Amends the Mortgage Foreclosure Article of the Code of Civil Procedure. Requires a court file to be sealed upon the commencement of any foreclosure action during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period. Provides that if a residential eviction action filed during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period is pending on the effective date of the amendatory Act and is not sealed, the court shall order the sealing of the court file. Provides that the amendatory Act applies to any action to foreclose a mortgage relating to (i) residential real estate, and (ii) real estate improved with a dwelling structure containing dwelling units for 6 or fewer families living independently of each other in which the mortgagor is a natural person landlord renting the dwelling units, even if the mortgagor does not occupy any of the dwelling units as the mortgagor's personal residence. Effective immediately.
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1: Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill, and makes the following changes: In a provision regarding notice of foreclosure, removes language providing that, with respect to residential real estate, a copy of the notice of foreclosure shall be sent by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the municipality within the boundary of which the mortgaged real estate is located, or to the county within the boundary of which the mortgaged real estate is located if the mortgaged real estate is located in an unincorporated territory. Changes the definition of "COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period" to mean the period beginning on March 9, 2020, when the Governor issued the first disaster proclamation for the State to address the circumstances related to COVID-19 and ending on December 31, 2021 (rather than March 31, 2023). Removes language providing that the court file shall be sealed upon the commencement of any foreclosure action during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period. Provides instead that the court may seal the file, upon motion of a mortgagor, of any foreclosure action filed during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period if the action is not subject to the moratoria enacted by the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal Housing Administration, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Provides that if an action was filed during the COVID-19 emergency and economic recovery period because it qualified under an exception to a moratorium, the action is not subject to being sealed. Effective immediately.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 735 ILCS 5/15
Engrossed: 735 ILCS 5/15
Enrolled: 735 ILCS 5/15
Public Act: 735 ILCS 5/15