The defendant may file any appropriate motion as in ordinary civil cases, and may answer as hereinafter provided by way of general denial, or specific denial or affirmative defense, and such motion or answer shall constitute an appearance in the case.
6-116.Pleading by defendant.
Article VI. Ejectment · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceLets a defendant in ejectment file any appropriate motion as in ordinary civil cases, and answer by general denial, specific denial, or affirmative defense, with either a motion or an answer counting as an appearance in the case.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/6-116
Plain-English Summary
This section sets the framework for how a defendant responds to an ejectment complaint. It starts by folding ejectment into ordinary civil motion practice: the defendant may file any appropriate motion, the same as in other civil cases, rather than following a specialized ejectment procedure.
Where the defendant instead answers, the section lists three available forms: a general denial, a specific denial, or an affirmative defense. 6-117 fills in what a general denial covers and what it does not reach, so this section supplies the menu of response types while a later section defines the scope of the first item on that menu.
The section closes with a procedural consequence: filing either a motion or an answer under this section constitutes an appearance in the case. A defendant who responds in either of these ways is treated as having appeared, with whatever obligations and rights an appearance carries in the litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of motions may a defendant file in an ejectment case?
Any appropriate motion, the same as in ordinary civil cases.
What forms of answer are available to an ejectment defendant?
A general denial, a specific denial, or an affirmative defense.
Does filing an answer count as appearing in the case?
Yes. The section states that such motion or answer constitutes an appearance in the case.
What exactly does a general denial let the defendant contest?
This section names general denial as an option; 6-117 defines its scope and its specific limits.
Does a motion alone count as an appearance, even without an answer?
Yes. The section treats either a motion or an answer as constituting an appearance.
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
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