This summer, a Chicago woman plans to talk with lawmakers in Illinois about ways to stiffen penalties for squatters and lessen the blow to homeowners.
Darsula Young’s property, which she inherited from her mother, was confiscated by “professional squatters” in September 2022. That’s when she received a call from a neighbor who said there had been a shooting outside the property.
When she arrived, the locks had been changed and there were bullet holes in the windows. The squatters were then evicted from the premises.
“He was kicked out of the mansion, I think he was kicked out last July,” Young told FOX News Digital in a phone interview.
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In March 2023, Young told Jesse Watters, “He said he was a professional squatter, knew his rights, and had no intention of quitting.”
A Chicago woman went to court multiple times to evict the squatters who lived in her late mother’s home. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
She also told Watters that she was proceeding with legal proceedings to evict the squatters from her home.
The process of evicting individuals who lived on properties owned by Young was a lengthy one. She said he went to court “probably six or seven times” before he was evicted.
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“The way the process is set up, it’s the same process as tenant eviction,” Young explained. “First I had to meet with a preliminary judge, and the preliminary judge met with me about four times before I got to the trial judge.”
Young said he had multiple hearings with the trial judge, and at the last hearing, the judge granted the eviction.
Darsula Young described dealing with squatters as an “emotionally draining” and “overwhelming” process. (Adobe Stock)
Although Young was able to remove the squatters from his property, the homeowner was left with large bills, including a $3,500 water bill.
“Based on the fact that they’ve been there for a year, I think they didn’t pay the rent, they didn’t pay the water bill, they didn’t pay all the other property damage, and they stole the utility bill,” she told Fox News. told Digital. “I filed a police report for probably about $25,000 in damages.”
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Many police reports were filled out by Young, but one of the questions she and others asked about squatters occupying homes was, “What is the remedy?”
“I’m sure you can’t sue for personal damages or collect anything, but the squatters have no recourse,” Young said.
Many concerned homeowners are turning to state legislatures to pass laws that protect homeowners and impact squatters.
Young realized this dire situation caused by squatters and decided to seek legislative action.
“I spoke with one of our state legislators who is a real estate agent, and he is very interested in introducing the bill,” Young said.
During the previous court hearing, the squatters were evicted from the premises. (St. Petersburg)
“Once the legislative session is over, which is supposed to end at the end of June, I’m looking forward to having a long discussion over the summer about what kind of legislation we can introduce into Illinois,” Young said, referring to the Florida bill. Told. Signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March 2024, it increases penalties for squatters and helps protect homeowners.
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The entire process of dealing with squatters affects homeowners not only financially but also emotionally.
“It’s emotionally draining. It’s overwhelming,” Young said.
“When we first had access to my mother’s apartment, and the squatters moved in, we had access and were able to go inside, and we were there and someone had stolen all of her personal property. I couldn’t see it being completely taken over. Her stuff was there and I didn’t think it would make me emotional, but it made me very emotional.” she continued.
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“When I went through this process, I was completely blown away by it,” Young said. “People I’ve talked to who are going through this situation say the same thing. They’re so overwhelmed by this situation that we don’t really have recourse. They have no recourse in terms of being able to cause “criminal charges” because they often break and enter, and that’s a criminal act. ”
