Illinois Statutes Chapter 735. Civil Procedure § 5/8-1211. State land sales

§ 8-1211. State land sales. Copies of the books and entries of the sale of all lands or lots heretofore or that hereafter may be sold by this State or any of the officers thereof under any law of this State, certified to be true and correct copies of such books and entries by the proper person or officer in whose custody said books and entries may properly be, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated in such books and entries. The certificate of such officer of the purchase of or issuing of a patent for any tract of land sold by this State or any agent of the same, shall be deemed as evidence of title in the party certified to have made such purchase or obtained such patent, his or her legatees, heirs or assigns, unless a better and paramount title is exhibited for the same. The patent for land shall be deemed a better and paramount title in the patentee, his or her legatees, heirs and assigns, than such certificate, and when any swamp and overflowed lands and lots heretofore have been or hereafter may be sold under any law of this State by any proper person or officer of the county in which such lands are located, copies of the books and entries of the sales of such swamp and overflowed lands and lots certified to be true and correct copies of such books and entries by the proper person or officer in whose custody such books and entries may properly be, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated in such books and entries. The certificate of such officer of the sale or entry of any tract or tracts of such swamp and overflowed land or lots and of the execution of a deed for the same, giving the date of such sale or entry, the date of the execution of the deed, the name of the purchaser and description of the land, under the seal of his or her office, may, if the original deed is lost, or it is out of the power of the party wishing to use the same to produce it in evidence, and the original deed has never been recorded, be read in evidence in place of said original deed, and shall be prima facie evidence of the execution and delivery of a proper deed for such land and shall be deemed as evidence of title in the person certified to have made such entry or purchase, his or her legatees, heirs and assigns, until a better and paramount title is exhibited for the same. Whenever it appears that the original deed made upon any entry or sale of such swamp and overflowed lands is lost, or not in the power of the party wishing to use the same to produce in evidence, and the same has never been recorded as above stated and that the books and original entries of sale of such swamp and overflowed lands or lots have also been lost or destroyed, and the clerk of the circuit court or other proper officer has made return of such sales and entries to the State Comptroller according to law, a certified copy of such return by the Comptroller, under his or her seal of office, may be used in evidence with the like force and effect as hereinbefore provided.