Marcia and Carlon Lee finally got their South Side house back after a monthslong fight against a woman prosecutors say occupied the property, produced fraudulent paperwork, and refused to leave. Now the couple is staring down foreclosure, after the ordeal left them so far behind on mortgage payments that Marcia Lee says bankruptcy may be her only way to save the home.
A Reclaimed House, A New Threat
The Lees fought to reclaim a house allegedly occupied by Shermaine Powell-Gillard and her boyfriend, according to ABC7 Chicago. Powell-Gillard was arrested after the station’s I-Team investigation aired and was charged in the case, the outlet reported. Marcia and Carlon Lee eventually regained possession of the property, but the station notes the victory came at a steep cost: they fell behind on their mortgage while dealing with the occupied property and paying for repairs.
Marcia Lee says the alleged squatter destroyed the home, according to the same report. While repairs were underway, she says she contacted a lender representative every week and told the lender they would be late on mortgage payments because the property was damaged. A lender representative reportedly told her the lender would do its best to help — but the station’s account indicates the foreclosure process is continuing despite Marcia Lee’s belief that the lender would work with the couple.
Squatter Pleaded Guilty, Faces Probation
Powell-Gillard pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to 24 months of probation and 50 hours of community service, per the outlet’s reporting. The case echoes an earlier incident reported by Pacific Legal Foundation: in May 2025, another South Side homeowner, Marco Velazquez, said Powell-Gillard and her boyfriend occupied his family home that was on the market and produced fraudulent mortgage documents, prompting him to briefly move in with them before paying a $4,300 cash-for-keys settlement to get them out.
Chicago police arrested Powell-Gillard after the initial I-Team report, according to footage from the investigation. She had already pleaded guilty to theft by the time the foreclosure story emerged.
A New State Law Born From This Fight
Marcia Lee’s family’s experience helped build support for new Illinois legislation, the reporting notes, and the state has since changed its law governing removal of people illegally staying in homes. Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1563, also known as Public Act 104-0029, into law on July 21, 2025, according to Capitol News Illinois. The Lees’ ordeal served as a high-profile catalyst for the bill, which aimed to close the gap between civil eviction procedures and criminal trespass law by giving police clear authority to remove unauthorized occupants who present fake documents, the outlet reported…