It is lawful for any person claiming title to any lands in such county at the time of the destruction of such records, and for all claiming under any such person, to file a petition in the circuit court in such county, praying for a judgment establishing and confirming his title.
     Any number of parcels of land may be included in one petition, or separate petitions may be filed, as the petitioner may elect.

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Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 765 ILCS 45/11

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

     The petition shall state clearly the description of the lands, the character and extent of the estate claimed by the petitioner, and from whom, and when, and by what mode he derived his title thereto. It shall give the names of all persons owning or claiming any estate in fee in the lands, or any part thereof, and also all persons who shall be in possession of the land, or any part thereof, and also all persons to whom any such lands shall have been conveyed, and the deed or deeds of such conveyance which have been recorded in the office of the recorder of such county, since the time of the destruction of such records as provided for in this Act, and prior to the time of the filing of the petition, and their residences, so far as the same are known to petitioner; and if no such persons are known to petitioner it shall be so stated in the petition.
     All persons so named in the petition shall be made defendants, and shall be notified of the action by summons, if residents of this State, in the same manner as is now or may hereafter be required in civil proceedings by the laws of this State; provided, that the notice specified in Section 12 of this Act is the only publication notice required, either in case of residents, non-residents or otherwise. All other persons shall be deemed and taken as defendants by the name or designation of “all whom it may concern”.
     The petition shall be verified by the affidavit of the petitioner, or by the agent of petitioner; and a party so swearing falsely is guilty of perjury and shall be punished accordingly, and is liable in damages to any person injured by such false statement, to be recovered in a civil action in the circuit court.