Commercial Banking, Collections, and Bankruptcy

House Bill 29

Topic: 
Condos and common-interest community associations

(Thapedi, D-Chicago) amends the Common Interest Community Association Act to limit the concurrent exercise by units of local government of powers and functions exercised by the State affecting community instruments and accounting practices.

It also amends the Condominium Property Act to limit the concurrent exercise by units of local government of powers and functions exercised by the State affecting an association’s: budgeting practices; sale of property; notice requirements; contracts with board members; voting procedures; property improvement procedures; accounting practices; collection and sharing of records; amendment to the condominium instruments; and subdivision or combination of units. It has been sent to the House floor by the House Judiciary Committee.

Senate Bill 77

Topic: 
Evictions

(Van Pelt, D-Chicago) seals eviction proceedings and remain so unless a final order of eviction in favor of the plaintiff is entered. The unsealed records must remain unsealed for a period of seven years. After seven years, access to the court records may be obtained only by specified parties. If a case is filed by a board of managers of a condominium association and names or joins a tenant of a condominium unit to the proceedings, the tenant’s name must be permanently suppressed by order of the court. It has been assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 2599

Topic: 
Appearances by corporate officers

(Mazzochi, R-Westmont) amends the Counties Code to authorize a corporation or limited liability company to appear at an administrative hearing proceeding through an officer, a board member, a shareholder with a controlling interest in the corporation, a shareholder of an S Corporation, a member of an limited liability company, or a person with a Master of Laws degree. Applies to counties with more than three million residents. It has been assigned to House Rules Committee

Senate Bill 1428

Topic: 
Cook County associate judges

(Jones, D-Chicago) provides that the Cook County associate judgeships existing on the effective date are converted into resident judgeships. Requires that the Supreme Court allot the resident judgeships for election from the 15 subcircuits. Referred to the Committee on Assignments. 

ARC Welding Supply Co, Inc. v. American Welding & Gas, Inc.

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Contracts
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 18-1546
Decision Date: 
February 14, 2019
Federal District: 
S.D. Ind., Evansville Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed

Dist. Ct. did not err in entering $33,765.52 judgment in favor of defendant on its counterclaim, alleging that plaintiff breached contract calling for defendant’s purchase of 6,500 cylinders from plaintiff, where plaintiff could only tender 4,663 cylinders to defendant. Contract called for $150,000 in withheld purchase finds for possibility that plaintiff could not produce 6,500 cylinders, and Dist. Ct. could properly find that plaintiff was not entitled to any of withheld funds, since: (1) actual audit indicated that plaintiff possessed only 4,663 cylinders; and (2) record showed that plaintiff would not be entitled to any of withheld funds if less than 5,300 cylinders were delivered to defendant. Moreover, defendant was entitled to all of $150,000 in withheld funds, as well as additional $33,765.52, which represented amount of cylinders that fell short of 5,300 threshold. Ct. rejected plaintiff’s contention that: (1) it was entitled to entire $150,000 in withheld funds because audit took longer to complete than deadline set forth in contract; and (2) defendant was required to conduct physical audit of all cylinders.

Rhone v. Medical Business Bureau, LLC

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 17-3408
Decision Date: 
February 7, 2019
Federal District: 
N.D. Ill., E. Div.
Holding: 
Reversed

Dist. Ct. erred in finding that defendant had violated section 1692e(2)(A) of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) when defendant misrepresented “character” of plaintiff’s debt by reporting to credit bureau that plaintiff had nine unpaid bills of $60 each to same creditor, rather than single unpaid bill of $540. There was no violation, where: (1) “character” of debt refers only to kind of obligation; and (2) number of transactions between debtor and single merchant does not affect genesis, nature or priority of said debt. Moreover, debt collector accurately informed credit bureau that debtor incurred her debt over nine transactions, and, if plaintiff’s argument was correct, report of single $540 debt to credit bureau, as advocated by plaintiff, would be misleading and also violate FDCPA, since plaintiff did not owe $540 for any transaction.

Senate Bill 181

Topic: 
Post-judgment changes

(Mulroe, D-Chicago) makes the following changes to post-judgment proceedings. (1) Provides that a judgment creditor is entitled to prosecute citations to discover assets (instead of supplementary proceedings) for the purposes of examining the judgment debtor or any other person to discover assets or income of the debtor not exempt from the enforcement of the judgment, a deduction order or garnishment, and of compelling the application of non-exempt assets or income discovered toward the payment of the amount due under the judgment. (2) Deletes language providing that it is not a prerequisite to the commencement of a supplementary proceeding that a certified copy of the judgment has been returned wholly or partly unsatisfied. (3) Provides that summons shall be returnable not less than 21 nor more than 40 days (rather than 30 days) after the date of issuance. (4) Provides that summons shall be served with one copy (rather than four copies) of the interrogatories and that a summons shall be served in the same manner as provided by the Illinois Supreme Court Rule for additional relief upon a party in default. It has been referred to the Committee on  Assignments to be referred to a substantive committee.

Senate Bill 169

Topic: 
Foreclosure

(Mulroe, D-Chicago) amends the Code of Civil Procedure to provide that the failure to send a copy of the notice of foreclosure to the alderman or to file an affidavit as required results in a fine of $500 payable to the ward in which the property is located. Under current law, it results in the dismissal without prejudice of the complaint or counterclaim on a motion of a party or the court. It also deletes language regarding the requirements a party must comply with if the party refiles the complaint or counterclaim. Senate Bill 169 has been referred to the Committee on Assignments before being assigned to a substantive committee. 
 

Senate Bill 220

Topic: 
Condominium Property Act

(Murphy, D-Des Plaines) must first provide the unit owner a minimum of 20 days' written notice and an opportunity to be heard before the board may levy a fine. It also requires that the written notice must be made in compliance with the Act. The notice and opportunity to be heard requirements apply only to the ability to levy fines, and nothing contained in the new provisions limits or restricts the ability of the board to pursue or enforce the rights of the association. Provides that the association has no authority to report adverse information to a credit reporting agency or initiate collection proceedings against a unit owner for unpaid fines unless the board of managers has first complied with the notice and hearing requirements. Senate Bill 220 has been referred to the Committee on Assignments before being sent to a substantive Senate committee.