Alleged squatters wouldn't leave man's home, so he moved in with them
- Marco Velazquez, owner of a South Side Chicago property listed for sale, discovered alleged squatters inside and moved in with them in early 2025.
- Velazquez found the squatters, Shermaine Powell-Gillard and Codarro, claimed to own the property with a mortgage not found in Cook County records.
- Police told Velazquez under Illinois law they could not forcibly remove the occupants, so he stayed overnight with friends and negotiated a cash-for-keys agreement.
- Velazquez paid the duo $4,300 to leave by March 5, 2025, and Powell-Gillard was later arrested on charges including burglary and forgery related to another squatting case.
- The case highlights Illinois' legal challenges for property owners against squatters, prompting lawmakers to consider bills like Senate Bill 1563 to ease removal procedures.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Man visits his vacant home and discovers squatters, so he moves in with them
Picture it: you buy a new home knowing it's a bit of a fixer upper, but it's yours. You're expecting to move in slowly while you work on the house, but when you make your way to your new-to-you home, someone is already living there. Or maybe you're selling a home that's been sitting vacant and when the realtor gets there to show the property, someone has moved in. What do you do? The logical answer would be to call the police because, clearly, t…
When You Think You're Having A Bad Day, Remind Yourself It Could Always Be Worse. You Could Be This Poor Chicago Resident Who Had Squatters Move Into His House, Refuse To Leave And The City Won't Remove, So They Are Now Forced To Live With Them
ABC 7 Chicago - A Chicago man says he did the unthinkable when he discovered alleged squatters in his property: He decided to move in with them.Marco Velazquez is the owner of a South Side property, w...


Chicago homeowner moves in with alleged squatters who refused to leave property
Chicago homeowner Marco Velazquez alleged squatter Shermaine C. Powell and her boyfriend, Codarro T. Dorsey moved into his South Side home without permission and refused to leave unless he paid them $8,000.
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