in Section 15-1501 of the Code of
Civil Procedure as necessary parties in a mortgage foreclosure
action shall be joined as parties before issuance of an order
of foreclosure. Persons designated in Section 15-1501 of the
Code of Civil Procedure as permissible parties may also be
joined as parties in the action.
    The provisions of Article XV of the Code of Civil Procedure
applicable to mortgage foreclosures shall apply to the
foreclosure of a lien under this subsection (c), except to the
extent that those provisions are inconsistent with this
subsection. For purposes of foreclosures of liens under this
subsection, however, the redemption period described in
subsection (c) of Section 15-1603 of the Code of Civil
Procedure shall end 60 days after the date of entry of the
order of foreclosure.
    (d) In addition to any other remedy provided by law, the
township board of any township may petition the circuit court
to have property declared abandoned under this subsection (d)
if:
        (1) the property has been tax delinquent for 2 or more
    years or bills for water service for the property have been
    outstanding for 2 or more years;
        (2) the property is unoccupied by persons legally in
    possession; and
        (3) the property contains a dangerous or unsafe
    building.
    All persons having an interest of record in the property,
including tax purchasers and beneficial owners of any Illinois
land trust having title to the property, shall be named as
defendants in the petition and shall be served with process. In
addition, service shall be had under Section 2-206 of the Code
of Civil Procedure as in other cases affecting property.
    The township, however, may proceed under this subsection in
a proceeding brought under subsection (b). Notice of the
petition shall be served by certified or registered mail on all
persons who were served notice under subsection (b).
    If the township proves that the conditions described in
this subsection exist and the owner of record of the property
does not enter an appearance in the action, or, if title to the
property is held by an Illinois land trust, if neither the
owner of record nor the owner of the beneficial interest of the
trust enters an appearance, the court shall declare the
property abandoned.
    If that determination is made, notice shall be sent by
certified or registered mail to all persons having an interest
of record in the property, including tax purchasers and
beneficial owners of any Illinois land trust having title to
the property, stating that title to the property will be
transferred to the township unless, within 30 days of the
notice, the owner of record enters an appearance in the action,
or unless any other person having an interest in the property
files with the court a request to demolish the dangerous or
unsafe building or to put the building in safe condition.
    If the owner of record enters an appearance in the action
within the 30-day period, the court shall vacate its order
declaring the property abandoned. In that case, the township
may amend its complaint in order to initiate proceedings under
subsection (b).
    If a request to demolish or repair the building is filed
within the 30-day period, the court shall grant permission to
the requesting party to demolish the building within 30 days or
to restore the building to safe condition within 60 days after
the request is granted. An extension of that period for up to
60 additional days may be given for good cause. If more than
one person with an interest in the property files a timely
request, preference shall be given to the person with the lien
or other interest of the highest priority.
    If the requesting party proves to the court that the
building has been demolished or put in a safe condition within
the period of time granted by the court, the court shall issue
a quitclaim judicial deed for the property to the requesting
party, conveying only the interest of the owner of record, upon
proof of payment to the township of all costs incurred by the
township in connection with the action, including but not
limited to court costs, attorney's fees, administrative costs,
the costs, if any, associated with building enclosure or
removal, and receiver's certificates. The interest in the
property so conveyed shall be subject to all liens and
encumbrances on the property. In addition, if the interest is
conveyed to a person holding a certificate of purchase for the
property under the Property Tax Code, the conveyance shall be
subject to the rights of redemption of all persons entitled to
redeem under that Act, including the original owner of record.
    If no person with an interest in the property files a
timely request or if the requesting party fails to demolish the
building or put the building in safe condition within the time
specified by the court, the township may petition the court to
issue a judicial deed for the property to the county. A
conveyance by judicial deed shall operate to extinguish all
existing ownership interests in, liens on, and other interest
in the property, including tax liens.
    (e) This Section applies only to requests made by townships
under subsection (a) before January 1, 2006 and proceedings to
implement or enforce this Section with respect to matters
related to or arising from those requests.
(Source: P.A. 92-347, eff. 8-15-01.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.