RL Polk and Co. v. Ryan

694 N.E.2d 1027, 296 Ill. App. 3d 132, 230 Ill. Dec. 749
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedApril 22, 1998
Docket4— 97—0082, 4— 97—0496 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 694 N.E.2d 1027 (RL Polk and Co. v. Ryan) 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
RL Polk and Co. v. Ryan, 694 N.E.2d 1027, 296 Ill. App. 3d 132, 230 Ill. Dec. 749 (Ill. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

JUSTICE McCULLOUGH

delivered the opinion of the court:

In these consolidated appeals, defendants George H. Ryan, individually and in his capacity of Secretary of State of the State of Illinois (Secretary), (1) bring an interlocutory appeal as of right (166 Ill. 2d R. 307(a)(1)) from the issuance of a preliminary injunction by the circuit court of Sangamon County (No. 4 — 97—0082) and (2) an appeal pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 304(a) (155 Ill. 2d R. 304(a)) from the subsequent entry of a declaratory judgment and permanent injunction entered in favor of plaintiff R.L. Polk and Company (No. 4 — 97—0496). Plaintiff, the purchaser of lists for use for commercial solicitation from the Secretary, asked the trial court to restrain the Secretary from enforcing or implementing an administrative rule that the Secretary would not sell personal information from driver’s license, vehicle or title lists maintained by the Secretary for commercial solicitation purposes (21 Ill. Reg. 466, 472 (eff. January 1, 1997) (adopting 92 Ill. Adm. Code § 1002.42 (1997)).

The issues are whether (1) the appeal from the preliminary injunction is moot; (2) sovereign immunity barred the relief sought; (3) the issuance of the preliminary injunction was an abuse of discretion because plaintiff failed to prove the necessary elements; (4) the Secretary had the discretionary authority to sell or not sell data conditioned on the nonuse of personally identifiable information for commercial solicitation purposes; and (5) the issuance of a permanent injunction on the basis the Secretary failed to comply with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act (Act) (5 ILCS 100/1 — 1 et seq. (West 1996)) in the promulgation of the rule was against the manifest weight of the evidence and contrary to law. At oral argument, the Secretary conceded that sovereign immunity did not bar this action. We accept the Secretary’s concession. Healy v. Vaupel, 133 Ill. 2d 295, 308, 549 N.E.2d 1240, 1247 (1990) (sovereign immunity affords no protection when it is alleged that the state’s agent acted in violation of statutory or constitutional law or in excess of his authority). We find the issues relating to the preliminary injunction are now moot and reverse the declaratory judgment and permanent injunction.

As a basic tenet of justiciability, reviewing courts do not decide moot or abstract questions or render advisory opinions. Issues that are not essential to a disposition of the cause or where the result will not be affected regardless of the determination of the issue will not be considered. People ex rel. Sklodowski v. State of Illinois, 162 Ill. 2d 117, 130, 642 N.E.2d 1180, 1185 (1994).

“A case becomes moot when, pending the decision on appeal, events occur which render it impossible for the reviewing court to grant effectual relief to any of the parties. (Bluthardt v. Breslin (1979), 74 Ill. 2d 246, 250, 384 N.E.2d 1309, 1311.) An injunction that has expired can no longer be dissolved because the court cannot dissolve that which no longer exists. (Emerson Electric Co. v. Sherman (1986), 150 Ill. App. 3d 832, 836, 502 N.E.2d 414, 417.)” People v. Conrail Corp., 251 Ill. App. 3d 550, 557, 622 N.E.2d 29, 34 (1993).

A preliminary injunction terminates when a permanent injunction is entered. Chavin v. General Employment Enterprises, Inc., 222 Ill. App. 3d 398, 406, 584 N.E.2d 147, 153 (1991).

The issues relating to a preliminary injunction have been considered not to be moot when the defendants would be able to seek damages for an improperly granted preliminary injunction. Chavin, 222 Ill. App. 3d at 407, 584 N.E.2d at 153. However, the issue of damages is based on statutory authority, which states in relevant part:

“In all cases where a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction is dissolved by the circuit court or by the reviewing court, the circuit court, after the dissolution of the temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, and before finally disposing of the action shall, upon the party claiming damages by reason of such temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, filing a petition under oath setting forth the nature and amount of damages suffered, determine and enter judgment in favor of the party who was injured by such temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction for the damages which the party suffered as a result thereof, which judgment may be enforced as other judgments for the payment of money.” 735 ILCS 5/11 — 110 (West 1996) (a successor statute of section 12 of the Injunctions Act (111. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 69, par. 12)).

In Stocker Hinge Manufacturing Co. v. Darnel Industries, Inc., 94 Ill. 2d 535, 543, 447 N.E.2d 288, 291-92 (1983), the court stated:

“It is well established that section 12, which provides a summary mode for assessing damages, is to be strictly construed and applied. (Schien v. City of Virden (1955), 5 Ill. 2d 494, 504; Panduit Corp. v. All States Plastic Manufacturing Co. (1980), 84 Ill. App. 3d 1144, 1149.) It is also well established that damages may be awarded under section 12 only in connection with prehminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders. (Schien v. City of Virden (1955), 5 Ill. 2d 494, 503.) Further, such preliminary injunctions or TROs must be dissolved prior to a determination of the case on the merits in order to fall within the purview of section 12. Meyer v. Marshall (1976), 62 Ill. 2d 435, 439.” (Emphasis added.)

If the temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction is not dissolved before the hearing on the merits so that it is merged into the permanent injunction when plaintiff prevails, there has been no legal determination that it was wrongfully issued and there can be no assessment of damages by this summary procedure. Schien v. City of Virden, 5 Ill. 2d 494, 504, 126 N.E.2d 201, 206 (1955).

In Chavin, prehminary injunctions were entered on November 28 and December 6, 1990. Interlocutory appeals were taken from those orders. On December 20, 1990, the trial court entered judgment on the merits and granted a permanent injunction. Another appeal followed, and the appeals were consolidated. The court found the issues of the propriety of granting the preliminary injunctions were not moot because defendant could seek damages for an improperly granted prehminary injunction. The cases cited in Chavin do not find that the appeal of a prehminary injunction is not moot once a permanent injunction is entered.

To the extent that Chavin is inconsistent with prior supreme court decisions interpreting the damages provision of the Injunctions Act, we decline to follow it. The interlocutory appeal in No. 4 — 97— 0082 is moot.

The threshold question in No.

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Bluebook (online)
694 N.E.2d 1027, 296 Ill. App. 3d 132, 230 Ill. Dec. 749, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rl-polk-and-co-v-ryan-illappct-1998.