Chicago Man Moves In With Squatters After They Take Over His Home

When Chicago homeowner Marco Velazquez found squatters living in his South Side property, he didn’t back down — he moved in with them.

“It felt like a nightmare,” Velazquez told ABC 7, after discovering the unauthorized occupants.

The couple, Shermaine Powell-Gillard and her partner, claimed ownership and presented a fake mortgage. Despite Velazquez holding the deed, police couldn’t help — Illinois law required a civil court order.

Determined not to lose his property, Velazquez and friends camped out in the living room while the squatters stayed in a bedroom.

“We stayed overnight, watching the door,” he recalled.

The next day, the squatters demanded $8,000 to leave. Velazquez negotiated them down to $4,300 in a cash-for-keys deal to reclaim his home quickly.

Later, Powell-Gillard was arrested in another squatting case involving similar allegations.

This incident highlights a serious legal gap. In Illinois, squatters gain possession rights that limit police action without court intervention. But change may be coming — Senate Bill 1563 aims to allow law enforcement to remove squatters without lengthy eviction proceedings.