People Ex Rel. Fahner v. Community Hospital

440 N.E.2d 200, 108 Ill. App. 3d 1051, 64 Ill. Dec. 648, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 2236
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedAugust 20, 1982
Docket81-342, 81-1929, 81-2028, 81-2151 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 440 N.E.2d 200 (People Ex Rel. Fahner v. Community Hospital) 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
People Ex Rel. Fahner v. Community Hospital, 440 N.E.2d 200, 108 Ill. App. 3d 1051, 64 Ill. Dec. 648, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 2236 (Ill. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

JUSTICE MEJDA

delivered the opinion of the court:

These consolidated appeals stem from the appointment of a receiver for defendant Community Hospital of Evanston (Community) and the entry of a preliminary injunction by the trial court, pursuant to a complaint brought by the Attorney General. Community and intervening defendant Morgan, Whiteside, Block and Company, Inc. (Morgan), appeal.

Community raises the following issues: (1) whether the court properly denied Community’s motion to dismiss the complaint; (2) whether the entry of the preliminary injunction and the appointment of the receiver and other relief granted by the trial court were an abuse of discretion; (3) whether the orders of the court subsequent to the entry of the preliminary injunction denied Community due process of law; and (4) whether Morgan is barred as a matter of law from enforcing its finder’s fees in Illinois courts.

Morgan also raises a number of issues: (1) whether the complaint states a cause of action relative to Morgan and adequately supports the injunction prohibiting payment of Morgan’s fees; (2) whether the court properly ordered that the $150,000 held in escrow pass to the receiver; (3) whether Morgan is entitled to damages and attorney fees pursuant to section 12 of the Injunction Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 69, par. 12), because of the preliminary injunction; (4) whether Morgan is entitled to damages and attorney fees pursuant to section 1 of “An Act concerning the appointment and discharge of receivers” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 110, par. 407), because of the receiver’s appointed control over the $150,000 in escrow; and (5) whether the trial court should have entered judgment for Morgan in the amount of $150,000 rather than $100,000.

In August 1980 Gilbert Bailey, chairman of the board of Community, sent a letter to Leo E Block, Morgan’s chairman, agreeing to retain Morgan to identify on a nonexclusive basis a viable purchaser of Community. By the terms of the agreement Morgan’s fee, payable upon closing, was “ *** five (5%) percent of the first $1,000,000 and ten (10%) percent over $1,000,000.” Block contacted Bernard Lachner, president of Evanston Hospital, to see if Evanston would be interested in purchasing Community. After Evanston’s board rejected the structure of the acquisition proposal suggested by Block in Community’s behalf, an “Acquisition Agreement” between the parties was reached which called for Evanston to purchase substantially all of Community’s assets for $2,000,000. According to the terms of the escrow agreement also concluded at this time, the purchase price and the documents necessary for closing were to be deposited into an escrow account with Chicago Title and Trust as escrowee. On the closing date the escrowee was directed to pay from the escrow funds on deposit certain costs and fees incurred in conjunction with the sale; to pay Morgan’s commission of $150,000; to transfer $500,000 to another bank for deposit into “Evanston Hospital Pavilion Special Fund,” an account established by Evanston for the benefit of any health care facility operated by Evanston on the real estate; and to pay the balance of the remaining funds to Community.

On December 10, 1980, the Attorney General filed a seven-count complaint against Community, its directors, and Chicago Title and Trust Company, as escrowee, alleging violations of “An Act to regulate solicitation and collection of funds for charitable purposes ***” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 23, par. 5101 et seq.) (hereinafter Charitable Solicitations Act) and the General Not for Profit Corporation Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 32, par. 163a et seq) (hereinafter the Not for Profit Corporation Act), the Trusts and Trustees Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 148, par. 101 et seq), as well as fraud, ultra vires, self-dealing and conversion. The complaint sought an accounting, the appointment of a receiver, liquidation of Community’s assets, dissolution of the corporation, and injunctive and other relief. Pursuant to plaintiff’s motion, the court entered a temporary restraining order on December 12, 1980, enjoining Chicago Title and Trust Company from distributing any of the funds held in escrow pursuant to its agreement with Community and Evanston and from paying any fee to Morgan. Morgan was given leave to intervene. On January 26, 1981, Community filed a motion to dismiss the action which was denied by the court. A hearing was held on the Attorney General’s motion for a preliminary injunction order enjoining the escrowee from disbursing any funds and from paying Morgan. An order was entered which authorized the escrowee to invest the escrow funds in U.S. Treasury Bills. Community was restrained from disbursing any of its funds or assets without court order. A receiver was appointed to handle and control all the assets and liabilities of Community and directed that custody of Community’s books and records be given to the receiver. On February 3, 1981, Community appealed this order. On February 11, 1981, the court amended its preliminary injunction order to specifically provide that the $150,000 held in escrow for payment of Morgan’s fee was included as an asset of Community to pass to the receiver. Morgan appealed this order.

On July 9, 1981, the receiver petitioned the court to settle Morgan’s claim against Community. The petition recited that on June 16, 1981, the receiver, his attorney, plaintiff’s counsel and Morgan’s counsel, met in an effort to settle Morgan’s claim. As a result of the conference, the parties agreed that Morgan was to be paid $100,000 in full satisfaction of its claim against Community and that Morgan would execute a release to Community. Community objected to the receiver’s petition to settle Morgan’s claim and also to other claims submitted by the receiver to the court. On July 13, 1981, the court entered an order authorizing the receiver to pay certain claims against Community and directed the escrowee to deliver to the receiver any of the funds or obligations of the United States it held in escrow. Community was granted an extension of time to file its amended motion to modify the preliminary injunction and the hearing on the petition to pay Morgan’s claim was continued. Community appealed from the payment of the claims totaling $118,854.78 and from the modification of the injunction order. On July 23, 1981, Community filed an amended motion to modify the preliminary injunction which sought vacation of the receivership and of the appointment of the receiver’s attorney; return of its books, records and documents and release of a sum of money from the escrowee for the purpose of preparing its defense. On August 12, 1981, the court denied Community’s foregoing motion. Community appealed the August 12, 1981, order. After a hearing held on Morgan’s claim the court entered judgment in Morgan’s favor against Community for $100,000 on August 21, 1981. Both Community and Morgan appeal from the August 21, 1981, order.

Opinion

Community first asserts that the complaint failed to state a cause of action and hence its motion to dismiss the complaint was improperly denied. Community argues that the denial of its motion is subject to interlocutory appeal pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 307 which allows an appeal from an order granting, modifying or refusing an injunction or an order appointing or refusing to appoint a receiver. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1979, ch. 110A, pars. 307(a)(1), 307(a)(2).) We disagree.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
440 N.E.2d 200, 108 Ill. App. 3d 1051, 64 Ill. Dec. 648, 1982 Ill. App. LEXIS 2236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-fahner-v-community-hospital-illappct-1982.