Public Act 0293 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2745 Enrolled LRB099 06857 AWJ 26935 b

Public Act 099-0293

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by changing Section 1-2.2-55 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/1-2.2-55)

Sec. 1-2.2-55. Judgment on findings, decision, and order.

(a) Any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, or part of any fine, other sanction, or costs imposed, remaining unpaid after the exhaustion of, or the failure to exhaust, judicial review procedures under the Administrative Review Law shall be a debt due and owing the municipality and, as such, may be collected in accordance with applicable law.

(b) After expiration of the period within which judicial review under the Administrative Review Law may be sought for a final determination of the code violation, the municipality may commence a proceeding in the circuit court of the county in which the municipality is located for purpose of obtaining a judgment on the findings, decision, and order. Nothing in this Section shall prevent a municipality from consolidating multiple findings, decisions, and orders against a person in such a proceeding. Upon commencement of the action, the municipality shall file a certified copy of the findings, decision, and order, which shall be accompanied by a certification that recites facts sufficient to show that the findings, decision, and order was issued in accordance with this Division and the applicable municipal ordinance. Service of the summons and a copy of the petition may be by any method provided for by Section 2-203 of the Code of Civil Procedure or by certified mail, return receipt requested, provided that the total amount of fines, other sanctions, and costs imposed by the findings, decision, and order does not exceed $2,500. If the court is satisfied that the findings, decision, and order was entered in accordance with the requirements of this Division and the applicable municipal ordinance and that the defendant had an opportunity for a hearing under this Division and for judicial review as provided in this Division:

(1) The court shall render judgment in favor of the municipality and against the defendant for the amount indicated in the findings, decision and order, plus costs. The judgment shall have the same effect and may be enforced in the same manner as other judgments for the recovery of money.

(2) The court may also issue any other orders and injunctions that are requested by the municipality to enforce the order of the hearing officer to correct a code violation.

(c) In place of a proceeding under subsection (b) of this Section, after expiration of the period in which judicial review under the Illinois Administrative Review Law may be sought for a final determination of a code violation, unless stayed by a court of competent jurisdiction, the findings, decision, and order of the hearing officer may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment entered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

In any case in which a defendant has failed to comply with a judgment ordering a defendant to correct a code violation or imposing any fine or other sanction as a result of a code violation, any expenses incurred by a municipality to enforce the judgment, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees, court costs, and costs related to property demolition or foreclosure, after they are fixed by a court of competent jurisdiction or a hearing officer, shall be a debt due and owing the municipality and may be collected in accordance with applicable law. Prior to any expenses being fixed by a hearing officer pursuant to this subsection (c), the municipality shall provide notice to the defendant that states that the defendant shall appear at a hearing before the administrative hearing officer to determine whether the defendant has failed to comply with the judgment. The notice shall set the date for such a hearing, which shall not be less than 7 days from the date that notice is served. If notice is served by mail, the 7-day period shall begin to run on the date that the notice was deposited in the mail.

Upon being recorded in the manner required by Article XII of the Code of Civil Procedure or by the Uniform Commercial Code, a lien shall be imposed on the real estate or personal estate, or both, of the defendant in the amount of any debt due and owing the municipality under this Section. The lien may be enforced in the same manner as a judgment lien pursuant to a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

A hearing officer may set aside any judgment entered by default and set a new hearing date, upon a petition filed within 21 days after the issuance of the order of default, if the hearing officer determines that the petitioner's failure to appear at the hearing was for good cause or at any time if the petitioner establishes that the municipality did not provide proper service of process. If any judgment is set aside pursuant to this subsection (c), the hearing officer shall have authority to enter an order extinguishing any lien which has been recorded for any debt due and owing the municipality as a result of the vacated default judgment.

(Source: P.A. 90-777, eff. 1-1-99.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.