SB1975 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 07269 AJO 47378 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1975

Introduced 2/10/2011, by Sen. Kirk W. Dillard

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

735 ILCS 5/2-101	from Ch. 110, par. 2-101
735 ILCS 5/2-102	from Ch. 110, par. 2-102
735 ILCS 5/2-103	from Ch. 110, par. 2-103
735 ILCS 5/2-104	from Ch. 110, par. 2-104

Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that, if none of the parties joined in good faith as defendants in a civil case are residents of this State, an action against those defendants may be commenced in the State only in the county in which the transaction out of which the cause of action arose, or some part of that transaction, occurred. Provides that a corporation organized under the laws of or authorized to do business in this State is a resident only of any county in which it has its registered office or other office (rather than being a resident of any county in which it does business). Makes similar changes regarding partnerships and voluntary unincorporated associations. Deletes language providing that an insurance company incorporated under the laws of, or doing business in this State may be sued in any county in which the plaintiff or one of the plaintiffs reside. Provides that, if none of the defendants in a civil action are residents of this State, and no part of the transaction out of which the action arose occurred in this State, the action must be dismissed for lack of proper venue. Makes other changes. Provides that the changes apply to causes of action filed on or after the effective date of the Act.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning civil law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by changing Sections 2-101, 2-102, 2-103, and 2-104 as follows:

(735 ILCS 5/2-101) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-101)

Sec. 2-101. Generally. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, every action must be commenced (1) in the county of residence of any defendant who is joined in good faith and with probable cause for the purpose of obtaining a judgment against him or her and not solely for the purpose of fixing venue in that county, or (2) in the county in which the transaction or some part thereof occurred out of which the cause of action arose.

If a check, draft, money order, or other instrument for the payment of child support payable to or delivered to the State Disbursement Unit established under Section 10-26 of the Illinois Public Aid Code is returned by the bank or depository for any reason, venue for the enforcement of any criminal proceedings or civil cause of action for recovery and attorney fees shall be in the county where the principal office of the State Disbursement Unit is located.

If no all defendants that are joined in good faith and with probable cause for the purpose of obtaining a judgment against them are residents nonresidents of the State, an action may be commenced in this State only in the county in which the transaction out of which the cause of action arose, or some part of that transaction, occurred any county.

If the corporate limits of a city, village or town extend into more than one county, then the venue of an action or proceeding instituted by that municipality to enforce any fine, imprisonment, penalty or forfeiture for violation of any ordinance of that municipality, regardless of the county in which the violation was committed or occurred, may be in the appropriate court (i) in the county wherein the office of the clerk of the municipality is located or (ii) in any county in which at least 35% of the territory within the municipality's corporate limits is located.

The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly apply to causes of action filed on or after its effective date.

(Source: P.A. 91-212, eff. 7-20-99.)

(735 ILCS 5/2-102) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-102)

Sec. 2-102. Residence of corporations, voluntary unincorporated associations and partnerships defined. For purposes of venue, the following definitions apply:

(a) Any private corporation or railroad or bridge company, organized under the laws of this State, and any foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this State is a resident of any county in which it has its registered office or other office or is doing business. A foreign corporation not authorized to transact business in this State is a nonresident of this State.

(b) A partnership sued in its firm name is a resident of any county in which any partner resides or in which the partnership has an office or is doing business. A partnership sued in its firm name, of which all partners are nonresidents of this State and which does not have an office or do business in this State, is a nonresident of this State.

(c) A voluntary unincorporated association sued in its own name is a resident of any county in which the association has an office or, if on due inquiry no office can be found, in which any officer of the association resides. A voluntary unincorporated association sued in its own name, of which all its members are nonresidents of this State and which does not have an office or do business in this State, is a nonresident of this State.

(d) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly apply to causes of action filed on or after its effective date.

(Source: P.A. 83-901.)

(735 ILCS 5/2-103) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-103)

Sec. 2-103. Public corporations - Local actions - Libel - Insurance companies.

(a) Actions must be brought against a public, municipal, governmental or quasi-municipal corporation in the county in which its principal office is located or in the county in which the transaction or some part thereof occurred out of which the cause of action arose. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7-102 of this Code, if the cause of action is related to an airport owned by a unit of local government or the property or aircraft operations thereof, however, including an action challenging the constitutionality of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, the action must be brought in the county in which the unit of local government's principal office is located. Actions to recover damage to real estate which may be overflowed or otherwise damaged by reason of any act of the corporation may be brought in the county where the real estate or some part of it is situated, or in the county where the corporation is located, at the option of the party claiming to be injured. Except as otherwise provided in Section 7-102 of this Code, any cause of action that is related to an airport owned by a unit of local government, and that is pending on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly in a county other than the county in which the unit of local government's principal office is located, shall be transferred, upon motion of any party under Section 2-106 of this Code, to the county in which the unit of local government's principal office is located.

(b) Any action to quiet title to real estate, or to partition or recover possession thereof or to foreclose a mortgage or other lien thereon, must be brought in the county in which the real estate or some part of it is situated.

(c) Any action which is made local by any statute must be brought in the county designated in the statute.

(d) Every action against any owner, publisher, editor, author or printer of a newspaper or magazine of general circulation for libel contained in that newspaper or magazine may be commenced only in the county in which the defendant resides or has his, her or its principal office or in which the article was composed or printed, except when the defendant resides or the article was printed without this State, in either of which cases the action may be commenced in any county in which the libel was circulated or published.

(e) (Blank). Actions against any insurance company incorporated under the law of this State or doing business in this State may also be brought in any county in which the plaintiff or one of the plaintiffs may reside.

(f) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly apply to causes of action filed on or after its effective date.

(Source: P.A. 93-450, eff. 8-6-03.)

(735 ILCS 5/2-104) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-104)

Sec. 2-104. Wrong venue - Waiver - Motion to transfer. (a) No order or judgment is void because rendered in the wrong venue, except in case of judgment by confession as provided in subsection (c) of Section 2-1301 of this Act. No action shall abate or be dismissed because commenced in the wrong venue if there is a proper venue to which the cause may be transferred. If no defendants are residents of this State, and the transaction out of which the cause of action arose, or some part of that transaction, did not occur in this State, the cause of action must be dismissed for lack of proper venue.

(b) All objections of improper venue are waived by a defendant unless a motion to transfer to a proper venue or a motion to dismiss for lack of proper venue is made by the defendant on or before the date upon which he or she is required to appear or within any further time that may be granted him or her to answer or move with respect to the complaint, except that if a defendant upon whose residence venue depends is dismissed upon motion of plaintiff, a remaining defendant may promptly move for transfer as though the dismissed defendant had not been a party.

(c) Motions to dismiss or for transfer to a proper venue may be supported and opposed by affidavit. In determining issues of fact raised by affidavits, any competent evidence adduced by the parties shall also be considered. The determination of any issue of fact in connection with a motion to transfer does not constitute a determination of the merits of the case or any aspect thereof.

(d) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly apply to causes of action filed on or after its effective date.

(Source: P.A. 83-707.)