Courts Did Not See Expected Spike in Evictions After End of Moratorium

 Posted on February 10, 2022 in Real Estate

According to information collected by local news outlets, the end of the eviction moratorium in Illinois did not trigger the “tsunami of evictions” in the city of Chicago and Cook County at large that many were expecting. The statewide ban on evictions was initiated in March 2020 following the stay-at-home orders issued by Governor J.B. Pritzker at the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis. The moratorium was repeatedly extended by the governor until it ultimately came to an end on October 3, 2021.

A Look at the Numbers

The office of Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans provided preliminary information to WTTW, a Chicago-area PBS affiliate. According to that data, the total number of commercial and residential evictions in Chicago and Cook County was nearly one-third lower in October 2021 compared to October 2019. October represented the first full month in which there were no restrictions related to the enforcement of eviction judgments in the state.

Records indicate that 1,278 residential eviction judgments were approved in the city of Chicago in October of 2021, along with 42 commercial evictions. Suburban Cook County added another 566 households and 22 businesses for a countywide total of 1,866. These numbers represent a significant jump from October 2020, in which the courts only approved a total of 322 evictions.

It is possible that the numbers were lower than expected because of a Chicago ordinance designed to offer struggling renters a degree of protection. Landlords seeking to evict tenants who were financially affected by the pandemic were required to show proof that they tried to work out arrangements with their renters until December 3, 2021. Such arrangements included applying for city and state financial assistance programs.

Downstate Numbers

The city’s policies seem to have made a difference, as numbers from Central Illinois indicate that evictions in October 2021 were at their highest in three years. Macon County, for example, processed 87 evictions in October 2021—nearly five times more than in October 2020 and nearly eight times more than in October 2019.

After October, however, the numbers dipped back down to pre-pandemic levels, according to Champaign County Associate Judge Brett Olmstead. “It did surprise me,” he said. “I thought we’d have a bigger bump.”

Judge Olmstead also estimated only between 50 and 70 percent of renters whose eviction cases were processed were actually forced from their homes. The remainder either signed an agreement to move out, created a payment plan that allowed them to stay, or worked through various rental assistance programs.

A Libertyville Landlord Eviction Attorney Can Help

If you are a property owner and you have questions about the post-moratorium process of eviction, contact a Lake County real estate lawyer at Newland & Newland, LLP. Our team will help you understand your options and offer guidance throughout the eviction process. Call 847-549-0000 for a free consultation today.

Sources:

https://news.wttw.com/2021/12/06/city-state-officials-set-launch-new-round-rental-assistance-program

https://www.wcia.com/news/target3/its-been-4-months-since-illinois-lifted-the-moratorium-was-there-a-surge-of-evictions-after-all/