(225 ILCS 45/8.1)

Sec. 8.1. Sales; liability of purchaser for shortage. In the event of a sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the licensee, the sale or transfer of the controlling interest of the corporate stock of the licensee if the licensee is a corporation, the sale or transfer of the controlling interest of the partnership if the licensee is a partnership, or the sale of the licensee pursuant to foreclosure proceedings, the purchaser is liable for any shortages existing before or after the sale in the trust funds required to be maintained in a trust pursuant to this Act and shall honor all pre-need contracts and trusts entered into by the licensee. Any shortages existing in the trust funds constitute a prior lien in favor of the trust for the total value of the shortages, and notice of that lien shall be provided in all sales instruments.

In the event of a sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the licensee, the sale or transfer of the controlling interest of the corporate stock of the licensee if the licensee is a corporation, or the sale or transfer of the controlling interest of the partnership if the licensee is a partnership, the licensee shall, at least 21 days prior to the sale or transfer, notify the Comptroller, in writing, of the pending date of sale or transfer so as to permit the Comptroller to audit the books and records of the licensee. The audit must be commenced within 10 business days of the receipt of the notification and completed within the 21-day notification period unless the Comptroller notifies the licensee during that period that there is a basis for determining a deficiency which will require additional time to finalize. Failure to provide timely notice to the Comptroller under this Section shall be an intentional violation of this Act. The sale or transfer may not be completed by the licensee unless and until:

(i) the Comptroller has completed the audit of the licensee's books and records;

(ii) any delinquency existing in the trust funds has been paid by the licensee, or arrangements satisfactory to the Comptroller have been made by the licensee on the sale or transfer for the payment of any delinquency; and

(iii) the Comptroller issues a license upon application of the new owner, which license must be applied for within 21 days of the anticipated date of the sale or transfer, subject to the payment of any delinquencies, if any, as stated in item (ii).

For purposes of this Section, a person, firm, corporation, partnership, or institution that acquires the licensee through a real estate foreclosure shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 96-879, eff. 2-2-10.)