How the eviction process works in cook county, Illinois for landlords

I wanted to compile a comprehensive list of all the steps involved in the eviction process based on my personal experience. My aim is to help others who are going through their first eviction and might be feeling as confused and anxious as I was. At the time, this was my first eviction, and I had very limited knowledge about how the process works, especially since it took place in Illinois, Cook County, which might have different procedures from other counties or states.

Step 1

30 days notice:

Notice was prepared by the attorney and physically served

Since they were on a month-to-month lease, we served the 30 days notice to vacate the property during the last week of October 2022, requesting them to leave by December 1st, 2022.

I personally hand-delivered the notice.

Step 2

Upon the tenant’s failure to vacate the property, we proceeded to file the eviction case with the court during the first week of December 2022. A court date was scheduled for the middle of January 2023, and the summon was to be served by the sheriff.

Regrettably, our attempts to serve the summon through the sheriff were unsuccessful, causing us to miss the court date window in January 2023.

Step 3

Subsequently, my legal representative had to engage a process server, resulting in the scheduling of a new court session for the last week of March 2023. The tenant was formally served by the process server at the conclusion of January 2023.

Step 4

On the initial court hearing scheduled for March 19th, we attended a Zoom session where the judge provided an overview of the ERP process to all the tenants. For additional information, you can visit the Cook County website using the following link: “https://www.cookcountycourt.org/Portals/0/Chief%20Judge/General%20Administrative%20Orders/12.14.2020%20GAO%202020-09%20with%20attachments.pdf“.

The tenant was provided with the ERP program, and the subsequent date was scheduled for the third week of April 2023. A representative from ERP was present and requested the tenant’s email or phone number to facilitate communication for explaining the functioning of the ERP.

Step 5

The subsequent court hearing was again arranged through a Zoom call. During this hearing, the tenant was queried about their interaction with the ERP. According to an ERP representative, the tenant had engaged with the ERP program, yet a resolution had not been reached at that juncture. Subsequently, the case proceeded to trial, with the subsequent court date scheduled for mid-May 2023. Notably, this hearing was conducted in person rather than via a Zoom call.

Step 6

In May, we attended the trial in court, but the situation was quite straightforward. The tenant had accumulated over 8 months of overdue rent, and the lease agreement was on a month-to-month basis. After the judge conducted some necessary assessments, a verdict was reached against the tenant. This decision encompassed the overdue rent and court expenses, and a two-week timeframe was granted for the tenant to vacate the premises.

Step 7

The tenant remains in the property, requiring you to initiate the process with the Sheriff’s office. By this time, we’ve entered June. The writ has been submitted to the Sheriff, and you’ve been provided with a designated Sheriff’s reference number. An automated email containing comprehensive information will be sent to you. Simultaneously, the tenant will also receive an email informing them about the eviction order. Once the eviction order is officially lodged with the Sheriff’s office, it’s my understanding that they have a three-month window to execute the necessary actions.

There is a list that comes out a few days on the cook county website and does list all the evictions with Sheriff # for the next few days, where you can track how soon you may be getting a call for the eviction since numbers go up  in order, there is also a phone # on the email you received where you can call and get the status.

https://www.cookcountysheriff.org/eviction-schedule/

This can take up to three months depending on who is living in the place, for example if they are senior or have minor kids, the process for eviction will be longer.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.