The orders are meant to address an anticipated surge of evictions once eviction moratoriums expire. | Pixabay
The orders are meant to address an anticipated surge of evictions once eviction moratoriums expire. | Pixabay
Chief Justice Anne M. Burke and the Illinois Supreme Court recently approved temporary orders regarding eviction cases and electronic signatures in Illinois courts, the top court said in a release.
The policy authorizes Illinois judicial circuits to establish early resolution programs, such as mediation and online dispute resolution, as an alternative dispute resolution of eviction cases. The circuits may choose to make such programs voluntary or require mandatory participation by litigants as a prerequisite to hearing.
Another order declares that courts shall accept electronically and conventionally filed documents that are electronically or digitally signed provided the signature and document comply with M.R. 18368.
Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke
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The stipulations amend the order approved in December 2020 and require that eviction cannot be carried out against a “covered person.” This is defined as a tenant, lessee, sub-lessee, or resident of a residential property who provides to their landlord a qualifying declaration who does not owe rent unless that person poses a direct threat to the health and safety of other tenants or an immediate and severe risk to the property.
“The Court would like to thank the Task Force for its extensive work on the evictions issue,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “This was done in the true spirit of collaboration to address challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Illinois Judicial Conference Court Operations COVID-19 Task Force proposed these orders in response to an expected surge of evictions once eviction moratoriums expire and to improve access to justice for self-represented litigants.
Visitors can find the orders on the Court website here.
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