Homeowners who find illegal restrictive covenants on their property documents can easily have them removed under a new Illinois law, McHenry County Clerk and Recorder Joe Tirio said in a news release.
The new law creates a procedure by which homeowners or housing and condominium boards can remove unlawful language prohibiting the sale or lease of their property based on race, religion, national origin or other discriminatory restrictions that violate the Illinois Human Rights Act.
The law was the work of Crystal Lake native Nicole Sullivan, who discovered about eight years ago that the subdivision she lived in near Mundelein had such language in its covenants. She ultimately reached out to state Rep. Daniel Didech, who teamed up with state Sen. Adriane Johnson, a fellow Buffalo Grove Democrat, to push for the law’s successful passage.
A checklist that takes homeowners and association boards through the steps needed to remove unlawful covenants can be found at www.mchenryrecorder.org.
The Clerk and Recorder’s Office is partnering with the Heartland Realtor Organization and the McHenry County Bar Association to host a free presentation to provide property owners with the information needed to update their deeds and remove restricted covenants.
The presentation will take place 6 to 8 p.m. May 18 in the Building B conference room of McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
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