Midwest Commercial Funding, LLC v. Kelly

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Service
Citation
Case Number: 
2022 IL App (1st) 210644
Decision Date: 
Thursday, February 17, 2022
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
4th Div./Cook Co.
Holding: 
Reversed.
Justice: 
MARTIN

Action arising from attempts to collect judgments entered in two separate civil court actions against the recording artist known as R. Kelly. The question before the appellate court was whether a judgment creditor may perfect service of a citation to discover assets by electronic mail on a third party prior to that third party’s appearance in the matter in order to secure a superior lien over another judgment creditor who later perfected service on the same third-party by U.S. mail. The appellate court found that Illinois law does not provide for service by electronic mail in this circumstance and, as a result, a judgment creditor does not perfect their lien by sending a citation to discover assets by email. Appellate court reversed and vacated order entered by the trial court granting priority to a judgment creditor who claimed service by e-mail and remanded with directions. (LAMPKIN and ROCHFORD, concurring)