Zahl v. Krupa
Opinion
No. 2-08-0844 Filed: 4-13-10 ______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
SECOND DISTRICT ______________________________________________________________________________
JACQUELINE ZAHL, GENE KRUPA, ) Appeal from the Circuit Court and LYNN KRUPA, ) of Du Page County. ) Plaintiffs-Appellants, ) ) v. ) No. 04--L--1334 ) RONALD A. KRUPA and JONES AND ) BROWN COMPANY, INC., ) ) Defendants ) ) (John G. Creighton, Thomas Kulakowski, ) John Creighton, Larry Wright, Ross Boehmer, ) Terry Mooney, Patricia M. Dell'Aquila, ) Marysue Brown, Ron Krol, and Steven Brown, ) Honorable as Directors and Officers of Jones and Brown ) John T. Elsner, Company, Inc., Defendants-Appellees). ) Judge, Presiding. _________________________________________________________________________________
JUSTICE O'MALLEY delivered the opinion of the court:
Plaintiffs, Jacqueline Zahl, Gene Krupa, and Lynn Krupa, appeal the judgment of the circuit
court of Du Page County granting summary judgment in favor of defendants, John G. Creighton,
Thomas Kulakowski, John Creighton, Larry Wright, Ross Boehmer, Terry Mooney, Patricia M.
Dell'Aquila, Marysue Brown, Ron Krol, and Steven Brown. We affirm.
BACKGROUND No. 2--08--0844
This case comes before us for the second time. In Zahl v. Krupa, 365 Ill. App. 3d 653, 664
(2006) (Zahl I), we reversed the dismissal of plaintiffs' amended complaint. We briefly recapitulate
that history and the events since remand that led to this current appeal.
Plaintiffs' amended complaint named Ronald A. Krupa (Krupa), Jones & Brown Co., Inc., and
defendants in their capacities as directors and officers of Jones & Brown. Plaintiffs alleged that, at
all relevant times, defendants were officers and directors of Jones & Brown and Krupa was president
and director of Jones & Brown. Plaintiffs alleged that Krupa solicited money from plaintiffs on the
false pretense that the money was for deposit in an investment account, the "Scudder" fund, that
Krupa claimed was open to the officers and directors of Jones & Brown and their friends and families.
Plaintiffs alleged that no such fund existed and that Krupa admittedly dissipated the money on
gambling. Plaintiffs brought claims of breach of contract, fraud, and negligent hiring, supervision,
and retention. The breach-of-contract and fraud counts were premised on the assertion that Krupa
acted "on behalf of [Jones & Brown] and [defendants], as their agent or apparent agent." The
negligence counts alleged that Jones & Brown and defendants, either when Krupa was hired or during
the course of his employment, knew or should have known of Krupa's tendency toward deception.
Plaintiffs attached to their amended complaint two agreements handwritten on Jones & Brown
letterhead (investment agreements). These were two of several agreements that plaintiffs alleged
Krupa misled them into signing. The first agreement was signed by Krupa and Jacqueline Zahl and
dated December 28, 2002. It read:
"This letter shall act as the basis of the following agreement between Jacqueline Zahl
and Ron Krupa.
Effective 1-1-03, I[,] Ron Krupa (President of Jones and Brown)[,] agrees [sic] to
invest $160,000 of Jacqueline Zahl's money into a [sic] investment fund at Jones and Brown.
-2- No. 2--08--0844
This is a Scudder Fund only available to members of Jones & Brown's board of
directors. The investment will be for a period of seven months yielding a guarantee [sic] net
rate of return in the amount of 11.1%.
Thus, Jacqueline's investment [of] $160,000 cash effective 1-1-03 at 11.1% thru
7-31-03 equals a full investment return of $177,760 less processing fees.
Jones and Brown fully guarantees this investment."
The second agreement was signed by Gene Krupa (Gene), his wife Lynn Krupa (Lynn), and Krupa.
It was dated May 31, 2003, and provided:
"I[,] Ron Krupa[,] President of Jones and Brown[,] agrees [sic] to invest $100,000
of Gene and Lynn Krupa's money at a rate of 11.1% for a period of 10 months. Thru a
Scudder investment fund available only to Jones and Brown['s] Board of Directors.
The net return available 4-01-04 will be $111,100 less processing fees. This money
is guaranteed by Jones and Brown."
Under sections 2--615 and 2--619 of the Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2--615, 2--619
(West 2008)), defendants and Jones & Brown moved to dismiss the amended complaint on three
grounds: (1) plaintiffs had unclean hands because they gave Krupa funds knowing that the written
agreements specifically stated that the Scudder fund was available only to Jones & Brown directors;
(2) Krupa was acting strictly in his individual, not corporate, capacity when he signed the agreements;
and (3) plaintiffs did not sufficiently allege that Krupa "had either actual or apparent authority to act
on behalf of Jones & Brown when [he] entered into the purported agreements with Plaintiffs." The
trial court accepted all three grounds and dismissed the amended complaint. Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d
at 657.
-3- No. 2--08--0844
Plaintiffs appealed, and we reversed. We held that the complaint did not establish the defense
of unclean hands as a matter of law. We also held that there was a question of fact whether Krupa
signed the agreements on behalf of Jones & Brown. Finally, we found that plaintiffs "pleaded facts
that, if true, would prove that Krupa acted with the apparent authority of [defendants and Jones &
Brown] in taking plaintiffs' money pursuant to the investment agreements." Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d
at 663. We found the claim of apparent authority established by the following allegations:
"(1) Krupa was president of Jones & Brown, had enjoyed that position for 20 years,[1]
and was given an office, telephone, and company letterhead for the execution of his duties;
(2) Krupa told plaintiffs that Jones & Brown not only allowed but encouraged friends and
family of Jones & Brown's officers and directors to invest in the Scudder fund; (3) Krupa
previously had taken plaintiffs' money for investing in the Scudder fund with a guaranteed rate
of return, and Krupa returned the money with the interest promised; and (4) the investment
agreements at issue were written on company letterhead." Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 661.
We explained that, since a corporation is a legal entity that acts only through its officers and directors,
plaintiffs "were entitled to consider [Krupa's] words and conduct as those of Jones & Brown itself"
in judging the apparent authority of Krupa to act on behalf of Jones & Brown. Zahl I, 365 Ill. App.
3d at 661.
We found the present case similar to Denten v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.,
887 F. Supp. 176, 179 (N.D. Ill. 1995), where the court found that the plaintiff sufficiently pled that
Webster, a broker employed by the defendant, had apparent authority to solicit funds from the
1 It has since come to light that Krupa was president of Jones & Brown since only 2003 but
was with the company for nearly 30 years when the alleged fraud occurred.
-4- No. 2--08--0844
plaintiff for investment in a radio station. Defendants and Jones & Brown argued that the present
case differed crucially from Denten because Jones & Brown was in the construction business, not the
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No. 2-08-0844 Filed: 4-13-10 ______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
SECOND DISTRICT ______________________________________________________________________________
JACQUELINE ZAHL, GENE KRUPA, ) Appeal from the Circuit Court and LYNN KRUPA, ) of Du Page County. ) Plaintiffs-Appellants, ) ) v. ) No. 04--L--1334 ) RONALD A. KRUPA and JONES AND ) BROWN COMPANY, INC., ) ) Defendants ) ) (John G. Creighton, Thomas Kulakowski, ) John Creighton, Larry Wright, Ross Boehmer, ) Terry Mooney, Patricia M. Dell'Aquila, ) Marysue Brown, Ron Krol, and Steven Brown, ) Honorable as Directors and Officers of Jones and Brown ) John T. Elsner, Company, Inc., Defendants-Appellees). ) Judge, Presiding. _________________________________________________________________________________
JUSTICE O'MALLEY delivered the opinion of the court:
Plaintiffs, Jacqueline Zahl, Gene Krupa, and Lynn Krupa, appeal the judgment of the circuit
court of Du Page County granting summary judgment in favor of defendants, John G. Creighton,
Thomas Kulakowski, John Creighton, Larry Wright, Ross Boehmer, Terry Mooney, Patricia M.
Dell'Aquila, Marysue Brown, Ron Krol, and Steven Brown. We affirm.
BACKGROUND No. 2--08--0844
This case comes before us for the second time. In Zahl v. Krupa, 365 Ill. App. 3d 653, 664
(2006) (Zahl I), we reversed the dismissal of plaintiffs' amended complaint. We briefly recapitulate
that history and the events since remand that led to this current appeal.
Plaintiffs' amended complaint named Ronald A. Krupa (Krupa), Jones & Brown Co., Inc., and
defendants in their capacities as directors and officers of Jones & Brown. Plaintiffs alleged that, at
all relevant times, defendants were officers and directors of Jones & Brown and Krupa was president
and director of Jones & Brown. Plaintiffs alleged that Krupa solicited money from plaintiffs on the
false pretense that the money was for deposit in an investment account, the "Scudder" fund, that
Krupa claimed was open to the officers and directors of Jones & Brown and their friends and families.
Plaintiffs alleged that no such fund existed and that Krupa admittedly dissipated the money on
gambling. Plaintiffs brought claims of breach of contract, fraud, and negligent hiring, supervision,
and retention. The breach-of-contract and fraud counts were premised on the assertion that Krupa
acted "on behalf of [Jones & Brown] and [defendants], as their agent or apparent agent." The
negligence counts alleged that Jones & Brown and defendants, either when Krupa was hired or during
the course of his employment, knew or should have known of Krupa's tendency toward deception.
Plaintiffs attached to their amended complaint two agreements handwritten on Jones & Brown
letterhead (investment agreements). These were two of several agreements that plaintiffs alleged
Krupa misled them into signing. The first agreement was signed by Krupa and Jacqueline Zahl and
dated December 28, 2002. It read:
"This letter shall act as the basis of the following agreement between Jacqueline Zahl
and Ron Krupa.
Effective 1-1-03, I[,] Ron Krupa (President of Jones and Brown)[,] agrees [sic] to
invest $160,000 of Jacqueline Zahl's money into a [sic] investment fund at Jones and Brown.
-2- No. 2--08--0844
This is a Scudder Fund only available to members of Jones & Brown's board of
directors. The investment will be for a period of seven months yielding a guarantee [sic] net
rate of return in the amount of 11.1%.
Thus, Jacqueline's investment [of] $160,000 cash effective 1-1-03 at 11.1% thru
7-31-03 equals a full investment return of $177,760 less processing fees.
Jones and Brown fully guarantees this investment."
The second agreement was signed by Gene Krupa (Gene), his wife Lynn Krupa (Lynn), and Krupa.
It was dated May 31, 2003, and provided:
"I[,] Ron Krupa[,] President of Jones and Brown[,] agrees [sic] to invest $100,000
of Gene and Lynn Krupa's money at a rate of 11.1% for a period of 10 months. Thru a
Scudder investment fund available only to Jones and Brown['s] Board of Directors.
The net return available 4-01-04 will be $111,100 less processing fees. This money
is guaranteed by Jones and Brown."
Under sections 2--615 and 2--619 of the Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2--615, 2--619
(West 2008)), defendants and Jones & Brown moved to dismiss the amended complaint on three
grounds: (1) plaintiffs had unclean hands because they gave Krupa funds knowing that the written
agreements specifically stated that the Scudder fund was available only to Jones & Brown directors;
(2) Krupa was acting strictly in his individual, not corporate, capacity when he signed the agreements;
and (3) plaintiffs did not sufficiently allege that Krupa "had either actual or apparent authority to act
on behalf of Jones & Brown when [he] entered into the purported agreements with Plaintiffs." The
trial court accepted all three grounds and dismissed the amended complaint. Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d
at 657.
-3- No. 2--08--0844
Plaintiffs appealed, and we reversed. We held that the complaint did not establish the defense
of unclean hands as a matter of law. We also held that there was a question of fact whether Krupa
signed the agreements on behalf of Jones & Brown. Finally, we found that plaintiffs "pleaded facts
that, if true, would prove that Krupa acted with the apparent authority of [defendants and Jones &
Brown] in taking plaintiffs' money pursuant to the investment agreements." Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d
at 663. We found the claim of apparent authority established by the following allegations:
"(1) Krupa was president of Jones & Brown, had enjoyed that position for 20 years,[1]
and was given an office, telephone, and company letterhead for the execution of his duties;
(2) Krupa told plaintiffs that Jones & Brown not only allowed but encouraged friends and
family of Jones & Brown's officers and directors to invest in the Scudder fund; (3) Krupa
previously had taken plaintiffs' money for investing in the Scudder fund with a guaranteed rate
of return, and Krupa returned the money with the interest promised; and (4) the investment
agreements at issue were written on company letterhead." Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 661.
We explained that, since a corporation is a legal entity that acts only through its officers and directors,
plaintiffs "were entitled to consider [Krupa's] words and conduct as those of Jones & Brown itself"
in judging the apparent authority of Krupa to act on behalf of Jones & Brown. Zahl I, 365 Ill. App.
3d at 661.
We found the present case similar to Denten v. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.,
887 F. Supp. 176, 179 (N.D. Ill. 1995), where the court found that the plaintiff sufficiently pled that
Webster, a broker employed by the defendant, had apparent authority to solicit funds from the
1 It has since come to light that Krupa was president of Jones & Brown since only 2003 but
was with the company for nearly 30 years when the alleged fraud occurred.
-4- No. 2--08--0844
plaintiff for investment in a radio station. Defendants and Jones & Brown argued that the present
case differed crucially from Denten because Jones & Brown was in the construction business, not the
investment business like the defendant in Denten. We rejected this argument:
"Plaintiffs' complaint contains no allegations about Jones & Brown's actual business, but such
allegations were not necessary to establish apparent authority. The question is not whether
Jones & Brown's course of business includes the selling of investment opportunities but
whether plaintiffs reasonably believed that Jones & Brown permitted outside parties to invest
in a Scudder fund available to its directors. Plaintiffs alleged that they did so reasonably
believe. Whether plaintiffs can prove their allegations if defendants prove that Jones &
Brown is in a business totally unrelated to investment opportunities remains to be seen." Zahl
I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 663.
On remand, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their claims against Jones & Brown, and the case
proceeded against defendants and Krupa. Defendants then moved for summary judgment on all
counts. See 735 ILCS 5/2--1005(c) (West 2008). Defendants attached to their motion the deposition
transcripts of Zahl, Gene, and defendants John G. Creighton, Ron Krol, and Thomas Kulakowski.
On the breach-of-contract counts, defendants argued that Krupa had neither actual nor apparent
authority to enter into the investment agreements. Actual authority was lacking because defendants
neither signed the agreements nor authorized Krupa to sign them. Apparent authority was lacking
because plaintiffs should have known that the investment agreements were "outside the scope of
[Jones & Brown's] normal business as a steel fabricator and construction contractor." As for the
fraud counts, defendants cited authorities, including Brown Leasing, Inc. v. Stone, 284 Ill. App. 3d
1035 (1996), and Macaluso v. Jenkins, 95 Ill. App. 3d 461 (1981), which they claimed hold that "[a]
corporate director can only be held personally liable to the victim of a tort if the director personally
-5- No. 2--08--0844
participated in its commission." Defendants argued that, since they had no knowledge of the
investment agreements, they were not personally liable for Krupa's fraud. On the negligence counts,
defendants maintained that they neither knew nor had reason to know that Krupa had the potential
for fraud.
We now recount the testimony of the depositions. In doing so, we note that, though plaintiffs'
amended complaint does not allege the business of Jones & Brown, it is now undisputed that Jones
& Brown manufactures steel for installation in construction projects. There is also no dispute that
Krupa was employed by Jones & Brown from October 1973 to August 2004, was a salesman until
the mid-1980s when he became vice president of sales, became a board member in the 1990s, and
became vice president of Jones & Brown in 2002 and president in 2003.2
Zahl testified that she first met Krupa in 1999 or 2000. They had a dating relationship until
2000 or 2001 and afterward remained friends. In 2000, Krupa informed Zahl that Jones & Brown
had created an investment fund to raise money to expand the business. The fund was open to board
members of Jones & Brown. A board member could also invest funds from friends and family under
the member's name. Krupa told Zahl that Jones & Brown manufactured steel but also "made
investments." Krupa said that the investment would be "short term," 120 days, and have an 11.1%
return. He said that "Jones & Brown guaranteed the fund 100 percent [and] there was no way to ever
lose your money." Krupa also told Zahl that he would take out a life insurance policy to secure her
investment. After Zahl researched the "financials" of Jones & Brown and found that the company
was "solid," she decided to invest. Krupa asked for the funds in cash. Zahl gave Krupa $10,500, and
2 The record does not explain the distinction between vice president of sales and vice president
of Jones & Brown. For our purposes here, any likely difference would be inconsequential.
-6- No. 2--08--0844
Krupa handwrote the terms of the agreement on Jones & Brown letterhead dated August 3, 2000.
Zahl testified that Krupa also prepared a typewritten contract but that she no longer had it. Zahl did
not ask Krupa for any documentation to confirm that Krupa actually invested the funds.
Zahl testified that Krupa returned the first investment, in cash at the promised rate of interest,
on the agreed due date. In January 2002, Krupa said that Jones & Brown was again accepting money
for the investment fund to raise money for machinery. The investment term was four months and the
guaranteed rate of return was 12.3%. Krupa explained that Jones & Brown was able to offer such
a high rate of return because the company's own rate of return was higher. Zahl gave Krupa $66,000
in cash to invest. Krupa typed the terms of the agreement on Jones & Brown letterhead. This
agreement, dated January 16, 2002, identified the fund as a "[S]cudder fund." Zahl did not ask for
any additional documentation. At the end of the agreed term, Krupa paid Zahl back in cash with the
agreed interest.
Zahl testified that the third and final time she gave Krupa money for investment was in
December 2002. Krupa said that the fund was open again but probably for the last time. Krupa also
noted that there was a cap this time on how much could be invested. The interest rate was 11.1%
and the term was seven months. Zahl gave Krupa $160,000. Krupa handwrote the agreement on
Jones & Brown letterhead dated December 28, 2002 (this agreement was attached to the amended
complaint). Zahl's mother also invested in the fund this time and a written agreement was prepared.
Again, Zahl did not request any documents other than the agreements themselves. Seven months
later, Zahl asked for the funds. Krupa initially said there was a delay due to paperwork. Zahl phoned
a week later and Krupa repeated the explanation. Several weeks passed without Krupa returning any
of the investment. Concerned about her money, Zahl went to Jones & Brown's offices on a weekend
and saw Jerry Creighton, the company's chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman. Zahl informed
-7- No. 2--08--0844
Creighton about the investments she made and that Krupa was overdue in returning her latest
investment. Creighton denied that Jones & Brown had any investment fund. Creighton said he would
speak to Krupa and report back to Zahl. After some time passed with no word from Creighton, Zahl
called him. Creighton said he had spoken to Krupa, who claimed that Zahl was "crazy" and that the
matter "had nothing to do with the company." Zahl believed at this point that she was being
"completely scammed." She could not accept that Creighton knew nothing about the fund. Zahl
believed that Creighton might be "in cahoots" with Krupa. Zahl tried to contact Krupa again but he
"didn't want to talk to [her] anymore."
Zahl testified that she eventually was able to arrange a meeting with Krupa. Zahl's boyfriend
and mother also attended the meeting. Krupa told Zahl that her money "got lost in the market." Zahl
said she did not believe Krupa and threatened to contact Creighton. Krupa then confessed that he
lost the money gambling. Zahl told Krupa she did not believe this account either. Krupa insisted it
was true and asked to work out a payment plan with Zahl. Zahl received none of her $160,000 back
from Krupa.
Zahl testified that Krupa made all three investment offers while they were in his office at Jones
& Brown. The funds for the investments were also received and repaid at Krupa's office. These were
among "several" occasions where Zahl visited Jones & Brown during business hours. During these
times, Zahl saw other employees of Jones & Brown but "did not know them" and only "[said] hello."
Zahl tried to see Creighton during these times but he was "never there," and thus it seemed to Zahl
that no one else at Jones & Brown "had authority above what Krupa had." Zahl attended two social
events with Krupa and other Jones & Brown employees: a baseball game and a picnic. On neither
occasion did Zahl mention the investments. Zahl testified that Krupa would phone her from his office
-8- No. 2--08--0844
at Jones & Brown and that she would phone him there. When she and Krupa went out to dinner, he
would pay with his company credit card.
Zahl testified that, prior to the problems with the third investment, the only person to whom
she mentioned the investments was her mother. Zahl claimed that, when she made the investments,
she had no reason to believe that Krupa was not acting in his capacity as president of Jones & Brown.
Gene, Krupa's older brother, testified that Krupa presented him with an "investment
opportunity" at Jones & Brown. They discussed the opportunity in various places: over the phone
while Krupa was at his office at Jones & Brown, in person at Krupa's office, and at restaurants.
Krupa would buy the meals with what Gene presumed was a company credit card. Gene testified that
Krupa also invited him to sporting events where Jones & Brown paid for the tickets. Gene thought
that they "probably" discussed the opportunity at these events as well. Gene testified that Krupa also
had a company car.
Gene testified that the interest rate Krupa promised on the investment was "above the
normal." Gene nonetheless had "confidence" in the transaction because he trusted both Krupa and
Jones & Brown and was familiar with Scudder, "the financial institution [the investment] was tied
with." In 2002, Gene wrote Krupa a check for $63,000 for investment in the fund. The terms of the
agreement were written on Jones & Brown letterhead. Krupa, Gene, and Lynn signed the agreement.
Gene did not keep a copy of that document. On January 1, 2003, the end of the investment period,
Krupa wrote Gene a check for the promised amount.
Gene stated that, in 2003, he discussed with Krupa the possibility of investing again in the
Scudder fund, at a higher interest rate than before. Gene agreed to invest $100,000 at a rate of
11.1%. On May 31, 2003, Krupa, Gene, and Lynn executed a contract on Jones & Brown letterhead.
(This agreement was attached to the amended complaint.) Gene wrote Krupa a series of checks
-9- No. 2--08--0844
totaling $100,000. At the end of the investment term, in April 2004, Gene asked for his money.
Krupa said that he had dissipated the money on gambling and that there was no Scudder fund. Krupa
returned none of the $100,000. Gene testified that he "never" spoke to anyone at Jones & Brown
about the $100,000 transaction. 3
Gene testified that he met Zahl when she was dating Krupa. Neither Gene nor Zahl mentioned
the purported investment opportunities. Gene first heard of Zahl's involvement in Krupa's scheme
after Gene gave Krupa the $100,000. Zahl contacted Gene and said that she also had given Krupa
money and that he later confessed to having gambled away the money.
Jerry Creighton testified that he had been a board member of Jones & Brown since the 1960s.
Creighton was chairman of Jones & Brown from 1999 to 2003. He also became CEO in 1999 and
in that role had "oversight" of the operations of the company and particularly of the "employees' " and
"executives' " "activities on behalf of the company." When Krupa was president of Jones & Brown
(from 2003 until August 2004), he reported to Creighton, who "held great trust in him." As president
of the company, Krupa held "a lot of authority and discretion" and had "a lot of freedom of
movement."
Creighton testified that, in late 2003 or early 2004, when Creighton was chairman and Krupa
was president, Krupa came to Creighton in private. Krupa said that his daughter had been in a "very
serious" car accident. Krupa said that the accident caused serious injuries and a possible fatality, and
that his daughter was facing sizeable legal and medical bills. Krupa asked Creighton for a loan from
Jones & Brown. Creighton suggested that they both speak to Tom Kulakowski, who was then
3 Gene was not asked whether he spoke to anyone at Jones & Brown about the first investment
opportunity Krupa offered.
-10- No. 2--08--0844
secretary-treasurer of Jones & Brown and a board member. They went to Kulakowski's office and
spoke to him in private. As Creighton relayed the situation to Kulakowski, Creighton feared that
Krupa was going to "pass out" because his eyes were "tearing" and he was "gasping for air." Krupa
claimed that he did not have insurance to cover the liability and that he was faced "with going
bankrupt." Krupa asked for a loan of $135,000. Krupa did not produce any evidence to corroborate
his story. Creighton "took [Krupa's] word" and decided to make the loan because the circumstances
were dire and because of Krupa's long service to Jones & Brown. Creighton suggested that the loan
be given in three installments of $45,000 rather than a lump sum. Creighton did not consult the board
before approving the loan. Creighton noted that Jones & Brown "over years *** had a policy" of
lending "off and on to individuals depending on the situation." Creighton "felt" he had authority to
approve the loan on his own; "[n]obody" told him he could or could not do so.
Creighton testified that he had Krupa sign a note for the loan but kept it in Kulakowski's
office. Over the next several months, Creighton had Kulakowski write Krupa company checks for
three installments of $45,000. Creighton testified that he never attempted to verify Krupa's story
about his daughter's accident:
"Q. Did you do anything whatsoever, sir, to figure out what [Krupa] did with the first
$45,000?
A. No.
Q. Nothing?
Q. And you didn't direct anyone to do so, did you, sir?
Q. That was a mistake, wasn't it?
-11- No. 2--08--0844
A. Yes.
***
Q. And when you learned of the second payment of $45,000, you did nothing
whatsoever to verify the veracity of [Krupa's] story or what he was doing with this money,
did you, sir?
A. No, I did not.
A. That's correct.
Q. That was another mistake, wasn't it?
Q. That was poor supervision on your part, wasn't it?
A. Obviously the way this turned out.
Q. It was poor supervision, wasn't it?
A. I would have to agree based on what has happened.
Q. And it was poor supervision to give him the first $45,000, wasn't it?
A. That is correct.
Q. And between the second and third payments, again you didn't lift a finger to
verify [Krupa's] story or to verify where that money was going?
-12- No. 2--08--0844
Q. You didn't direct anyone to do so either, did you, sir?
Q. Again, that was a mistake, right?
A. Correct.
Q. Poor supervision, right?
A. Yeah." (Emphases added.)
Creighton testified that, in accordance with the agreed payment plan, amounts were deducted
each month from Krupa's paycheck.
Creighton testified that, in the six or eight months between the first loan to Krupa and Zahl's
notifying him that Krupa owed her money, he told no other board member about the loan to Krupa.
Creighton noted that the board would not have found out about the loan to Krupa in the ordinary
course of its duties:
"Q. And there were multiple board meetings between the time *** this first check
[was] paid, and the time that you met with [Zahl] six or eight months later, right?
A. There would have been probably two.
Q. Weren't there financial reports and financial documents given to the board
members at those meetings?
Q. So there is no way the board members could figure out that this loan was made?
-13- No. 2--08--0844
There [were] no documents or other financial records they could have reviewed to disclose
this?
Q. Did you do anything out of the ordinary to make sure that they didn't find out
from the financial records?
A. No. No, I did not."
Creighton testified that he also did not inform the Brown family, who were part-owners of Jones &
Brown, about the loan until after Zahl came forward. Creighton testified that he kept the matter to
himself out of concern for Krupa's privacy. Creighton "expected" that Kulakowski would keep the
matter private but he never asked Kulakowski to do so. Creighton testified that he also did not tell
Jones & Brown's outside counsel, Thomas Moran, or its outside auditor about the loan until Zahl
came forward.
Creighton testified that, on June 27, 2004, Zahl came to Jones & Brown's offices wanting to
see him. Zahl said that Krupa had persuaded her to invest in a purported fund at Jones & Brown that
was fully guaranteed. Krupa, said Zahl, was overdue in returning her latest investment. Creighton
told Zahl that he would discuss the matter with Krupa. The next day, Creighton met with Krupa in
his office at Jones & Brown. Krupa said that the matter Zahl alluded to was strictly personal and did
not involve the company. A few days later, Zahl contacted Creighton to inquire about the meeting
with Krupa. Creighton arranged a meeting with her and Krupa for July 7, 2004. After scheduling
the meeting, Creighton met privately with Krupa again. Krupa admitted that he spent both the money
from Zahl and the loan from Jones & Brown on gambling. Creighton then informed Moran of
Krupa's revelation and of the upcoming meeting. Creighton could not recall whether he told Moran
-14- No. 2--08--0844
of Jones & Brown's loans to Krupa. Moran told Creighton to "refer all questions" at the July 7
meeting to Moran.
Creighton testified that, on July 7, 2004, he met in a hotel lobby with Krupa, Zahl, Zahl's
mother, and a friend of Zahl's. Creighton acknowledged that his notes of the meeting, prepared later
that day, state: "At the start of the meeting[,] *** I stated to all the parties present I was not there
as an officer of Jones & Brown Company, nor did I represent Jones & Brown Company in any
manner. I was there as a friend of [Krupa's]." Creighton testified that he made this statement at
Moran's direction. According to his notes, Creighton also said: "If they wanted to discuss the
company in any way, it would have to be through the company's legal counsel." Creighton made this
statement, too, at Moran's direction. Creighton testified that he and Kulakowski did not inform the
Browns or the other directors about the loans or Krupa's confession until after the July 7 meeting.
Creighton "felt it was a matter that [he] was handling."
Creighton testified that he regretted not disclosing earlier the loan to Krupa, Zahl's accusation,
or Krupa's later confession. It was an "error" and a "mistake" to approve the loan without consulting
the Browns or the board. It was also a "mistake" and "poor supervision" to keep the note for the loan
to Krupa in Kulakowski's office and to not mention the loan to Moran or the outside auditor. The
Browns had a "right" to know about Zahl's accusation and it was a "terrible mistake" not to tell them.
Creighton was asked about any indication he or anyone else at Jones & Brown might have
had that Krupa was soliciting funds for a fictitious investment fund at Jones & Brown. Creighton
testified that he first met Zahl in 2002 at a sports event attended by Jones & Brown employees.
Krupa introduced Zahl as his "lady friend." Creighton said that he never saw Zahl at Jones & Brown's
offices until she came to see him on June 27, 2004. Creighton testified that Krupa's office was "right
next to his" but that they did not share a common wall. Creighton never inquired whether anyone else
-15- No. 2--08--0844
at Jones & Brown saw Zahl at the offices. Creighton testified that the receptionist's desk at Jones &
Brown is situated in a main lobby behind which is a suite of offices for the company's executives.
Unless one approached the suite from the rear of the building, one would pass the receptionist's desk
on the way to the executives' offices. Jones & Brown had a policy of requiring first-time guests, or
at least guests unfamiliar to the receptionist, to sign in. Creighton did not know whether the policy
was in writing. According to Creighton, the company did not review the visitors logs. Creighton did
not know where, if at all, the logs were stored, and to his knowledge no one had ever consulted the
logs to determine whether Zahl visited Jones & Brown. Asked if it would have been prudent to make
those inquiries, Creighton said, "Hindsight is wonderful." Creighton also testified that, to his
knowledge, neither Gene nor Lynn ever visited Jones & Brown, but Creighton admitted that no one
at the company had ever attempted to verify this.
Creighton testified that, before Zahl came forward, the only gambling he knew Krupa to
engage in was sports pools at Jones & Brown, of which there were two to four per year. Creighton
testified that he did not know how Krupa spent his free time. Their conversations about their
personal lives consisted of just "passing remark[s]."
Creighton also described Jones & Brown's policies against personal use of company time and
property. According to Creighton, it was a "standard business practice" at Jones & Brown for
employees not to use any company materials for personal business. As Creighton explained, there
was not a written policy with respect to every type of company material. There was an unwritten
policy against personal use of company letterhead. Creighton admitted that "there was no system in
place whatsoever" to ensure that employees not use company letterhead for personal business. Also,
to Creighton's knowledge, no one at Jones & Brown ever told Krupa that he could not use company
letterhead for personal business. Asked if this meant that there was "virtually no oversight" of
-16- No. 2--08--0844
Krupa's activities, Creighton answered: "Well, I suppose it's pretty easy for anybody to put letterhead
paper in their case and leave at any company anywhere." Creighton, however, admitted that,
"reviewing it from this perspective," the failure to enforce the policy against personal use of company
letterhead was a "mistake." Creighton testified that it was only after Zahl came forward that
Creighton learned that Krupa had prepared false investment contracts on Jones & Brown letterhead.
Creighton testified that Jones & Brown also had a policy against personal use of company
phones. Creighton believed that this policy was in writing. Creighton admitted, however, that the
policy was "absolutely unenforced" because the company "trusted" its employees. Creighton
admitted that this was an "insufficient internal control" and that in "hindsight" the policy should have
been enforced.
Creighton stated that Jones & Brown also had an unwritten policy against using employee
offices for personal business, but to his knowledge no one at Jones & Brown ever informed Krupa
of that policy. Creighton admitted that it was a "mistake" to have "absolutely no controls in place
to monitor whether employees were using company offices to conduct non-company business."
Creighton noted that, when Krupa was president, he retained a company car from his time as
vice president of sales. There was a written policy at Jones & Brown restricting company cars to
company business, but to Creighton's knowledge nothing was done to enforce the policy. Krupa also
had a company credit card. Creighton believed there were "limitations" on the use of company credit
cards but did not know whether there was a written policy. Statements for company credit cards
were reviewed by the executives' administrative assistant, who would refer to Creighton any
questionable charges. No charges on Krupa's credit card were ever referred to Creighton for review.
To Creighton's knowledge, no one at Jones & Brown had performed a second review of Krupa's
-17- No. 2--08--0844
statements for personal charges such as gambling. Creighton admitted that he was "negligent in his
supervision" of Krupa.
Creighton acknowledged that, in the minutes of a Jones & Brown board meeting on
September 16, 2003, there is the following entry: "Mr. Bunge cautioned about lack of internal
controls because of, among other things, the small size of the accounting staff." Creighton explained
that Bunge was a consulting accountant for Jones & Brown. Creighton testified that, to his mind,
"internal controls" were "a form of control of management" or "an overseer from one position to the
next to ensure that you have control, the company has control." Creighton could not recall whether
Jones & Brown took action in response to Bunge's admonition. Creighton did not know whether
there were "any internal controls whatsoever [that] [Jones & Brown] had for the supervision of the
activities engaged in by the president, [Krupa]." Creighton noted that Krupa's misconduct was partly
the reason why Jones & Brown instituted a written "Code of Conduct" in October 2004. Creighton
could not recall whether there was any such code before October 2004.
Tom Kulakowski testified that he was hired by Jones & Brown in 1985 as a credit manager.
In 1990, he was promoted to secretary-treasurer and became a board member. He held that position
until his employment with Jones & Brown was terminated in January 2005. The stated reason for his
termination was that the company "was going in a different direction." Kulakowski did not believe
his termination was related to Krupa's misconduct.
Kulakowski testified that "either Creighton or the board" had "responsibility for and oversight
over creating and enforcing policies at Jones & Brown." Creighton, as chairman and CEO, had direct
"oversight" over Krupa but Kulakowski assumed that the board as a whole "would be able to oversee
[Krupa] if there was a question raised."
-18- No. 2--08--0844
Kulakowski knew Krupa "fairly well" but did not speak to him about "things outside of work"
except that they discussed "family matters" in a "casual way" and "never in depth." Kulakowski went
to several group social events where Krupa was present. Once or twice a year, the Jones & Brown
executives, who were all "friends," would go to a sporting event. Once a year, there was a company-
wide event. Kulakowski testified that Jones & Brown employees had office pools on sporting events.
Krupa always entered these pools but did not place more wagers than others at Jones & Brown.
Kulakowski did not know of any other gambling by Krupa.
Kulakowski stated that he did not recall seeing Zahl at any of the group events attended by
Jones & Brown employees. Kulakowski first met Zahl at a festival in North Aurora. Krupa
introduced Zahl as his girlfriend. Kulakowski stated that Jones & Brown employees had infrequent
visitors at the offices, but his knowledge was limited because he did not have a view of the reception
area from his office and thus would not have been aware of visitors unless they came into his office.
Visitors were required to "check in" with the receptionist but there was no sign-in sheet. Kulakowski
did not recall seeing Zahl at Jones & Brown. Kulakowski and Krupa had contiguous offices but
visitors would not normally pass his office on the way to Krupa's.
Kulakowski was not aware of any written policies at Jones & Brown restricting the use of
company letterhead or offices, but it was "generally understood" that company property was for
company use only. Employees were allowed only occasional use of company phones for personal
business. The executives' offices at Jones & Brown were well insulated and Kulakowski could hear
Krupa in his office only if his door was open. Kulakowski testified that Krupa had a company credit
card because each salesman at Jones & Brown had one and Krupa continued to make sales even as
president. Company credit cards were restricted to business use, and reimbursement was required
for personal charges. Kulakowski was in charge of reviewing credit card bills to ensure that the
-19- No. 2--08--0844
charges were appropriate. Kulakowski would ask an employee for any necessary reimbursement.
Only in "extreme circumstances" would Kulakowski bring a personal charge to the attention of
anyone else at Jones & Brown. Krupa sometimes used his credit card for personal business, as did
"all the salesmen," but Kulakowski could recall nothing that "stood out" on the bills for Krupa's card.
Kulakowski testified that it was not until Creighton said Krupa was being fired that Kulakowski first
learned that Krupa was using company property "to obtain money from individuals outside of the
work context."
Kulakowski testified to the procedures by which employees could receive loans from Jones
& Brown. All check requests came to Kulakowski for approval but he would refer all loan requests
to one of the owners of Jones & Brown. When Creighton, himself a part-owner, was chairman and
CEO, Kulakowski referred loan requests to him. Kulakowski testified that loans were not given "very
often" but Kulakowski recalled several employees besides Krupa who took loans. Kulakowski once
took an $18,000 or $19,000 loan to purchase a car. Bob Carpenter, former vice president of sales,
once took a loan. John Johnson and Wilson Brown, former CEOs of Jones & Brown, took out loans
"all the time." Johnson once had a loan balance around $60,000. Kulakowski testified that he never
questioned the loan requests of Jones & Brown owners such as Creighton and his predecessors
Johnson and Brown.
Kulakowski recounted the loans and advances Krupa took from Jones & Brown. Twice, in
1984 and 1986, Krupa received an advance on his bonus check. Krupa also took the following loans:
May 26, 2000 $9,500
October 1, 2002 $60,000
April 1, 2002 $46,000
April 15, 2002 $45,000
-20- No. 2--08--0844
April 29, 2002 $45,000
Kulakowski testified that Creighton would have approved all of these loans. Kulakowski noted that,
as of April 2002, Krupa had a loan balance of $186,000. Kulakowski considered that balance "large"
for a nonowner of Jones & Brown. Asked if the sheer size of the balance "raise[d] any warning flags"
at the time, Kulakowski replied that he did not question any loan approved by Creighton.
Kulakowski gave the same reply when asked whether it was "unusual" for such a cluster of loans to
follow a gap of 15 years. Kulakowski added that, until the incident with Zahl came to light, he had
never known Krupa to be untrustworthy.
Kulakowski testified that the loans since 2000 were in part due to Krupa's claim that his
daughter was in a car accident. Krupa "broke down" in recounting the accident to Kulakowski.
Krupa asked for a loan from Jones & Brown to cover expenses relating to the accident, and
Kulakowski directed Krupa to speak with Creighton. Ultimately, Creighton approved the loan and
directed Kulakowski to issue a check. Krupa agreed to a payment schedule and made payments
accordingly. Kulakowski did not investigate Krupa's story about the accident or have him
substantiate it. When Krupa was terminated, he owed Jones & Brown $110,956. Kulakowski did
not recall any discussion of Krupa's loans at company board meetings.
Kulakowski explained that Bunge's concern, at the September 15, 2003, board meeting, about
a lack of "internal controls" was in reference to the fact that the accounting department was too small
and did not have proper checks and balances in that Kulakowski was the only person in the
department who wrote checks. Bunge's remark had nothing to do with abuses within the accounting
department with regard to employee loans, because Kulakowski had no authority to approve loans
in any case. Kulakowski acknowledged that the minutes for the board meeting of April 29, 2003,
contain this notation:
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"The next item on the agenda was the review and approval of officer salary, bonus
and loan policy, and the consideration of abbreviated employment agreements. Mr. [Ron]
Krol moved that all officer salaries, bonuses, and benefits be pre-approved by the entire
Board; his motion was unanimously approved."
Kulakowski assumed that "loan policy" referred to "any outstanding loans that the company had with
any employees" and that Krupa's loans "could very well" have been in mind.
Ron Krol testified that he had been a board member of Jones & Brown since February 2001
and chairman since April 2003. He had never been employed by the company. Krol's wife was the
daughter of Wilson Brown, part-owner of the company. Krol described the board's work as
"strategic planning." Krupa did not report to Krol, who was not at Jones & Brown on a "daily basis."
Krupa reported to Creighton. Krol was introduced to Krupa at Krol's first board meeting. On one
occasion, Krol and Krupa met outside of Jones & Brown to discuss work. Krol did not know what
Krupa did in his free time. Krol first heard of Zahl in July 2004 when Creighton informed Krol that
Krupa had improperly acquired funds from Zahl.
Krol testified that, in August 2001, he was reviewing Kulakowski's interim financial statement
for the second quarter of 2001 when Krol discovered a reference to an "employee loan." The loan
recipient was not identified. Krol could not recall the exact figure but remembered that it was in
excess of $100,000. Krol believed that the financial statement was sent to all board members.
Concerned about the loan, Krol called Kulakowski at his office, but he was not in. Krol was
transferred to Krupa and asked him about the loan. Krupa explained that Jones & Brown
occasionally made loans to employees. Krupa told Krol to contact Creighton about the loan.
Creighton told Krol that the loan was for Krupa, who claimed he needed the funds to cover
expenses stemming from his daughter's car accident. Krol told Creighton that the loan was "not
-22- No. 2--08--0844
appropriate," because lending was not Jones & Brown's business, and that Creighton exceeded his
authority as CEO in making the loan. Krol then informed the Browns about the loan. Krol did not
inform the other board members, because Creighton and Kulakowski already knew of the loan and
Krupa had agreed to a payment schedule and was making payments. In late 2001 or perhaps 2002,
Krol hosted the stockholders of Jones & Brown at his home. Creighton and the Browns were
present, as were the attorneys for Jones & Brown. Krol mentioned the loan in front of all who
attended. Creighton said he would personally guaranty the loan. Subsequently, Kulakowski prepared
a list showing that Jones & Brown had made "multiple" loans to Krupa totaling over $100,000.
When Creighton approached Krol in July 2004 and told him about Zahl, Creighton mentioned that
he believed that Krupa also lied about his daughter's accident. Krol admitted that he never attempted
to verify Krupa's story. Krol's primary concern was that Jones & Brown "got repaid" and it appeared
that Krupa was making payments on the loans. Krol testified that it was not until Zahl filed her suit
that he learned Krupa used company offices and letterhead to defraud Zahl. Krol believed that
Creighton "exceeded his authority as CEO" in making the loans to Krupa. Krol, however, cited no
basis for that belief.
Plaintiffs filed a response to the summary judgment motion. They argued that this court
"already determined that [Krupa's] use of his office of President, his years with [Jones & Brown], his
use of [Jones & Brown] offices, letterhead, and telephone, as allowed by [defendants and Jones &
Brown], would prove he acted with the apparent authority of defendants in taking [plaintiffs'] money
at issue here."
Plaintiffs attached the sworn statement of Krupa. Krupa testified that, when he was president
of Jones & Brown, he reported to Creighton but had "virtually complete autonomy" for "[m]ost
issues." For "very important" matters such as delinquent payments by customers, problems with
-23- No. 2--08--0844
completing work orders, or "really anything related to employees," Krupa sought direction from
Creighton or raised the matter at a board meeting. Krupa prepared his own expense reports at Jones
& Brown. Krupa insisted that his expense reports were always truthful and that he never attempted
to expense anything related to gambling. Krupa testified that he had authority to sign contracts for
Jones & Brown. He was also able to sign checks for Jones & Brown for a "certain period of time as
president" but otherwise only Creighton or Kulakowski could sign checks. Krupa testified that, out
of respect for his privacy, the loans he took from Jones & Brown were never discussed at board
meetings. Krupa spent the loan proceeds on gambling. Creighton never attempted to verify why
Krupa needed the loans; Krupa surmised that this was because he was a "dedicated employee" who
had 29 years of service at Jones & Brown, missed work infrequently, and set sales records. Krupa
testified that there was an employee handbook at Jones & Brown but that the company did not
"really" enforce it.
Krupa testified that he did not socialize with his fellow Jones & Brown employees except for
occasional company events. Once, when he was vice president of sales or president of Jones &
Brown, Krupa brought Zahl to a company event. Krupa could not recall whether Zahl met other
Jones & Brown employees at that event. Zahl would visit Jones & Brown's offices "once in a while."
As with all visitors, Zahl would pass the receptionist's desk. The receptionist kept no log of who
visited Jones & Brown.
Krupa stated that his gambling habit began during the 30 years he was at Jones & Brown.
He never went gambling with anyone at Jones & Brown or went gambling during work hours. Krupa
once saw a fellow employee at a racetrack. Krupa spoke to her "for about five minutes saying hi to
her, that's about it."
The trial court granted summary judgment for defendants on all counts. The court reasoned:
-24- No. 2--08--0844
"First, [the] individual directors are not liable for the corporate breach of contract.
The directors were not parties to the contract, and Counts 1 and 2 are for breach of contract.
Summary judgment is entered for each of the directors on each count of breach of contract.
Second, the individual directors can be held liable for their own fraud, but not for the
fraud of an employee unless they participated or somehow assisted. There are no facts in this
case that would, when viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs, show that any
director participated or assisted [Krupa] in the fraud, and therefore, summary judgment is to
be entered as to the individual directors.
Next, the directors cannot be held liable for negligent hiring *** due to Krupa being
unfit for the job, [because] there is no evidence that the directors knew or should have known
of Krupa's gambling problems. The plaintiff[s] argue[] for a standard that the activity should
have raised a flag. Raising a flag is not the standard in the case that there was no breach of
a common law duty."
The court found that the parties' arguments on apparent authority "go to the corporate defendant,
Jones & Brown, and not to the individual directors."
Subsequently, the court entered a default judgment against Krupa. Plaintiffs then filed this
timely appeal from the order granting summary judgment.
ANALYSIS
Summary judgment is proper where "the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file,
together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that
the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law." 735 ILCS 5/2--1005(c) (West 2008).
In considering a motion for summary judgment, the court must view the record in the light most
-25- No. 2--08--0844
favorable to the nonmoving party. Land v. Board of Education, 202 Ill. 2d 414, 433 (2002).
"Although summary judgment aids in the expeditious disposition of a lawsuit, it is a drastic measure
and should be granted only if the moving party's right to judgment is clear and free from doubt."
Land, 202 Ill. 2d at 432. "A motion for summary judgment does not ask the court to try a question
of fact, but to determine if a question of material fact exists that would preclude the entry of judgment
as a matter of law." Land, 202 Ill. 2d at 432. While "the nonmoving party is not required to prove
his case in response to a motion for summary judgment, he must present a factual basis that would
arguably entitle him to judgment." Land, 202 Ill. 2d at 432. "A motion for a summary judgment
should be denied if the facts in the record present more than one conclusion or inference, including
one unfavorable to the movant." Hahn v. Union Pacific R.R. Co., 352 Ill. App. 3d 922, 928 (2004).
That is, summary judgment should not be entered unless the moving party's right to judgment is
" 'clear and free from doubt.' " Mydlach v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 226 Ill. 2d 307, 311 (2007). We
review de novo the trial court's grant of summary judgment. Hahn, 352 Ill. App. 3d at 929.
The breach-of-contract claims against defendants are functionally just fraud claims.
"Corporate officers are generally not liable for corporate obligations." IOS Capital, Inc. v. Phoenix
Printing, Inc., 348 Ill. App. 3d 366, 371 (2004). "Although a corporate officer is not generally liable
for breach of contract, his status does not shield him from liability for tortious acts from which the
breach proximately resulted." National Acceptance Co. v. Pintura Corp., 94 Ill. App. 3d 703, 707
(1981). Two torts are alleged of defendants: fraud and negligence. Concerning fraud,
" '[a]s a general rule[,] a corporate officer or director is not liable for the fraud of other
officers or agents merely because of his official character, but he is individually liable for
fraudulent acts of his own or in which he participates. [Citation.] The mere fact that a person
is an officer or director does not per se render him liable for the fraud of the corporation or
-26- No. 2--08--0844
of other officers or directors. He is liable only if he with knowledge, or recklessly without
it, participates or assists in the fraud. [Citations].' " Murphy v. Walters, 87 Ill. App. 3d 415,
418-19 (1980), quoting Citizens Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Fischer, 67 Ill. App. 2d 315, 322-23
(1966).
As for the negligence counts, defendants suggest that, under Illinois law, a director may not
be held liable for "mere negligence" in the handling of corporate affairs. As support, defendants cite
Brown Leasing and Macaluso. The portion of Brown Leasing in which the liability of directors and
officers is discussed is unpublished and hence nonprecedential. But it appears that Macaluso lends
some credence to defendants' position.
In Macaluso, the plaintiff sued Jenkins, the treasurer and chairman of a nonprofit corporation
called the Industrial Police Association (IPI), and Zecca, the secretary and a director of IPI. The
plaintiff sought to hold Jenkins and Zecca personally liable on the plaintiff's contract with IPI. The
appellate court held that the corporate veil should be pierced with respect to Jenkins because he had
treated IPI's assets as his own. The plaintiff argued that Zecca should also be held personally liable
on the contract because she "assisted Jenkins in his conversion of corporate assets" by signing several
checks. Macaluso, 95 Ill. App. 3d at 468. The plaintiff argued that Illinois law "imposes personal
liability to third-party creditors upon officers who knew or should have known of the conversion" and
cited Blocker v. Drain Line Sewer & Water Co., 5 Ill. App. 3d 289 (1972). Macaluso, 95 Ill. App.
3d at 468. The Macaluso court believed that Blocker did not "go that far":
"Blocker does not create an exception to the general rule that officers and directors are not
personally liable for the corporation's debts and obligations. While there is evidence that at
the direction of the treasurer, Jenkins, Zecca signed checks which assisted him in converting
corporate assets into his own personal assets, and while this negligent conduct as a secretary
-27- No. 2--08--0844
may have created some liability for the corporation, it does not create a personal liability for
all corporate debts." Macaluso, 95 Ill. App. 3d at 468.
Thus, Macaluso held that Zecca's negligence in handling corporate affairs did not itself render her
personally liable for the corporation's debts, including the debt to the plaintiff.
Plaintiffs, contending that a director's negligence may indeed give rise to personal liability, cite
National Acceptance, which states:
"[A]lthough [a corporate] officer is not liable for the corporation's torts simply by virtue of
his office, corporate officer status does not insulate him from individual liability for the torts
of the corporation in which he actively participates. [Citations.] Thus a corporate officer
may be liable for the negligence of the corporation [citation]; for fraud [citation]; trespass to
realty [citation]; wilfully inducing breach of contract [citation]; and conversion [citation]."
(Emphasis added.) National Acceptance, 94 Ill. App. 3d at 706.
For the proposition that a director may be held personally liable for the "negligence of the
corporation," National Acceptance cited McDonald v. Frontier Lanes, Inc., 1 Ill. App. 3d 345 (1971).
National Acceptance, 94 Ill. App. 3d at 706.
In McDonald, the plaintiff brought a negligence action against Frontier Lanes (Frontier) and
Ceresa, who was Frontier's president, sole shareholder, and manager. The plaintiff was injured when
she fell into a hole in the grassy parkway that separated the sidewalk from the parking lot owned by
Frontier. The evidence showed that Frontier had had a gas line installed in the parkway and that the
fill placed over the gas line was expected to settle 9 to 18 inches. Of the parkway, Ceresa admitted
that "he had known of a defect at that place for some time but not its extent." McDonald, 1 Ill. App.
3d at 350. The appellate court held that, on the evidence at trial, Ceresa was personally liable for the
injury. The court first cited that rule that "an officer of a corporation is insulated from personal
-28- No. 2--08--0844
liability for negligence of the corporation unless he participated in the wrongful act or had such
knowledge thereof as to give rise to liability." McDonald, 1 Ill. App. 3d at 357-58. The court went
on:
"In this case[,] Ceresa was the president, sole shareholder[,] and manager of Frontier.
He owned and operated the business and its corporate acts or omissions could only be those
participated in by him. The acts and omission[s] of Frontier giving rise to the negligence
charged in the case were not isolated incidents brought about by conduct of an employee, for
example, but were a part of the general mode of operation of the corporate business under
Ceresa'[s] sole power of direction and control." McDonald, 1 Ill. App. 3d at 358.
The McDonald court rested its holding on the fact that Ceresa, as the sole conduit for action by the
corporate entity Frontier, was perforce a participant in the negligent action by that entity. McDonald
cited Peck v. Cooper, 112 Ill. 192 (1884), Miller v. Simon, 100 Ill. App. 2d 6 (1968), and Lowell
Hoit & Co. v. Detig, 320 Ill. App. 179 (1943).
In Peck, the plaintiff, an African-American, was forcibly ejected from a bus by its driver. The
bus was operated by a company of which the defendant was president. The supreme court upheld
the finding that the defendant was individually liable for the plaintiff's injuries because the evidence
showed that the defendant "gave the general order" that drivers of the company were "to exclude
colored persons" from the buses. Peck, 112 Ill. at 194.
In Miller, the appellate court upheld a finding that the defendants, officers of a real estate
development firm, were personally liable for trespass to the plaintiff's land. The defendants were
developing land contiguous to the plaintiff's when they entered her property and removed topsoil.
The court said:
-29- No. 2--08--0844
"One who orders, aids, directs, abets, or assists the commission of a trespass is liable for the
resultant damages, even if such an individual did not benefit from the trespass. [Citations.]
The two officers are not insulated from liability for the tortious acts of the defendant ***,
since it has been well established that an officer of a private corporation is liable for any tort
of the corporation in which he participates or authorizes, even though he was acting for the
corporation in the commission of the tortious activity. [Citation.] There was ample evidence
that [the defendant] Isidor Simon, doing business as I. Simon & Son, a sole proprietorship
at the time of the trespass, directed some or all of the improvements for the *** development.
He admitted that he personally instructed the engineers in the removal of trees in the area.
[The defendant] Ned Simon testified that he knew that the topsoil had been removed and that
he even knew where the plaintiff's removed topsoil was stockpiled." Miller, 100 Ill. App. 2d
at 9-10.
The holdings in McDonald, Peck, and Miller rested on evidence that the corporate official ordered,
and hence participated in, the tortious conduct, whether negligent or intentional. The cases appear
to lay down a "participation" requirement for the personal liability of corporate officials. Thus, they
seem to imply what Macaluso expressed, that a corporate official may not be held liable for a tortious
act in which he himself did not participate but was nonetheless negligent in failing to prevent.
Lowell Hoit, however, complicates the picture. There, the plaintiff sued the defendants,
directors of a grain elevator, for conversion of grain the plaintiff had stored at the elevator. The
manager of the elevator sold the grain to a third party without the consent of the plaintiff, who sought
to hold the directors personally liable. The appellate court agreed with the trial court that the
defendants were not liable for the conversion perpetrated by the manager. The court began by
drawing a distinction pertaining to the liability of directors:
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"The question of liability of a director in a corporation for the acts or omissions of
officers or agents, other than codirectors, admits of various conditions. Ordinarily, where
such director can be held liable for the acts of subordinate officers, he must participate
therein, be guilty of lack of ordinary and reasonable supervision, or be guilty of lack of
ordinary care in the selection of such officer. The duties of a general manager of a
corporation are usually more extensive than those of a mere director." (Emphases added.)
Lowell Hoit, 320 Ill. App. at 182.
This passage appears to suggest that a director will be personally liable for the acts of corporate
subordinates, i.e., those other than fellow directors, if the director failed to exercise due care. The
court then turned immediately to the issue of "the liability of a director for a tort committed by a
corporation," and said:
"Liability in such instances on the part of the director is generally considered to rest upon
whether he actively participated in the wrongdoing, and it seems impossible to lay down any
governing rule further than that the test is to be whether the director authorized or
participated in the alleged wrongful act. The mere fact that a person is a director in a
corporation does not necessarily render him liable for the torts of the corporation or its
agents. In other words, directors are not to be held liable for the negligence of the
corporation merely because of their official relation to it. And the general rule would seem
to be that he must participate in the wrongful act, or have such knowledge thereof as to give
rise to liability. The foregoing observations, of course, are made in consideration of the
circumstance that the director denies knowledge and participation, and hence excludes any
theory of authorization or direction." Lowell Hoit, 320 Ill. App. at 182-83.
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Here, with respect to "torts of the corporation," there is a participation requirement. A "tort of the
corporation," however, is not defined. If, as it seems, the two passages are meant to be
complementary, an "act of the corporation" would be an act committed by a fellow director rather
than a corporate subordinate.
Such a distinction, which imposes a higher bar of liability with respect to acts of a codirector,
also seems drawn in Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. Munday, 297 Ill. 555 (1921), where a receiver sued
the directors of a bank for negligence in the supervision of two officers who defrauded the bank. The
complaint alleged that the defendants "gave no supervision and made no inquiry whatever,
notwithstanding that they were directors of the bank and had knowledge of the incompetence and
dishonesty of [the officers] and their fraudulent misuse of the funds of the bank." Munday, 297 Ill.
at 561. The court held that the complaint adequately pled negligence by the directors. The court's
analysis began with this statement of the governing law:
"[W]hen one takes a position as director of a bank he becomes trustee for the depositors as
well as for the stockholders and is bound to the observance of ordinary care and diligence,
and is hence liable for injury resulting from the non-observance, where such non-observance
is due to the negligence of such director. [Citation.]
In Wallach v. Billings, [277 Ill. 218 (1917)], *** it is distinctly said that it is not the
holding of the court that directors cannot be held for mere inaction where such inaction has
been the proximate cause of loss. *** As was said in Warner v. Pennoyer, [91 F. 587, 591
(2d Cir. 1898)], before a director can be made responsible for losses which have occurred
through the mismanagement or dishonesty of a cashier it must appear that such losses resulted
as a consequence of the omission of some duty on his part. This well states the rule.
Moreover, it cannot be said that an individual director is responsible for the negligent
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omissions of those who are his co-directors unless he shall have actively or passively
participated in such negligent omissions." (Emphases added.) Munday, 297 Ill. at 562-63.
Here the court seems to distinguish a director's general duty of "ordinary care and diligence" from
the director's less strict duty of avoiding active or passive participation in the wrongful acts or
omissions of codirectors. That distinction also seems suggested in the Warner decision cited by
Munday. In Warner, directors of a bank were sued for the fraud of the bank's executive officer
known as the cashier. The court said:
"[The cashier] is the [bank's] executive officer, who transacts its daily affairs. The directors
cannot divest themselves of the duty of general supervision and control by committing this
duty to him, but they properly may intrust to him all the discretionary powers which usually
appertain to the immediate management of its business. [Citations.]
*** Before [the directors] can be made responsible for losses which have occurred
through the mismanagement or dishonesty of the cashier, it must appear that such losses
resulted as a consequence of the omission of some duty on their part. If, in all probability,
these would have occurred just the same, notwithstanding that they had been ordinarily
diligent and vigilant, there is no justice in shifting them upon the directors, and no principle
of law to justify it. They are responsible for their own acts and omissions, but not for those
of co-directors in which they have not actively or passively participated." (Emphases added.)
Warner, 91 F. at 591.
The court held that the evidence established the personal liability of the directors serving on the bank's
discount and examining committee, which made weekly visits to the bank and reviewed the
documents prepared by the cashier. The remaining directors were not liable, because there was no
evidence that they "were cognizant of the neglect of duty" by their colleagues. Warner, 91 F. at 593.
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Foreign authorities may hold the key to understanding the dichotomy in the standards
addressing the personal liability of directors. See Hill v. International Products Co., 129 Misc. 25,
59, 220 N.Y.S. 711, 744 (Sup. Ct. 1925) (the defendants were not personally liable for false
representations of fellow directors to stock purchasers, because the defendants neither authorized,
ratified, nor knew of the misrepresentations); Davsko v. Golden Harvest Products, Inc., 965 F. Supp.
1467, 1474 (D. Kan. 1997) (" '[a] director or other corporate officer is not liable for false statements
made by another officer in which the former did not participate nor authorize nor sanction' "), quoting
3A W. Fletcher, Private Corporations §1150, at 344 (1986)). It is because "one director is not the
agent of another" that Hill and Davsko applied a requirement of active or passive participation to
trigger the personal liability of directors for the acts of their peers. See Hill, 129 Misc. at 59, 220
N.Y.S at 744; Davsko, 965 F. Supp. at 1474, quoting 3A W. Fletcher, Private Corporations §1150,
at 344 (1986).
Macaluso, McDonald, Peck, and Miller all appear to lay down a categorical participation rule
for judging the personal liability of corporate officials. Lowell Hoit, Munday, and Warner, however,
appear to make a distinction with respect to directors. As we read those cases, a director is
personally liable for the acts of subordinates if he fails to exercise ordinary care, but he is personally
liable for the acts of coequals, i.e., codirectors, only if he participates, actively or passively, in the
acts. If, as we infer, these standards are meant to be complementary, participation would mean
knowing or reckless action or omission rather than negligence.
Applied to the case at hand, the Macaluso line of decisions would unqualifiedly require
defendants' participation in Krupa's misconduct as a condition of their personal liability. Under the
Lowell Hoit line of cases, however, there is a potential tension. As defendants' fellow director, Krupa
was their coequal. Yet the record suggests that the board had oversight over Krupa and hence that
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he was in a sense their subordinate as well. We need not resolve which line of cases truly represents
Illinois law or how Lowell Hoit would apply in this hybrid situation. Rather, we find that there is no
triable issue of fact that defendants were even negligent with respect to Krupa, much less that they
knowingly or recklessly participated, whether actively or passively, in Krupa's conduct.
We can further define the concept of negligence applicable here. Lowell Hoit holds that a
director's personal liability for the acts of a subordinate officer will lie where the director was "guilty
of lack of ordinary care in the selection of such officer" or "guilty of lack of ordinary and reasonable
supervision" (Lowell Hoit, 320 Ill. App. at 182). Lowell Hoit seems to have in view the torts of
negligent hiring and retention. Plaintiffs allege negligent hiring, retention, and supervision. While at
least one appellate court decision has suggested that negligent supervision and negligent retention are
distinct torts (see Vancura v. Katris, 391 Ill. App. 3d 350, 368 (2008) (claiming that "negligent
supervision" is an "entirely different type of tort" than "negligent hiring and retention")), our supreme
court has not distinguished the two in the employment context (see Van Horne v. Muller, 185 Ill. 2d
299, 310-11 (1998) (not distinguishing between negligent supervision and retention claims)).4
"Illinois law recognizes a cause of action against an employer for negligently hiring, or retaining in
its employment, an employee it knew, or should have known, was unfit for the job so as to create a
danger of harm to third persons." Van Horne, 185 Ill. 2d at 310. "An action for negligent hiring or
retention of an employee requires the plaintiff to plead and prove (1) that the employer knew or
4 As the appellate decisions have defined it, negligent supervision applies not just in an
employment context but in any scenario where there is a duty to supervise. See, e.g., State Farm Fire
& Casualty Co. v. Mann, 172 Ill. App. 3d 86, 92 (1988) (plaintiff alleged parent negligent in
supervision of child).
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should have known that the employee had a particular unfitness for the position so as to create a
danger of harm to third persons; (2) that such particular unfitness was known or should have been
known at the time of the employee's hiring or retention; and (3) that this particular unfitness
proximately caused the plaintiff's injury." Van Horne, 185 Ill. 2d at 311.
In the case of corporate directors, we keep in mind Lowell Hoit's emphasis on the practical
necessity for directors to accord subordinate officers a measure of autonomy in the management of
the business:
"[D]irectors, although authorized and justified in committing the details of the conduct of the
corporate business to subordinate officers, are not thereby justified in withdrawing their
supervision and control of corporate affairs. They cannot thus divest themselves of the duty
of general supervision and control by committing this duty to a subordinate officer. However,
of necessity, it becomes proper that they entrust to subordinate and executive officers the
discretionary powers which usually and ordinarily appertain to the immediate management
of the particular business. *** Courts will treat directors with more leniency with respect
to a single isolated act of fraud on the part of a subordinate officer or agent, than when the
practice appears to have been so habitually and openly committed as to have been easily
detected upon proper supervision." Lowell Hoit, 320 Ill. App. at 181-82.
Having set forth the relevant law, we turn to the arguments of the parties. Plaintiffs argue
that, in pressing for summary judgment on their claims, defendants are arguing "issues already
addressed and rejected by this Court" in Zahl I. According to plaintiffs:
"This Court already determined that if the Plaintiffs came forward with proof during discovery
in support of their well-pled allegations, that would be adequate to 'prove that Krupa acted
with the apparent authority of defendants in taking plaintiffs' money pursuant to the
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investment agreements.' [Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 663]. *** The record evidence fully
satisfies the outline of evidence that should satisfy the trial court and allow the Plaintiffs the
right to proceed to trial."
Plaintiffs further contend:
"As this Court already determined, '[Ron] Krupa acted with the apparent authority of
defendants' [(Zahl I, 363 Ill. App. 3d at 663)]. Accordingly, this Court should reverse the
trial court's summary judgment ruling in favor of [defendants] and remand this case for trial."
Defendants, we think, have the better view of how Zahl I relates here:
"When read in context, this Court in Zahl I was only addressing whether [Krupa's]
conduct could be imputed to Jones & Brown Company as his principal; this Court in Zahl I
was not discussing whether [Krupa's] conduct could be imputed to [defendants] personally."
And further:
"Nowhere in the analysis of [Krupa's] apparent authority in [Zahl I] does this Court suggest
that [Krupa] had apparent authority to act on behalf of [defendants]. Nor does this Court's
opinion in Zahl I suggest [that] a finding that [Krupa] had apparent authority to act on
[behalf] of his principal, [Jones & Brown], without more would result in [defendants] being
liable for [Krupa's] fraudulent scheme." (Emphasis added.)
We agree with defendants that Zahl I did not dispose of the issues at hand here. To
demonstrate this, we must closely compare this case with Zahl I. Plaintiffs' amended complaint
sought judgment against Jones & Brown and defendants as its directors and officers. (Jones &
Brown was later dismissed from the suit.) In the breach-of-contract and fraud counts, plaintiffs
alleged that Krupa acted as the agent or apparent agent of "JONES & BROWN COMPANY INC.
and its DIRECTORS." Although plaintiffs did not appear to recognize it in their amended complaint,
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Jones & Brown was subject to a different standard of liability than defendants under the fraud and
contract counts. The claims against Jones & Brown, resting on the allegation that Krupa was its
agent or apparent agent, asserted vicarious liability. See Bank of Waukegan v. Epilepsy Foundation
of America, 163 Ill. App. 3d 901, 906 (1987) ("A principal is liable for those acts of its agent which
the agent has actual or apparent authority to perform"). Although Krupa was alleged to be the agent
or apparent agent of "JONES & BROWN COMPANY INC. and its DIRECTORS" (emphasis
added), the amended complaint presented no ground for a separate inference that Krupa was the
agent or apparent agent of defendants as well as of Jones & Brown. All acts and omissions alleged
as the basis for liability were alleged collectively of "JONES & BROWN COMPANY INC., and its
DIRECTORS" without any discrimination among defendants. See Meyer v. Holley, 537 U.S. 280,
286, 154 L. Ed. 2d 753, 761, 123 S. Ct. 824, 829 (2003) ("in the absence of special circumstances
it is the corporation, not its owner or officer, who is the principal or employer, and thus subject to
vicarious liability for torts committed by its employees or agents"; "[a] corporate employee typically
acts on behalf of the corporation, not its owner or officer"). Defendants would be liable, if at all,
because of their direct culpability for Krupa's misconduct and not simply because of their status as
corporate officials. It is that very status, in fact, that gave them presumptive insulation from personal
liability for Krupa's misconduct. "[W]hile corporate status generally shields corporate officers and
shareholders from liability from corporate debts and obligations, this protection does not shield
corporate officers from their own wrongdoing." Safeway Insurance Co. v. Daddono, 334 Ill. App.
3d 215, 219 (2002). Thus, we agree with the trial court below that "the apparent authority arguments
*** raised by the plaintiff[s] go to the corporate defendant, Jones & Brown, and not the individual
directors."
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The negligence counts alleged omissions of "JONES & BROWN COMPANY, INC. and its
DIRECTORS." Unlike the fraud and contract counts' implication of vicarious liability, the negligence
counts alleged direct culpability of defendants.
In their joint motion to dismiss the amended complaint, defendants and Jones & Brown
attacked all counts on the ground that plaintiffs failed to plead that "Krupa had either actual or
apparent authority to act on behalf of Jones & Brown when Krupa entered into the purported
agreements with Plaintiffs." Defendants and Jones & Brown did not allude to the standards for
personal liability of defendants or address the direct culpability alleged of defendants under the
negligence counts. Moreover, defendants and Jones & Brown did not attempt to distinguish
defendants from Jones & Brown with respect to any of the conduct that was collectively alleged of
them. The trial court, strictly adhering to the arguments made in support of dismissal, focused on
whether Krupa was the agent or apparent agent of Jones & Brown. The court did not distinguish
defendants from Jones & Brown, address whether defendants were personally liable for Krupa's
conduct, or examine the allegations of direct culpability in the negligence counts. 5
Our analysis in Zahl I was correspondingly narrow. As they were in the amended complaint,
the motion to dismiss, and the trial court's analysis, defendants and Jones & Brown were a monolithic
agent in our discussion; we did not even allude to the possibility that the conduct alleged collectively
of defendants and Jones & Brown might be attributable to defendants but not to Jones & Brown or
vice versa. We held that plaintiffs adequately pled apparent authority, based on two sets of alleged
facts: (1) "defendants' " conduct, namely their employing Krupa for 20 years, most recently as
5 As we noted in Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 664, the trial court dismissed the negligence counts
based entirely on the affirmative defense of unclean hands and did not reach their merits.
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president of Jones & Brown, and providing him various accouterments of office; and (2) Krupa's own
conduct, which plaintiffs were entitled to consider "as th[at] of Jones & Brown itself where it was
reasonable to do so." Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 661.
Zahl I does not have the impact here that plaintiffs claim. Plaintiffs mistakenly believe that,
when we held that plaintiffs sufficiently alleged that "Krupa acted with the apparent authority of
defendants" (Zahl I, 365 Ill. App. 3d at 663), we meant particularly defendants here, the directors of
Jones & Brown. We did not distinguish among "defendants" and indeed (as we have noted) were
never asked to. To the extent that defendants were discrete, they were just conduits for the vicarious
liability of Jones & Brown. Under any of the counts, defendants' liability would not be vicarious but
a matter of their own conduct. We said nothing in Zahl I about defendants' own actions or omissions
for purposes of their personal liability. Only now, in this appeal, are we asked to consider defendants'
personal liability. The question before us is whether there is a triable issue of fact whether defendants
are liable based on their own acts or omissions. We hold that summary judgment in defendants' favor
on all counts was proper.
Consistent with our discussion above regarding the substantive standards of personal liability
for directors, we assume, without deciding, that defendants would be liable if they (1) knowingly or
recklessly participated in Krupa's tortious acts; or (2) negligently hired or retained Krupa. Plaintiffs
argue not that defendants knew of Krupa's misconduct while it was occurring but that they were
reckless and at a minimum negligent in failing to prevent it or discover it while it was ongoing. We
note that plaintiffs presented no evidence that Krupa had a gambling habit or a tendency to deceive
when he was hired by Jones & Brown. There is no question, then, of negligent hiring.
Plaintiffs' first argument is that defendants "recklessly turned a blind eye to [Krupa's] excessive
and unusual borrowing" from Jones & Brown and were at fault for doing "nothing to investigate
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[Krupa's] purported need to borrow more than $214,000 from [Jones & Brown] prior to the
investment contracts at issue." (The sum of the loans from 2000 through 2002 was actually
$205,000.) Had defendants made that inquiry, they would have discovered Krupa's "prior contacts
with Plaintiffs[] and his gambling habits," and plaintiffs "would not have entered into the contracts
at issue and *** would not have been injured."
Plaintiffs have failed to raise a material fact question whether defendants were negligent, much
less reckless. We begin with the undisputed evidence that Jones & Brown had a custom of making
loans to employees. Creighton and Kulakowski, both longtime board members, testified to that
custom. Kulakowski testified that, besides Krupa, loans were given to at least two former CEOs of
Jones & Brown and a former vice president of sales. Kulakowski himself was once loaned $18,000
or $19,000 to purchase a new car. When Krupa informed Krol, a relative newcomer to the board,
of that practice, Krol voiced his disapproval but cited no Jones & Brown policy against making such
loans.
Plaintiffs submit that Krupa's requests were "excessive and unusual." Here plaintiffs evidently
have in mind Kulakowski's testimony that Krupa's balance of $186,000 as of April 2002 seemed
"large" for a nonowner of Jones & Brown such as Krupa. That balance, however, reflected all loans
extended to Krupa, and there is no evidence of the reasons Krupa presented for taking the $9,500
loan in 2000 and the $60,000 loan in 2002. As for the $136,000 Krupa requested in 2002, we see
nothing to suggest that, given the facts then known to Creighton and Kulakowski, they should have
verified Krupa's story before arranging the loan. Krupa's request had undeniable legitimacy on its
face, at least when compared to Kulakowski's loan for a car. Creighton and Kulakowski both
described Krupa's emotionally charged plea, which undoubtedly enhanced the appearance of sincerity.
Also, in 2002, Krupa had been with Jones & Brown for 29 years and had advanced to vice president.
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Kulakowski testified that he had not known Krupa to be untrustworthy. Creighton testified that he
"held great trust" in Krupa.
There was, moreover, no indication that Krupa had an unusual taste for gambling. There was
office gambling at Jones & Brown but Krupa was no more involved than his fellow employees.
Creighton, we acknowledged, testified to his regret for not verifying Krupa's story. We quoted that
specific testimony at length and it appears to us that Creighton's perspective throughout that excerpt,
and indeed throughout all of his testimony, was overall post facto. He admitted to "poor supervision"
based on the "way this turned out" and on "what has happened." We see nothing in the evidence to
suggest that Creighton believed his actions were improper given what he knew when he acted on
Krupa's request. If there was any custom of verifying the bases for loan requests, even of longtime,
highly accomplished, and trusted employees like Krupa, it is not apparent from the record. Plaintiffs
are in essence arguing backward from consequences, a tempting but erroneous approach in
negligence cases. "In judging whether harm was legally foreseeable[,] we consider what was apparent
to the defendant at the time of his now complained of conduct, not what may appear through the
exercise of hindsight." Cunis v. Brennen, 56 Ill. 2d 372, 376 (1974). Foreseeability is not "a
judgment from actual consequences which were then not to be apprehended by a prudent and
competent person." 57A Am. Jur. 2d Negligence §125 (2009) (citing cases). We see no evidence
that, when Krupa approached them in 2002, Creighton and Kulakowski had any reason to doubt
Krupa's claimed reason for the loan or were otherwise obligated to investigate his story.6
6 Creighton and Kulakowski, we acknowledge, were examined thoroughly on their failure to
apprise their fellow board members, or the owners of Jones & Brown, of the $136,000 loan until after
Zahl came forward. Creighton was also questioned pointedly about his approving the loan without
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Defendants were also at fault, plaintiffs claim, in granting Krupa too much autonomy.
According to plaintiffs, it was the "liberal allowance of [Krupa's] use of his Company office,
letterhead, phone, credit card, [and] car" that "fully and freely provided the means to allow [Krupa]
to contract with Plaintiffs in a completely free and unfettered manner." Plaintiffs emphasize
Creighton's admission that it was a mistake not to have more strictly enforced the general
understanding at Jones & Brown, attested to by Creighton and Kulakowski, that company space and
materials were not for personal use. Here again we find Creighton's admissions lacking the weight
that plaintiffs assign them. Creighton frequently cited "hindsight" and his current "perspective" as his
criteria for judging the strength of Jones & Brown's policies. As the court in Lowell Hoit observed,
directors of necessity devolve upon subordinate officers the "immediate management of the particular
business." Lowell Hoit, 320 Ill. App. at 182. Creighton was never asked how Jones & Brown's
policies could have been strengthened to prevent such fraud as Krupa's without intruding on the trust
that is in the very nature of the corporate structure. By all appearances, Krupa especially earned that
trust. Notably, of Jones & Brown's policies toward personal use of letterhead, the company material
most prominent in the fraud, Creighton said, "I suppose it would be pretty easy for anybody to put
letterhead paper in their case and leave at any company anywhere" (emphases added). To have
searched Krupa's person and effects for company letterhead upon his leaving the office each night
would negate the vital entrustment and violate the underlying trust. Moreover, it is unlikely that the
most intrusive of measures could have thwarted Krupa's machinations given the resourcefulness he
consulting the entire board. Plaintiffs do not single out these acts or omissions by these particular
directors. Their focus, rather, is what they frame as defendants' collective failure to verify Krupa's
story.
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showed in defrauding Zahl and Gene. We have no reason to believe that Krupa could not have
arranged the fraud mostly off-premises and on his own time. Plaintiffs again are arguing ad hoc, using
little more than hindsight to accuse defendants of lacking foresight.
Plaintiffs compare this case factually to People ex rel. Hartigan v. E&E Hauling, Inc., 153 Ill.
2d 473 (1992), and National Acceptance. Both comparisons are nonstarters. The plaintiffs in
Hartigan alleged that the defendant, the director of a corporation, " 'instituted the policies' " on which
were based the corporation's fraudulent misrepresentations to the government. Hartigan, 153 Ill. 2d
at 502. The supreme court held that these allegations were sufficient to state a fraud claim against
the defendant personally. In National Acceptance, there was testimony that the defendant facilitated
his corporation's conversion by endorsing to the corporation checks that were due the plaintiff. The
court held that the defendant's "active participation" made him personally liable for the conversion.
National Acceptance, 94 Ill. App. 3d at 707. Defendants here had no such knowing involvement as
did the defendants in Hartigan and National Acceptance.
A closer case factually is Lowell Hoit. In Lowell Hoit, as we recounted above, the plaintiff
had oats stored at a grain elevator of which the defendants were directors. Without the plaintiff's
consent, Herrmann, the manager of the elevator, sold the grain to a third party. The plaintiff sought
to hold the defendants personally liable for the conversion even though the evidence showed that they
had no knowledge that the plaintiff even had grain at the elevator. The court held that the defendants
were not reckless or negligent in their oversight of Herrmann:
"Nothing appears in this case to indicate that [the defendants] did not exercise care and
prudence in their selection of the agent Herrmann. Neither does it appear as if they sought
to divest themselves of a general supervision of the conduct of the business. Further, nothing
appears to indicate that they had any knowledge of, or had acquiesced in a continuous or
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repeated course of conduct on the part of Herrmann such as committed in the present
instance. Courts will treat directors with more leniency with respect to a single isolated act
of fraud on the part of a subordinate officer or agent, than where the practice appears to have
been so habitually and openly committed as to have been easily detected upon proper
supervision. We do not consider the directors to be personally liable under the evidence in
this case. Here we find a single act secreted by the subordinate officer from the directors,
with the contract locked up by him without their knowledge of its existence, and no corporate
record to come before them reflecting such transaction." Lowell Hoit, 320 Ill. App. at 182.
Here, of course, Krupa did not commit a "single act" of fraud, yet neither was his fraud so "openly
committed as to have been easily detected upon proper supervision." As Lowell Hoit recognizes,
directors have a right to entrust immediate corporate governance to officers. There was no evidence
that defendants had any reason to suspect Krupa of wrongdoing or the potential for it. It is in
retrospection alone that Krupa appears unworthy of the great trust defendants placed in him.
Therefore, we find that there is no issue of material fact whether defendants were reckless or
negligent in regard to Krupa. Accordingly, summary judgment in favor of defendants on all counts
was proper.
For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of the circuit court of Du Page County.
Affirmed.
SCHOSTOK and HUDSON, JJ., concur.
-45-
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