Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Illinois

No. You give no facts to support any such "claim". Under Illinois to claim an interest in property that you have no documentation showing a current legal interest, you normally have to show payment of taxes for at least 7 years running and some "root" title - meaning some documentation showing that at some point you should have had a legal interest. So you've given no information that would help. I suggest you sit down with an attorney together with whatever documentation (deeds, wills, trust agreements, mortgages in which you are the mortgagor, or one of your ancestors was a party, whatever) and other information (tax bill receipts, other, etc.) that might justify any "equitable" interests. As an aside, even if you just occupied the 8 acres and paid taxes on them straight is not generally enough; that could equally be evidence only of a leasehold interest, which could easily be terminable.