State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 003 ][ Conference Committee Report 001 ]

90_HB0297

      735 ILCS 5/2-1008         from Ch. 110, par. 2-1008
      735 ILCS 5/13-209         from Ch. 110, par. 13-209
          Amends the Code of Civil Procedure.  Provides that when a
      party or potential party to an action  dies,  the  court  may
      appoint  a  special  representative for the deceased for that
      suit without the appointment being made in  separate  probate
      proceedings.   Provides  that  the  appointment shall be made
      upon the verified motion of a party entitled  to  participate
      in  the  deceased's  estate  or  upon  the motion of a person
      filing an action against the  estate  and  that  the  special
      representative  shall  give  notice of the proceedings to the
      heirs, legatees, and executors.  Provides that  the  proceeds
      from  a  judgment  or  settlement  for  the  estate  shall be
      distributed under the  Probate  Act  of  1975  and  that  the
      recovery of a judgment against the estate shall be limited to
      the  amount  of the estate's liability insurance.  Excludes a
      pending action  under  the  Wrongful  Death  Act  from  these
      provisions.
                                                     LRB9000213PTcw
                                               LRB9000213PTcw
 1        AN  ACT  to amend the Code of Civil Procedure by changing
 2    Sections 2-1008 and 13-209.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.   The  Code  of Civil Procedure is amended by
 6    changing Sections 2-1008 and 13-209 as follows:
 7        (735 ILCS 5/2-1008) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-1008)
 8        Sec. 2-1008.  Abatement; change of interest or liability;
 9    substitution of parties.
10        (a) Change of interest or  liability.  If  by  reason  of
11    marriage,   bankruptcy,   assignment,   or  any  other  event
12    occurring after the commencement of a  cause  or  proceeding,
13    either   before  or  after  judgment,  causing  a  change  or
14    transmission of interest or liability, or by  reason  of  any
15    person interested coming into existence after commencement of
16    the action, it becomes necessary or desirable that any person
17    not  already  a party be before the court, or that any person
18    already a party be made party in another capacity, the action
19    does not abate, but on motion an order may  be  entered  that
20    the  proper  parties  be  substituted  or added, and that the
21    cause or proceeding be carried on with the remaining  parties
22    and new parties, with or without a change in the title of the
23    cause.
24        (b)  Death.  If  a party to an action dies and the action
25    is one which survives, the proper party  or  parties  may  be
26    substituted by order of court upon motion as follows:.
27             (1)  If  no  petition  for letters of office for the
28        decedent's estate has been filed, the court may appoint a
29        special representative for the deceased for  the  purpose
30        of  prosecuting  the action.  The appointment shall be on
31        verified motion of any  party  who  appears  entitled  to
                            -2-                LRB9000213PTcw
 1        participate  in the deceased's estate, reciting the names
 2        and last known addresses  of  all  known  heirs  and  the
 3        legatees  and  executor  named  in any will that has been
 4        filed.  The court's determination that a  person  appears
 5        entitled to participate in the deceased's estate shall be
 6        solely for purposes of this Section and not determinative
 7        of  rights  in  final  disposition.  Within 90 days after
 8        appointment, the special representative shall notify  the
 9        heirs  and legatees of the following information by mail:
10        that an appointment has been made, the court in which the
11        case  was  filed,  the  caption  of  the  case,   and   a
12        description  of  the  nature  of  the  case.  The special
13        representative shall publish notice to unknown heirs  and
14        legatees  as  provided  in the Probate Act of 1975.  If a
15        will is filed within 90 days after the appointment of the
16        special representative, the same notice shall be given to
17        any additional executors and legatees named in the  will.
18        At   any   time   that   an   estate  is  opened  with  a
19        representative other than the special representative, the
20        court may upon motion substitute the  representative  for
21        the  special  representative.   In  this case,  the court
22        shall  allow  disbursements  and  fees  of  the   special
23        representative and his or her attorney as a claim against
24        any  proceeds  received.  The proceeds of any judgment or
25        settlement shall be distributed under the  provisions  of
26        the  Probate  Act  of  1975.  This paragraph (1) does not
27        apply to actions pending under the Wrongful Death Act.
28             (2)  If a person against whom  an  action  has  been
29        brought dies, and the cause of action survives and is not
30        otherwise  barred,  his  or  her  personal representative
31        shall be substituted as a party.  If no petition has been
32        filed for letters of office for  the  deceased's  estate,
33        the court, upon the motion of a person bringing an action
34        and  after the notice to the party's heirs or legatees as
                            -3-                LRB9000213PTcw
 1        the court directs and  without  opening  an  estate,  may
 2        appoint  a  special representative for the deceased party
 3        for the purposes of defending the  action.   If  a  party
 4        elects  to  have a special representative appointed under
 5        this paragraph (2), the recovery shall be limited to  the
 6        proceeds of any liability insurance protecting the estate
 7        and  shall  not  bar the estate from enforcing any claims
 8        that might have been available to it as counterclaims.
 9        If a motion to substitute is not  filed  within  90  days
10    after  the  death  is  suggested of record, the action may be
11    dismissed as to the deceased party.
12        If the death of a party to a personal action is suggested
13    of record and no petition for letters of office  for  his  or
14    her  estate  has been filed, the court, upon motion and after
15    such notice to the party's heirs or  legatees  as  the  court
16    directs,  and  without  opening  of  an estate, may appoint a
17    special administrator for the deceased party for the  purpose
18    of   prosecuting   or   defending  the  action.  If  a  legal
19    representative is appointed for the estate before judgment is
20    entered, and his or her appointment is suggested of record in
21    the action, the court shall order that the representative  be
22    substituted for the special administrator.
23        If  a  judgment  is  entered  or the action is settled in
24    favor  of  the  special  administrator,  he  or   she   shall
25    distribute  the  proceeds  as provided by law, except that if
26    proceeds in excess of $1,000 are distributable to a minor  or
27    person   under   legal  disability,  the  court  shall  allow
28    disbursements and fees to the special administrator  and  his
29    or  her  attorney  and  the balance shall be administered and
30    distributed under the supervision of the probate division  of
31    the court.
32        In  the  event  of  the  death of a party in an action in
33    which the right sought to be enforced survives only as to the
34    remaining parties to the action, the action does  not  abate.
                            -4-                LRB9000213PTcw
 1    The  death  shall be suggested of record and the action shall
 2    proceed in favor of or against the remaining parties.
 3        No action brought for the use of another abates by reason
 4    of the death of the plaintiff whose name is used but  may  be
 5    maintained  by  the party for whose use it was brought in his
 6    or her own name upon suggesting the death of record  and  the
 7    entry of an order of substitution.
 8        (c)  Legal  disability.  If  a  party is declared to be a
 9    person under legal disability, that fact shall  be  suggested
10    of  record and the prosecution or defense shall be maintained
11    by his or her  representative,  guardian  ad  litem  or  next
12    friend, as may be appropriate.
13        (d)  Trustees;  public  officers.  If  any trustee or any
14    public officer ceases to hold the trust or  office  and  that
15    fact  is  suggested  of  record,  the action shall proceed in
16    favor of or against his or her successor.
17        (e)  Service of process. Parties against whom  relief  is
18    sought,  substituted  under  subsection  (a) hereof, shall be
19    brought in by service  of  process.  Service  of  process  on
20    parties  substituted  under  subsections  (b),  (c),  and (d)
21    hereof is not required, but notice  shall  be  given  as  the
22    court may direct.
23    (Source: P.A. 83-707.)
24        (735 ILCS 5/13-209) (from Ch. 110, par. 13-209)
25        Sec. 13-209. Death of party.
26        (a)  If  a person entitled to bring an action dies before
27    the expiration of  the  time  limited  for  the  commencement
28    thereof, and the cause of action survives:,
29             (1)  an  action  may  be  commenced  by  his  or her
30        representative before the expiration  of  that  time,  or
31        within  one  year from his or her death whichever date is
32        the later;
33             (2)  if no petition for letters of  office  for  the
                            -5-                LRB9000213PTcw
 1        decedent's estate has been filed, the court may appoint a
 2        special  representative  for the deceased for the purpose
 3        of prosecuting the action.  The appointment shall  be  on
 4        verified  motion  of  any  party  who appears entitled to
 5        participate in the deceased's estate, reciting the  names
 6        and  last  known  addresses  of  all  known heirs and the
 7        legatees and executor named in any  will  that  has  been
 8        filed.   The  court's determination that a person appears
 9        entitled to participate in the deceased's estate shall be
10        solely for purposes of this Section and not determinative
11        of rights in final disposition.   Within  90  days  after
12        appointment,  the special representative shall notify the
13        heirs and legatees of the following information by  mail:
14        that an appointment has been made, the court in which the
15        case   was   filed,  the  caption  of  the  case,  and  a
16        description of the  nature  of  the  case.   The  special
17        representative  shall publish notice to unknown heirs and
18        legatees as provided in the Probate Act of  1975.   If  a
19        will is filed within 90 days after the appointment of the
20        special representative, the same notice shall be given to
21        any  additional executors and legatees named in the will.
22        At  any  time  that  an   estate   is   opened   with   a
23        representative other than the special representative, the
24        court  may  upon motion substitute the representative for
25        the special representative.   In  this  case,  the  court
26        shall   allow  disbursements  and  fees  of  the  special
27        representative and his or her attorney as a claim against
28        any proceeds received.  The proceeds of any  judgment  or
29        settlement  shall  be distributed under the provisions of
30        the Probate Act of 1975.
31        (b)  If a person against whom an action  may  be  brought
32    dies  before  the  expiration  of  the  time  limited for the
33    commencement thereof, and the cause of action  survives,  and
34    is not otherwise barred:,
                            -6-                LRB9000213PTcw
 1             (1)    an action may be commenced against his or her
 2        personal representative after the expiration of the  time
 3        limited  for the commencement of the action, and within 6
 4        months after the person's death;
 5             (2)  if no petition has been filed  for  letters  of
 6        office  for  the  deceased's  estate, the court, upon the
 7        motion of a person entitled to bring an action and  after
 8        the  notice to the party's heirs or legatees as the court
 9        directs and without opening  an  estate,  may  appoint  a
10        special  representative  for  the  deceased party for the
11        purposes of defending the action.  If a party  elects  to
12        have   a  special  representative  appointed  under  this
13        paragraph (2), the  recovery  shall  be  limited  to  the
14        proceeds of any liability insurance protecting the estate
15        and  shall  not  bar the estate from enforcing any claims
16        that might have been available to it as counterclaims.
17        (c)  If a party commences an action  against  a  deceased
18    person  whose  death  is  unknown  to  the  party  before the
19    expiration of the time limited for the commencement  thereof,
20    and  the  cause  of  action  survives,  and  is not otherwise
21    barred, the action may  be  commenced  against  the  deceased
22    person's  personal  representative  if  all  of the following
23    terms and conditions are met:
24             (1)  After learning of the death, the party proceeds
25        with reasonable diligence to move the court for leave  to
26        file  an  amended  complaint,  substituting  the personal
27        representative as defendant.
28             (2)  The party proceeds with reasonable diligence to
29        serve process upon the personal representative.
30             (3)  If process is served more than 6  months  after
31        the  issuance  of  letters  of  office,  liability of the
32        estate is limited as to recovery to the extent the estate
33        is protected by liability insurance.
34             (4)  In no event can  a  party  commence  an  action
                            -7-                LRB9000213PTcw
 1        under    this    subsection   (c)   unless   a   personal
 2        representative is appointed and an amended  complaint  is
 3        filed  within  2  years  of  the  time  limited  for  the
 4        commencement of the original action.
 5    (Source: P.A. 86-793; 86-815; 86-1028.)

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