Empire Home Services, Inc. v. Carpet America, Inc.

653 N.E.2d 852, 210 Ill. Dec. 657, 274 Ill. App. 3d 666
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 13, 1995
Docket1-93-4562
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 653 N.E.2d 852 (Empire Home Services, Inc. v. Carpet America, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Empire Home Services, Inc. v. Carpet America, Inc., 653 N.E.2d 852, 210 Ill. Dec. 657, 274 Ill. App. 3d 666 (Ill. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

JUSTICE CAHILL

delivered the opinion of the court:

Empire Home Services, Inc., a seller and installer of carpet, and a ubiquitous presence on television in the Chicago metropolitan area, sued defendants for alleged violations of both the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (815 ILCS 505/1 et seq. (West 1992)) and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act (815 ILCS 510/1 et seq. (West 1992)). Defendant Super City Home Remodelers, Inc., filed a motion to dismiss under section 2 — 615 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2 — 615 (West 1992)). Empire appeals from the order which dismissed the complaint with prejudice. We reverse.

Empire’s complaint alleged violations of the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (Consumer Fraud Act) in count I and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Deceptive Trade Act) in count II. Empire claimed in count I that its advertising, which emphasizes a telephone number — 588-2300—generates more than 1,000 responses a day. Empire claimed that Super City, sometime in 1991, began to use the telephone number 588-3200, and that some potential Empire customers mistakenly phoned Super City. Empire further claimed that these callers were told that they had reached Empire or a company "just like Empire.” Super City then referred the caller to Carpet America, not a party to this appeal. Carpet America then contacted the caller and claimed to be Empire, using a sales presentation and purchase orders similar to Empire’s. Empire alleged that potential Empire customers were deceived, that Empire lost business, was denied the benefit of advertising, and suffered damage to goodwill. Empire sought economic and punitive damages, injunctive relief, attorney fees, and other relief the court might find just.

Empire repled the substantive allegations of count I in count II, under the Deceptive Trade Act, and further alleged that Super City violated that act by passing off other goods and services as the goods and services of Empire.

After a hearing, the trial court dismissed Empire’s complaint with prejudice. The court held that the Consumer Fraud Act does not address competitive tactics among business competitors.

Defendants cite Century Universal Enterprises, Inc. v. Triana Development Corp. (1987), 158 Ill. App. 3d 182, 510 N.E.2d 1260, in support of the trial court and their argument that the Consumer Fraud Act does not cover disputes between competitors. Century rejected a cause of action brought by one competitor against another under the Act because there was a contract between the parties. The court held that recovery for breach of contract is not allowed under the Consumer Fraud Act, reasoning that the legislature did not intend to replace Illinois’ common law of contracts and fraud by creating a cause of action under the Consumer Fraud Act. Century, 158 Ill. App. 3d 182, 510 N.E.2d 1260.

Several later decisions, however, allow competitors who are not consumers of each other’s goods and who do not have a contract with one another to sue under the Consumer Fraud Act. (Sullivan’s Wholesale Drug Co. v. Faryl’s Pharmacy, Inc. (1991), 214 Ill. App. 3d 1073, 573 N.E.2d 1370; Downers Grove Volkswagen, Inc. v. Wigglesworth Imports, Inc. (1989), 190 Ill. App. 3d 524, 546 N.E.2d 33.) The court in Sullivan’s held that "[t]he protections of the statute are not limited to consumers. That this is so is made clear by the full title of the act itself, which indicates that it is 'An Act to protect consumers and borrowers and businessmen against fraud, unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce ***.’ ” (Emphasis added.) Sullivan’s, 214 Ill. App. 3d at 1082, 573 N.E.2d at 1370, quoting Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 1211/2, par. 261 et seq.

When a dispute under the Consumer Fraud Act involves businesses which are not consumers of each other’s products, the issue is whether the alleged conduct involves trade practices addressed to the market generally or otherwise implicates consumer protection concerns. Downers Grove, 190 Ill. App. 3d 524, 546 N.E.2d 33.

Empire alleged that when potential Empire customers reach Super City, Super City tells them they have reached Empire. The customers are then referred to Carpet America, which continues the deception. We believe Empire has alleged facts which, if true, state a cause of action under the Consumer Fraud Act.

Super City next argues that Empire cannot sue under the Consumer Fraud Act because Empire did not rely on a misrepresentation by Super City and that no public injury was alleged. We find both of these arguments wanting. Super City’s reliance argument was addressed by the supreme court in Siegel v. Levy Organization Development Co. (1992), 153 Ill. 2d 534, 607 N.E.2d 194. The court held that the Consumer Fraud Act does not require actual reliance. (Siegel, 153 Ill. 2d 534, 607 N.E.2d 194.) The requirement of a public injury was addressed in a 1990 amendment to the Act which added the sentence: "Proof of a public injury, a pattern, or an effect on consumers generally shall not be required.” (815 ILCS 505/10a(a) (West 1992).) The court in Royal Imperial Group, Inc. v. Joseph Blumberg & Associates, Inc. (1992), 240 Ill. App. 3d 360, 608 N.E.2d 178, also addressed the issue and held that proof of public injury is not required to state a cause of action under the Consumer Fraud Act. (Royal, 240 Ill. App. 3d 360, 608 N.E.2d 178.) Super City cites Ashkenazy v. I. Rokeach & Sons, Inc. (N.D. Ill. 1991), 757 F. Supp. 1527, for the contention that the Consumer Fraud Act requires allegations of a public injury. The court in Ashkenazy reviewed the 1989 version of the Act which did not include the amendment.

We turn to the alleged violations of the Deceptive Trade Act in count II.

The Deceptive Trade Act reads:

"A person engages in a deceptive trade practice when, in the course of his business, vocation or occupation, he:
(1) passes off goods or services as those of another;

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Bluebook (online)
653 N.E.2d 852, 210 Ill. Dec. 657, 274 Ill. App. 3d 666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/empire-home-services-inc-v-carpet-america-inc-illappct-1995.