625 ILCS 5/5-102.7

(625 ILCS 5/5-102.7)

Sec. 5-102.7. Dealer Recovery Trust Fund.

(a) The General Assembly finds that motor vehicle dealers that go out of business without fulfilling agreements to pay off the balance of their customers' liens on traded-in vehicles cause financial harm to those customers by leaving those customers liable for multiple vehicle loans and cause harm to the integrity of the motor vehicle retailing industry. It is the intent of the General Assembly to protect vehicle purchasers by creating a Dealer Recovery Trust Fund to reimburse these consumers.

(b) The Dealer Recovery Trust Fund shall be used solely for the limited purpose of helping victims of dealership closings. Any interest accrued by moneys in the Fund shall be deposited and become part of the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund and its purpose. The sole beneficiaries of the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund are victims of dealership closings.

(c) Except where the context otherwise requires, the following words and phrases, when used in this Section, have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection (c):

"Applicant" means a person who applies for reimbursement from the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund Board.

"Board" means the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund Board created under this Section.

"Dealer" means a new vehicle dealer licensed under Section 5-101, a used vehicle dealer licensed under Section 5-102, or a Buy Here, Pay Here used vehicle dealer licensed under 5-102.8, excepting a dealer who primarily sells mobile homes, recreational vehicles, or trailers.

"Fund" means the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund created under this Section.

"Fund Administrator" means the private entity, which shall be appointed by the Board, that administers the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund.

(d) Beginning October 1, 2011, each application or renewal for a new vehicle dealer's license and each application or renewal for a Buy Here, Pay Here used vehicle dealer licensed under 5-102.8 or a used vehicle dealer's license shall be accompanied by the applicable Annual Dealer Recovery Fund Fee under Section 5-101 or 5-102 of this Code. The fee shall be in addition to any other fees imposed under this Article, shall be submitted at the same time an application or renewal for a new vehicle dealer's license, used vehicle dealer's license, or Buy Here, Pay Here used vehicle dealer is submitted, and shall be made payable to and remitted directly to the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund, a trust fund outside of the State Treasury which is hereby created. In addition, the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund may accept any federal, State, or private moneys for deposit into the Fund.

(e) The Fund Administrator shall maintain a list of all dealers who have paid the fee under subsection (d) of this Section for the current year, which shall be available to the Secretary of State and the Board. The Secretary of State shall revoke the dealer license of any dealer who does not pay the fee imposed under subsection (d) of this Section. The Secretary of State and the Fund Administrator may enter into information sharing agreements as needed to implement this Section.

(f) The Fund shall be audited annually by an independent auditor who is a certified public accountant and who has been selected by the Board. The independent auditor shall compile an annual report, which shall be filed with the Board and shall be a public record. The auditor shall be paid by the Fund, pursuant to an order of the Board.

(g) The Fund shall be maintained by the Fund Administrator, who shall keep current records of the amounts deposited into the Fund and the amounts paid out of the Fund pursuant to an order of the Board. These records shall be made available to all members of the Board upon reasonable request during normal business hours. The Fund Administrator shall report the balance in the Fund to the Board monthly, by the 15th day of each month. For purposes of determining the amount available to pay claims under this Section at any meeting of the Board, the Board shall use the Fund Administrator's most recent monthly report. The Fund Administrator shall purchase liability insurance to cover management of the Fund at a cost not to exceed 2% of the balance in the Fund as of January 15th of that year.

(h) In any year for which the balance in the Fund as of August 31st is greater than $3,500,000, the Fund Administrator shall notify the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State shall suspend collection of the fee for the following year for any dealer who has not had a claim paid from the Fund, has not had his or her license suspended or revoked, and has not been assessed any civil penalties under this Code during the 3 previous years.

(i) Moneys in the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund may be paid from the Fund only as directed by a written order of the Board and used only for the following purposes:

(i) to pay claims under a written order of the Board as provided in this Section; or

(ii) to reimburse the Fund Administrator for its expenses related to the administration of the Fund, provided that the reimbursement to the Fund Administrator in any year shall not exceed 2% of the balance in the Fund as of January 15th of that year.

(j) The Dealer Recovery Trust Fund Board is hereby created. The Board shall consist of the Secretary of State, or his or her designee, who shall serve as chair, the Attorney General, or his or her designee, who shall serve as secretary, and one person alternatively representing new and independent Illinois automobile dealers, selected collectively by the Attorney General, or his or her designee, and the Secretary of State, or his or her designee. The Secretary of State may propose procedures and employ personnel as necessary to implement this Section. The Board shall meet quarterly, and as needed, as directed by the chair. The Board may not pay out any claims before the balance deposited into the Fund exceeds $500,000. Board meetings shall be open to the public. The Board has the authority to take any action by at least a two-thirds majority vote.

(k) The following persons may apply to the Board for reimbursement from the Dealer Recovery Trust Fund:

(i) A retail customer who, on or after October 1, 2011, purchases a vehicle from a dealer who subsequently files for bankruptcy or whose vehicle dealer's license is subsequently revoked by the Secretary of State or otherwise terminated and, as part of the purchase transaction, trades in a vehicle with an outstanding lien to the dealer if lien satisfaction was a condition of the purchase agreement and the retail customer determines that the lien has not been satisfied;

(ii) A retail customer who, on or after October 1, 2011, purchases a vehicle with an undisclosed lien from a dealer who subsequently files for bankruptcy or whose vehicle dealer's license is subsequently revoked by the Secretary of State or otherwise terminated;

(iii) A dealer who, on or after October 1, 2011, purchases a vehicle with an undisclosed lien from another dealer who subsequently files for bankruptcy or whose vehicle dealer's license is subsequently revoked by the Secretary of State or otherwise terminated.

(l) To be considered by the Board, an applicant must submit his or her claim to the Board within 2 years after the date of the transaction that gave rise to the claim.

(m) At each meeting of the Board, it shall consider all claims that are properly submitted to it on forms prescribed by the Secretary of State at least 30 days before the date of the Board's meeting. Before the Board may consider a claim against a dealer, it must make a written determination that the dealer has filed for bankruptcy under the provisions of 11 U.S.C. Chapter 7; that the Secretary of State has revoked his or her dealer's license; or that the license has been otherwise terminated. Once the Board has made this determination, it may consider the applicant's claim against the dealer. If a two-thirds majority of the Board determines that the dealer has committed a violation under subsection (k), it shall grant the applicant's claim. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the maximum amount of any award for a claim under paragraph (i) of subsection (k) of this Section shall be equal to the amount of the unpaid balance of the lien that the dealer agreed to pay off on behalf of the applicant as shown on the bill of sale or the retail installment sales contract. The maximum amount of any claim under paragraph (ii) or (iii) of subsection (k) of this Section shall be equal to the amount of the undisclosed lien. However, no award for a claim under subsection (k) of this Section shall exceed $35,000.

(n) If the balance in the Fund at the time of any Board meeting is less than the amount of the total amount of all claims awarded at that meeting, then all awards made at that meeting shall be reduced, pro rata, so that the amount of claims does not exceed the balance in the Fund. Before it reviews new claims, the Board shall issue written orders to pay the remaining portion of any claims that were so reduced, provided that the balance in the Fund is sufficient to pay those claims.

(o) Whenever the balance of the Fund falls below $500,000, the Board may charge dealers an additional assessment of up to $50 to bring the balance to at least $500,000. Not more than one additional assessment may be made against a dealer in any 12-month period.

(p) If the total amount of claims awarded against any dealer exceeds 33% of the balance in the Fund, the Board may permanently reduce the amount of those claims, pro rata, so that those claims do not exceed 33% of the balance in the Fund.

(q) The Board shall issue a written order directing the Fund Administrator to pay an applicant's claim to a secured party where the Board has received a signed agreement between the applicant and the secured party holding the lien. The agreement must (i) state that the applicant and the secured party agree to accept payment from the Fund to the secured party as settlement in full of all claims against the dealer; and (ii) release the lien and the title, if applicable, to the vehicle that was the subject of the claim. The written order shall state the amount of the claim and the name and address of the secured party to whom the claim shall be paid. The Fund Administrator shall pay the claim within 30 days after it receives the Board's order.

(r) No dealer or principal associated with a dealer's license is eligible for licensure, renewal or relicensure until the full amount of reimbursement for an unpaid claim, plus interest as determined by the Board, is paid to the Fund. Nothing in this Section shall limit the authority of the Secretary of State to suspend, revoke, or levy civil penalties against a dealer, nor shall full repayment of the amount owed to the Fund nullify or modify the effect of any action by the Secretary.

(s) Nothing in this Section shall limit the right of any person to seek relief though civil action against any other person as an alternative to seeking reimbursement from the Fund.

(Source: P.A. 101-505, eff. 1-1-20.)