Reversing Course, Illinois Sheriff Will Evict Residents of Foreclosures
After making media waves throughout the country with an unusual refusal to enforce court eviction orders in mortgage foreclosure cases last week, the sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, has backed down.
Assured that new procedures would be implemented to protect innocent tenants from being evicted because their landlord hadn’t paid the mortgage, Sheriff Tom Dart says his office will resume evicting residents of foreclosed homes on Monday, reports the Chicago Tribune.
“After these extensive discussions, we’ve been assured that we’re not going to be asked to evict innocent tenants,” he tells the newspaper. “But if we find it going on again, we will halt evictions again if necessary.”
Meanwhile, the issue affects renters nationally, under a patchwork of state laws that offers significant protection, in some states, and none whatsoever in others, reports the Associated Press.
Additional coverage:
Time: “The Sheriff Who Wouldn’t Evict”
ABAJournal.com: “We Won’t Evict Unless You Do Your Job, Illinois Sheriff Tells Lenders”
