Real Estate Law

Country Club Estates Condominium Association v. Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Condominium Property Act
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (1st) 162459
Decision Date: 
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co., 2d Div.
Holding: 
Reversed and remanded.
Justice: 
MASON

in order to extinguish presale assessments under section 9(g)(3) of Condominium Property Act, a foreclosure buyer must make prompt payment of assessments after acquiring the property. Summary judgment for Defendant was improper because a material question of fact exists as to whether its tender, seven months after acquiring the unit, can be considered prompt. (HYMAN and PIERCE, concurring.) 

Madden v. Scott

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Easements
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (1st) 162149
Decision Date: 
Friday, August 11, 2017
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co., 6th Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
HOFFMAN

Court properly granted implied easement and easement by prescription over a portion of a condominium unit owned by them for purposes of ingress from, and adjoining condo unit. Evidence supports court’s finding that each element necessary for establishment of an implied easement over that portion of certain unit located within vestibule for purposes of ingress and egress to and from another unit was satisfied; and that Plaintiffs’ period of use itself satisfied the 20-year adverse, continuous and uninterrupted use requirements. Plaintiffs openly used vestibule for access to their unit for 20 years, some 5 years before use was interrupted when sliding glass door to vestibule was locked.  (ROCHFORD and DELORT, concurring.)

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Norris

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Mortgage Foreclosure
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (3d) 150764
Decision Date: 
Monday, July 3, 2017
District: 
3d Dist.
Division/County: 
Rock Island Co.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
CARTER

Bank filed foreclosure action, and court granted summary judgment for bank. Preperty was then sold at foreclosure sale which court confirmed.  The single refiling rule (Section 13-217 of Code of Civil Procedure) is not intended to permit multiple refilings of same cause of action, but to permit one refiling of a claim, even if applicable statute of limitations has not expired. The 2010 foreclosure case was not a refiling of the 2008 foreclosure case, as operative facts of 2 cases are substantially different.  The mortgage foreclosure complaint here (2012 case) is the first and only refiling of the 2008 case), and the single refiling rule was not violated.(McDADE and SCHMIDT, concurring.)

Wade v. Stewart Title Guaranty Co.

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Breach of Contract
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (1st) 161765
Decision Date: 
Friday, June 30, 2017
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
Gordon

Plaintiff filed suit against Defendant, Stewart Title Guaranty Company, alleging breach of contract. The parties contract required Defendant to remove encumbrances on Plaintiff’s title “in a reasonably diligent manner.” Plaintiff alleged, in part, that Defendant’s conduct amounted to a breach of the policy because Defendant pursued time intensive litigation designed to settle the liens for less money, rather than immediately tendering the full-face value of the lien. Following a bench trial, Court found in favor of Defendant. Court properly found in favor of Defendant. Defendant removed all liens within 18 months and the title insurance policy granted Defendant discretion in the manner in which claims are to be resolved.

Lake Point Tower Condominium Association v. Waller

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Condominium Property Act
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (1st) 162072
Decision Date: 
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co.
Holding: 
Reversed and remanded.
Justice: 
Lavin

Plaintiff, Lake Point Tower Association, filed a forcible entry and retainer action against Defendant to obtain possession of Defendant’s condominium. Defendant filed a motion to dismiss, alleging that Plaintiff lacked authority to initiate litigation because the Board failed to vote at an open meeting before doing so in violation of the Condominium Property Act and the appellate court's decision in Palm. Court erred by granting Defendant’s motion. Even assuming the motion raised a meritorious defense, Court abused its discretion by dismissing the complaint with prejudice and denying Plaintiff the opportunity to amend the complaint. The Board voted at an open meeting before Court dismissed the action, thus eliminating Defendant’s basis for asserting that it did not have authority to litigate.

In re Application of the County Treasurer

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Tax Deeds
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (4th) 160707
Decision Date: 
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
District: 
4th Dist.
Division/County: 
Jersey Co.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
HARRIS

Court properly dismissed petition for issuance of a tax deed, finding Petitioner was ineligible to obtain a tax deed due to interests it held in the property. Petitioner held a pretax sale interest in the property through a mortgage prior to tax sale through which the delinquent taxes were sold. Under principles of equity, a lienor may not obtain a tax deed and thereby cut off interest of other lienors or mortgagees.(STEIGMANN and KNECHT, concurring.)

House Bill 189

Topic: 
Omnibus condo legislation

(Thapedi, D-Chicago; Raoul, D-Chicago) makes numerous changes affecting community associations and condos. Among those changes is the requirement that associations and condos that have 100 or more units to use generally accepted accounting principles in fulfilling their accounting obligations. 

House Bill 189 also changes some parts of the statute governing the examination of a condo association’s records. It authorizes reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to a unit member who prevails in an enforcement action if seeking to examine or copy (1) all contracts to which the association is a party or under which it or the unit owners have obligations; and (2) the books and records for the association’s current fiscal year and the last 10 fiscal years. It also reduces the time in which an association must make these records available from 30 business days to 10 business days or it will be considered a denial of the request.

It also amends the right to examine and copy the ballot and proxy information and current listing of the names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and weighted vote of all voting members. A member must have a purpose that relates to the association to exercise this right, and the board may ask for the member to so certify. The member may not seek these records for a “commercial purpose” that is defined as use in any form for sale, resale, or solicitation or advertisement for sales or services. House Bill 189 makes it discretionary instead of mandatory on whether the association must charge for the retrieval or copying of these records.

Passed both chambers; effective January 1, 2018 if the Governor signs the bill. 

House Bill 302

Topic: 
Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits Act

(Martwick, D-Chicago; Collins, D-Chicago) expands last year's original Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefit Act that required insurance companies to perform a check of policies in force (not lapsed) as of January 1, 2017 against the Social Security Death Master File. Insurance companies must now check all policies that are currently in force or were in force as of January 1, 2000, unless the company shows proof that they did not keep electronic records, in which case they must check all current policies and all policies in effect as of January 1, 2012.

Passed both chambers; effective January 1, 2018 if the Governor signs it.

 

Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc. v. Rahman

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Foreclosure
Citation
Case Number: 
2017 IL App (1st) 161035
Decision Date: 
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co., 2d Div.
Holding: 
Reversed and remanded.
Justice: 
HYMAN

Plaintiff company tried to foreclose on property after homeowners died, but their daughter fought foreclosure. Quitclaim deed of husband, conveying property to his wife, contains a sufficient description of property to convey it. After wife died intestate, husband inherited some portion of property through wife's estate, which he was able to convey through mortgage. Plaintiff alleged sufficient facts and it is unknown how much husband inherited as probate estate was not opened immediately after wife's death. Section 2-619 dismissal was error; remanded for proceedings including discovery. (PIERCE and MASON, concurring.)