Dan Churney News
New law would require landlords in Cook County, possibly elsewhere in IL, to give financial data to tax assessors
If a Democrat-sponsored bill passes in Springfield, owners of countless rental properties in Cook County and potentially elsewhere in Illinois will have to turn over the property's financial records every year to their county assessor's office for tax calculation.
Federal appeals court rules GE doesn't have to remove polluted soil where Morrison factory stood
A Chicago federal appellate panel has upheld a lower court ruling that said owners of land contaminated by chemicals from a General Electric plant in northwestern Illinois cannot force the company to remove the polluted soil, because the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is only calling for GE to contain the contamination.
Exelon, staffing companies accused of shorting specialized contractors OT pay
Specialists once employed by Exelon are suing the Chicago-headquartered power provider and three staffing companies in federal court, alleging defendants short-circuited labor law by withholding overtime pay.
Judge: Social media IDs too murky to let class action continue vs Groupon over Instagram photos
A Chicago federal judge has refused to grant class action status to a woman's lawsuit against Chicago-based Groupon, which alleged the e-commerce provider has wrongly used Instagram photos to promote its deals for restaurants and other businesses, saying there are too many individualized claims for a class action to be practical.
State alleges Chicago lawyer used false excuse of stomach cancer to stall cases
State regulators say there are enough grounds to consider action against the law license of a Chicago attorney who allegedly engaged in several acts of dishonesty, which allegedly included repeatedly delaying court proceedings with false claims that he was suffering from stomach cancer.
Appeals court: State can strip Glenview hospice's tax exempt status, because it does too little charity
An Illinois appeals panel has determined state tax officials were right to deny tax-exempt status to a suburban Chicago hospice center, because, even though it shares land with a sister palliative facility that is exempt, less than one percent of the hospice's $30 million annual revenue went to charity.
Split IL Sup. Ct.: No quick escape for man facing 'unprecedented' criminal charges for violating licensing regs
A split Illinois Supreme Court has given the green light to downstate prosecutors to proceed with pressing a criminal case against a man charged with violating a state licensing law governing the business of timber buying, even though the court's dissenting members noted the supposed criminal charges may not exist in the state law cited by prosecutors.
Judge says ex-Broadview mayor can't be sued for allegedly bad mouthing planned strip club while in office
A Chicago federal judge has stripped a former Broadview mayor from a suit by a group, which wants to open an adults-only club in the west suburban village, saying the group failed to prove the then-mayor did not enjoy the immunity of a public official in denouncing the proposed establishment.
Man sent to 'debtors' prison' for not paying wife's legal bills in divorce case asks appeals court to step in
A Chicago real estate developer has asked a state appeals court to step in after a Cook County judge sent him to veritable debtors’ prison for not establishing a fund to pay legal fees for him and his wife in their divorce case.
Calif. federal judge OKs Cook County request to return suit vs Facebook over Trump election to Cook courts
A California federal judge has ruled a lawsuit by Cook County against Facebook, which alleges the social media giant let user data be mined to aid President Donald Trump’s election campaign, should be returned from federal jurisdiction to Cook County Circuit Court, saying the suit was filed on behalf of Illinois and belongs in state court.
Contentious Del Galdo divorce case leads to court fight over Cicero town attorney's funding, political ties
A contentious divorce case involving a lawyer who represents the town of Cicero and a host of other local governments in Chicago’s suburbs has produced a pitched courtroom battle over his estranged wife’s efforts to reveal who pays him, how much he earns and the depth of his purported links to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and other prominent Democratic lawmakers, and other influential figures in Illinois government.
Class action vs Allstate over rates can continue; Company, not state, set rates, appeals court says
In a split decision, an Illinois appeals panel has stripped Allstate Insurance of its defenses against a class action, which alleged the company unfairly billed long-term auto policyholders more than it charged new ones, saying Illinois insurers can’t protect their rates from lawsuits, because their rates are not controlled by the Illinois Department of Insurance.
Medical transportation company not liable for murder of patient by one of its drivers outside work hours
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought against a hospital transport service by the family of a Berwyn woman who was allegedly murdered by one of its drivers, with the judge finding the driver was not on the job at the time of the killing.
Bed Bath & Beyond asst managers to get $1,750 each in $8.5M OT pay class action deal; attorneys ask $2.3M
Lawyers are ready to put to sleep a class action suit by assistant managers at Bed Bath & Beyond stores against the national retail chain, which gives $2.3 million to plaintiffs’ counsel and about $1,750 to each class member, in a suit that alleged the company shorted the managers out of overtime pay.
Class action: Chicago’s pot ordinance fines too high, out of joint with state marijuana law
A woman has lodged a lawsuit saying Chicago’s marijuana ordinance should go up in smoke, because it allegedly violates the Illinois constitution by coming down too hard on those who take a toke, in comparison to what the state imposes.
Class action alleges Vallas campaign sent thousands of unsolicited texts
A class action lawsuit has been lodged against Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, alleging Vallas’ campaign committee violated consumer protection law by sending automated text messages, which urged recipients to cast votes for Vallas.
Judge: Mondelez can't force workers to take a day off each week to reduce OT pay
A Chicago federal judge has burnt a suit by snacks maker Mondelez, which wanted employees to take 24 hours off every seven days to avoid overtime, finding labor law requires bosses let employees rest every seventh day, but also must give them the option of working.
Suit vs Chicago over O’Hare noise nosedives, judge says plaintiffs stalled too long before suing
A Cook County judge has put in the hangar a lawsuit by Bensenville homeowners against the city of Chicago, which alleged homeowner property rights were violated by air traffic noise from nearby O’Hare International Airport, saying they waited too long to sue.
Subcontactors can't be sued directly by homeowners for building defects: IL Supreme Court
The Illinois Supreme Court has reversed Cook County and appellate court rulings in a lawsuit over allegedly defective condominium buildings in Evanston, saying condo unit owners cannot sue subcontractors who built the condos, because there were no contracts between the two groups.
Judge: Feds wrong to abruptly cut off funds for Chicago children's psychiatric hospital accused of abuse
A federal judge has ordered a children's psychiatric hospital in Chicago, where patients have allegedly been exposed to “rampant” abuse, should continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds while the facility gets the chance to argue the federal government did not give the hospital time to correct problems.