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Questions Answered by Erik K Jacobs
1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: if consent was once given to persons at a residential home then revoked at some point how do you legally remove them

an elder widowed husband is looking to sell his residential property to me however at some point in the past when his wife was still living she let someone reside there for a time being, assuming paying rent neither owner resided there at the time or since. once she passed the husband informed them... View More

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Oct 8, 2021

I'm afraid you will have to contact an attorney and begin the eviction process. I don't know if there was an oral lease with these people or they were just allowed to live there. If no oral lease (i.e. rent terms), then you will probably have to begin by giving them a 30-day notice.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: What to do , if the Condo Association claims that the Management company stole $600000 money from the reserve account .

Now the Association claims that we have no money at all . Is it possible for the Association not to have access to all of the accounts that we had .

How do we resolve this issue?

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Oct 8, 2021

Wow - this is a scary situation. I hope that the Board has contacted the authorities AND its own attorney to look into this allegation. $600,000 doesn't just evaporate overnight.

1 Answer | Asked in Foreclosure and Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: How long after winning foreclosure auction may I begin work.?

I purchased an abandoned foreclosure in Stark County IL on Sept 28th 2021. It was winterized by the bank in March of 2021. The door was open so I changed the locks. The roof is leaking and needs to be replaced asap. What risk is there in doing substantial work immediately?

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Oct 8, 2021

I'm assuming that the sale has not yet been confirmed by the Court. You have a few different risks. First, Since the sale has not been confirmed, there is a chance, albeit a small one, that the Court will not approve the sale. Second, I am not sure whether you have had any title work run on... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: I have a question about real estate law in the state of Illinois

The home my girlfriend is renting has currently been put up for sale and someone has been approved to purchase it. Are her current landlord‘s allowed to evict her before she has another place to live

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Oct 8, 2021

This depends. Does she have a lease? If so, then the sale is subject to the terms of the lease. If she has no lease and is simply a month to month tenant, then the landlord would need to give her a 30-day notice and she would be required to find a new residence during that period and move after... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: If I’m on the deed but not on the llc that the property is on, do I still have interest?
Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Oct 8, 2021

I'm a little bit unclear as to your question. If your name is on the deed, then you are an owner. If the LLC is in title, then it is the owner. Perhaps you are the owner and the LLC is a tenant?

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3 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: How can I sell off my condo without my mother's presence?

I recently paid off the mortgage to my condo that my mother also has a name to it. We've been wanting to sell our condo for awhile, but when the pandemic hits, my mother doesn't want to do any travelling. She resides in Georgia. I live in the condo in Illinois. Both of our names are on... View More

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Oct 8, 2021

Your mother can attend the closing remotely. In other words, she can execute any required documents in Georgia and they can be sent via Fed Ex to the attorney handling the closing or the title company here in Illinois. An alternative is to have your mother give you power of attorney to sign any... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: What are my options for roof damage that occurred after inspection but before closing?

I had my house inspected in October and everything was fine. The old owners did not want to move out until January and there was damage sustained to the roof in November. My insurance will not cover it because I didn’t have a policy on this house and said to have the previous owners file a claim,... View More

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Jun 23, 2021

A number of states (including Illinois) have adopted the Uniform Vendor and Purchaser Risk Act (765 ILCS 65/1). This Act provides that in all real estate contracts there is an implied term that if the purchaser has NOT yet received title OR possession of the property, the seller bears the risk... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Foreclosure and Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: May I change the locks on a home I own that has been for the most part abandoned? Please see additional info below:

Home was purchased at a foreclosure (judicial) sale in Illinois. I have a order of possession from the original foreclosure proceedings. Evictions have been postponed due to pandemic. Home has water shut off. Prior owner lives somewhere else, but still has keys. Prior owner occasionally visits... View More

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Apr 29, 2021

As a practical matter, yes. Possession has been ordered in the foreclosure. The owner does not RESIDE in the premises. It sounds like he's an occasional trespasser.

2 Answers | Asked in Arbitration / Mediation Law, Real Estate Law and Estate Planning for Illinois on
Q: Inherited undivided interest in a large amount of land, that has mineral rights. Can one of the family members force the

The other family members to sell the land? This land has been in our family for an extremely long time & some don’t want to sell.

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Mar 29, 2021

Yes - the family members who want to sell can file a partition action to accomplish that. A better option would be for the family members to agree to have the land appraised and the members who wish to keep the land can purchase the interests of the family members who wish to sell based on the... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: I have a quit claim deed from my grandmother drafted 40 years ago, the grantees where her 3 children,the deed has a ---

Designation which states "not in tenancy in common but in joint tenancy" what does this Designation mean? Let's see who is the smartest attorney out there?

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Mar 11, 2021

Joint tenancy is a form of shared property ownership where each owner has an undivided interest in the property. This type of ownership creates a right of survivorship, which means that when one owner dies, the other owners absorb the deceased owner’s interest. When creating a joint tenancy, we... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: When a family member passes, how can you be sure that the house goes to the intended beneficiary?

My father want to be sure that I maintain his home when he passes, but we're not sure how to accomplish this. We're in St. Clair County Illinois. When we called the county, we were told to reach out to a lawyer.

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Mar 8, 2021

There are a few options. First, your father can leave the home to you in his will. Second, your father could execute and record a Transfer on Death Instrument (TODI). This document should be immediately recorded in the County Recorder's Office and becomes effective upon your father's passing.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: When giving easement to property can you specify usage of easement?

Brother is wanting easement to get to his property. He farms it and has a goose pit. The problem is his let everyone goose hunt . They fly by the house down the road without permission or care about animals and people.

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Feb 11, 2021

Yes - you can define the specific use of the property subject to the easement. For instance, the easement can be for ingress and egress. The easement can be for the installation and maintenance of utilities such as electricity, gas or sanitary sewer.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: Can I trim branches of a neighbor's tree that are hanging over my property and fence? With or without notifying her.

She told the contractors I hired to do the work not to touch her tree. At no time were they on her property

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Dec 11, 2020

Yes - Technically your property extends from the ground up. That being said, many contractors are hesitant to cut portions of a neighbor's tree since they do not want to be caught up in a legal dispute. Also, I'm sure they would want to be darn sure where the property line is....

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Illinois on
Q: A sale was conducted, the deed was recorded, but

1) transfer taxes were not paid

2) transfer stamps not on the filed deed document

3) purchaser's signature not on the document.

Is the sale valid or is it void?

Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Nov 19, 2020

Generally the County Recorder will not record a deed without transfer taxes. However, there are a number of situations where a transaction may be exempt from having to pay transfer taxes. See 35 ILCS 200/31-45(a). Several municipalities also have transfer tax ordinances which require a tax to be... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Foreclosure, Probate and Small Claims for Illinois on
Q: How to get letter of administration?
Erik K Jacobs
Erik K Jacobs
answered on Nov 19, 2020

In order to receive Letters of Administration, you must first open a Probate Estate. I'm assuming that the decedent did not have a will, so you will be opening an intestate estate. You will need to provide an Affidavit of Heirship, an Oath and Bond, a Petition to Probate the Intestate Estate... View More

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