If such right or title first accrued to an ancestor or predecessor of the person who brings the action or makes the entry, or to any person from, by, or under whom he or she claims, the 20 years shall be computed from the time when the right or title so first accrued.
13-105.Twenty years - Computation.
Article XIII. Limitations · Part 1. Real Actions · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceExplains how to compute the 20-year period in Section 13-101 when the right or title first belonged to an ancestor or predecessor rather than to the current claimant.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/13-105
Plain-English Summary
Section 13-101's 20-year clock doesn't wait for the current claimant to personally acquire rights. If the right or title first accrued to an earlier ancestor or predecessor, Section 13-105 measures the 20 years from that earlier accrual, not from whenever it later passed to an heir or successor.
This works with Section 13-101's chain-of-title language to prevent claimants from reviving stale claims just by inheriting or purchasing an interest. Whoever holds the claim today inherits the clock that has already been running against their predecessors.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I inherit a claim to land, does the 20-year period restart for me?
No. Section 13-105 computes the 20 years from when the right or title first accrued to the ancestor or predecessor, not from the date of inheritance.
Does this section apply only to inheritance?
No. It reaches anyone claiming "from, by, or under" a predecessor who first held the right or title, which includes purchasers and other successors, not only heirs.
What section sets the underlying 20-year period this section is used to compute?
Section 13-101.
Can a series of transfers extend the limitations period beyond 20 years?
No. The clock is fixed at the first accrual regardless of how many later transfers occur.
Why does Illinois compute the period this way?
To keep the limitations period predictable and stop successive owners from resetting the clock every time the land changes hands.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: illinois computation of 20 year limitations periodstatute of limitations inherited land claim illinoisancestor predecessor title accrual illinois