JULY 3

BELLEVILLE

$16,000-1810-1814 LAURETTE LANE-DENNIS PL. BRUEGGEMAN TO CHRIS BLANDFORD   

$20,000-8500 OLD SAINT LOUIS ROAD    BELLEVILLE-LAURIE ANNE FERZACCA TO IMPERIOUS INVESTMENTS, LLC                                                                 

$79,900-1801, 1803, 1807 NORTH BELT EAST-ROBERT G. AND JUDITH A. NELSON TO BARBARA J. SMALLENBERGER                               

$90,000-3006 CELEBRATION PARK CIRCLE-SHENEE T. MCCOY TO CRAIG A. BURRELL          

$172,500-320 RING OF KERRY DRIVE-RICHARD AND KATHY SPEJEWSKI TO RICHARD JOSEPH HOLSTE, III    

$295,500-3521 STEINBERG FARM ROAD-FANNIE MAE TO BRIAN S. CLAY 

CAHOKIA

$21,000-448 GODIN AVENUE-JOHNNIE HEARTY TO RIVERSIDE PROPERTY INVEST, LLC

$25,000-1124 ST. HELENA AVENUE-1323 WEST MAIN, INC. TO RIVERSIDE PROPERTY INVEST, LLC                

$39,000-864 MILDRED AVENUE- AZA PROPERTIES LLC TO THE HABBAK FAMILY TRUST                                     

EAST SAINT LOUIS

$17,000-1500 SAINT LOUIS AVENUE-FANNIE MAE TO TROY SWANSON   

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

$102,000-109 BOUNTIFUL DRIVE- FULL MOON REAL ESTATE, INC. TO MICHAEL AND MARGARET HUFFMAN          

MASCOUTAH

$313,672-9721 QUAPAW COURT- KAPPERT CONSTRUCTION CO, INC TO ALEXANDER AND TANIA HARDT

MARISSA

$85,000-801 S EUCLID AVE-TIMOTHY D.RICHARDS TO LARRY AND LOLA COLEMAN            

$190,000-315 PINCKNEYVILLE RD- SHIRLEY J. WITTHOFT TO B & D MACHINE WORKS, INC.                                                                             

NEW BADEN

$67,000-206 WHITE OAK DR- CHRISTOPHER AND AIMEE L. ROADY TO JOSEPH AND CHRYSTAL DIENST       

O’FALLON                          

$82,000-212 WELLESLEY DRIVE-US BANK TO RICK R. PARKS                          

$177,500-105 PIN OAK LANE- SUNCHLAR M. RUST TO TERRENCE AND KELLY NEIGHBORS               

$228,000-764 BASSETT STREET- NORMAN P. WRIGHT AND YUGENIA PAULINO-WRIGHT TO BRADLEY E. RICHARDSON AND MONIQUE J. LYNCH              

$190,000-655 SHAMROCK DRIVE- PENNY SCOTT TO SAMANTHA ROSSEN                                               

SMITHTON

$190,000-5784 STONE VILLA DRIVE- CHARLES AND THERESA M. FOX TO JEFFREY W. MYERS AND SARA A. FOX      

SWANSEA          

$50,000-1704 SCHOBERT DR-FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE TO SORRELL CHILDS                       

$365,000-159 LAKE LORRAINE DRIVE-ROBERT AND SHARON BIGGERS TO JAMES R. ROCHE

JULY 5

BELLEVILLE

$11,000-607 NORTH ILLINOIS STREET-ASSOCIATED BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION TO ROB CAMPBELL    

$50,000-1401 EAST MAIN STREET- JOY STENGER TO EDMAR HOMES LLC

$80,000-17 N. 18TH STREET- HOME TOWN LIVING, LLC. TO JT AND LORETTA WHITE

$97,500-7519 CLAYMONT COURT, UNIT 2- MICHELLE RENNER TO SHEREE RAZE                  

$109,000-7316 ARKE DRIVE- THOMAS KOVACH-ANTA TO BROOKE THOM

$150,000-316 NORTH OAK STREET- THOMAS AND PAULA HANISZEWSKI TO JULIANNA MARGARET PETERS AND SHARON ROCKWELL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

$154,000-1516 BOUNTIFUL LANE- SAMANTHA J. GIES TO GAIL BUKLAD  

$160,000-146 DIANNE DRIVE - NORMA L. ROHLEDER, DECEASED TO DARWIN MICHAEL AND KATHY LORRAINE ROHLEDER                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

$182,000-2852 SMOKEHOUSE WAY- JENNIFER L. DICKERSON TO PATRICK MURPHY

$250,000-2406 BEN HOGAN COURT- TORE TRIBOUT TRUST AND ANNA TRIBOUT TRUST TO JASON AND SHARON CASTILLO                                            

CAHOKIA

$10,000-121 DONALD STREET-JERRY W. SUGG TO BRIAN CHRISTOPHER WEBB     

$48,500-865 SAINT CLETUS DR-US BANK TO TYJOHNEA BRUCE    

EAST SAINT LOUIS

$12,000-811 N. 72ND ST- FANNIE MAE TO NATASHA CHAVIS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

$51,500-1443 FIRST AVENUE- ALLAN C. KELLY, TRUSTEE AK LAND TRUST #100 TO JULIAN CHASTAIN         

$102,000-109 BOUNTIFUL DRIVE-FULL MOON REAL ESTATE, INC. TO MICHAEL AND MARGARET HUFFMAN                                           

LEBANON

$245,000-1213 BELLEVILLE STREET- CONSTANCE K. LAURIE TO MICHELLE ELLOWITZ                                                                                                                                                                          

MASCOUTAH

$76,321-312 SOUTH RAILWAY STREET- SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO ELIZABETH PATRICIA WAHLIG                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

O’FALLON

$123,500-401 EAST WASHINGTON STREET-EUGENE AND COURTNEY KING TO EIAN D. AND AMANDA K. WARMA                 

$147,000-1316 CROWN LANE -BETTY J. GREGOR TO DOUGLAS A. AND DENYSE M. BLANKENSHIP

$147,500-402 NORTH CHERRY STREET- BENJAMIN T. AND MEGAN E. TOON TO KEVIN D. AND BRANDI C. CONNOLLY                               

$197,500-809 DEER CREEK ROAD-SEAN AND CANDACE BASILE TO RYAN AND MARIE GOLF

$215,500-1064 CATALPA DRIVE O'FALLON-JOHN AND JULIE COY TO NATHAN R AND ELIZABETH A FILSON

$245,000-1213 ILLINI DRIVE- ROYCE AND MEGAN LIPPERT TO OBADIAH R. AND BRANDIE E. COLEBROOKE

$342,000-1100 NATURESCAPE COURT- ANDREW I. AND SARAH T. BECKETT TO DANIEL J. AND DANIELLE M. KULL                 

$399,900-437 MARBLETON CIRCLE-CHRISTOPHER AND CHRISTINE GOODING TO WENDELL RUSH

SHILOH

$218,000-3256 MILLBROOK DRIVE- ROBERT AND KATRINA BOLDIN TO ROBERT E. RHODES                                                                                                                                                                             

JULY 6

BELLEVILLE

$24,750-701 HECKER STREET- JANET HEARAN, EXECUTRIX OF ESTATE OF RAYMOND R. MAGIN, DECEASED TO HENRY PROPERTIES, INC.            

$84,900-208 AARON DRIVE- LEROY J. WECK BY BERNETTE M. WECK HIS ATTORNEY TO STEVEN AND CHRISTINE CHESEBRO          

$91,000-1308 SANDALWOOD DRIVE- JOHN M. CHESTER TO JOSUE S.MURILLO    

$116,000-313 RADCLIFF ROAD- CLAIRE M. CHATHAM TO ISHWAR D. YADAV

$148,000-533 SOUTH MISSOURI AVENUE- BRETT L. BALTZ TO DAVID KASTEN II AND JILLIAN LAFURIA

$189,900-3245 HUNTERS WAY- KATHY CADWELL TO MICHAEL AND CATHERINE DUNN                                    

$210,000-2329 PRO TOUR DRIVE- LADONNA AND TERRANCE CHRIST TO CODY S HAFELI  

$257,000-310 BERWICK CROSSING- JONATHON K AND JOCELYN HUBBARD TO KIMBERLY MILLS

$338,500-3205 SUNSET RIDGE BOULEVARD- CHARLES K. AND EDINA SIMONE WOODS TO RAS CLOSING SERVICES LLC                                                               

EAST SAINT LOUIS                                                           

$2,500-311 N 73RD ST- BANK OF AMERICA TO GLOBAL PREMIER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC                                         

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

$131,900-25 DEBRA DRIVE-EDWINA SETTLES TO GARY AND DEBRA ROBINSON    

$185,000-119 BROADSTONE DRIVE- CHRISTOPHER GAINES TO ADRIENNE GILMORE                                                                          

FREEBURG

$158,500-208 N EDISON STREET - LUCAS N AND JAMIE N SHOOK TO FAY FARTHING TRUST                             

$184,900-15 LAKEVIEW DRIVE- STEPHEN C. AND VICKI D. SIEVERS TO NATHAN KENT MCDONALD

MASCOUTAH

$50,000-506 ELM STREET- LINDA MURRAY, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO SCOTT D MURRAY                                                                    

O’FALLON

$195,000-387 MACON COURT- TERRY AND JENNIFER TOPOUZOGLOU TO MATTHEW AND GINGER KRIEGER                           

$200,000-1069 RICHLAND PARK DRIVE, UNIT 9-B- THE PATRICIA ANN KEELEY LIVING TRUST TO JULIE A COMLEY

$220,000-609 WILDWOOD LANE- MICHAEL JOHN ROEL AND LAURIE JANE HINDE LECOURS TO CAMI L. MERCADO

$286,900-805 GREYSTONE PLACE- THOMAS AND SHERENE THOMSEN TO THOMAS AND MEGAN HEIDENRECH                     

$310,000-1429 VICTORIA SQUARE COURT- RAMSEY AND RASHUNDRAH COVINGTON TO BENJAMIN AND REBECCA CHESHER             

$340,000-749 NEWPORT LANE- TIMOTHY AND LISA BECKER TO THE EDWARD D. KNELL, JR REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST               

SHILOH

$270,639.09-2621 BEACON POINT COURT- FULFORD HOMES, LLC TO SARAH AND JAMES LEARY                                                                                                                                  

SMITHTON         

$35,000-5526 ALPINE PLACE DRIVE- D & F CONTRACTING, INC TO ROBERT AND DEE BLACKWELL                                                                 

$35,000-5523 AUTUMN ASH DRIVE- D & F CONTRACTING, INC TO PATRICIA MERTENS                                                                     

$145,500-3 ADAMS STREET- DENNIS AND TONI DAHM TO ANTHONY AND SARAH KOENIG                                                                             

SWANSEA                                                          

$4,500-3925 BEECHMONT CIRCLE- MARISSA L. DAMPF AND BRYCE HAMBELTON TO MARISSA L. DAMPF 

$153,000-10 META DRIVE- J.T. AND LORETTA L. WHITE TO CHELSEA WATSON                                                                      

JULY 7

BELLEVILLE

$34,500-605 RODENMEYER AVE - BARRY A BILLINGS TO KIMBERLY M. SHEWE       

$50,000-1004 SOUTH BELT WEST- JESSIE TRENT TO LYNN DALE THRELKELD                           

$76,000-1821 PAGE AVE- GEORGE AND MURIEL STRONG TO DONALD GEORGE COOK JR                                                                 

$82,000-6 MARCIA LYNN COURT- HECTOR AND SANDRA GONZALES TO NICOLE GRAY                                                      

$92,000-3331 ROLAND AVE- DOUGLAS PRICE TO MARGARET RIDDLE                                       

$109,000-1438 OWL CREEK LN- FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE TO OLIVIA SAKYI

CAHOKIA

$9,500-1708 ANDREW DRIVE- P & B REAL ESTATE, LLC TO JMR HOLDINGS LLC                                                      

DUPO   

$33,000-110 FLORENCE AVE- JOSEPH WAYNE BECK TO RODNEY FULTS                                    

E CARONDOLET

$1,700,000.00-1957 ADAMS- DAVID AND DENNIS LEVIN TO CHARLES L, DENNIS R, MICHAEL H LINDHORST             

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

$68,000-15 CATHERINE DRIVE- AARON REEB TO HAL AND JUDY HOLLOWAY                                                                                          

$265,000-740 WILD HORSE CREEK DRIVE- MICHAEL AND TIFFANY SCHLAUTMAN TO JILLEAN CURIEL                          

LEBANON

$55,000-55 HARMON DRIVE- GINGER L JOHNSON EXECUTER OF THE ESTATE OF JUDITH A. OGDEN, DECEASED TO MATTHEW FARRIS                                                          

MASCOUTAH

$35,000-805 TANZANITE LANE- CAROLYN STUMPF, ET AL TO CNR, INC                                                                    

$37,500-801 TANZANITE LANE- CAROLYN STUMPF, ET AL TO CNR, INC                                                                    

$37,500-829 TANZANITE LANE- CAROLYN STUMPF, ET AL TO CNR, INC    

$177,000-116 FALLING LEAF WAY- LEE HATFIELD TO LATOYA M. EDWARDS           

$204,000-1227 LARKSPUR DRIVE- CHAD AND KRISTA DAVIDSON TO JOHN AND OLGA LINNANE   

$240,000-1131 BEECHCRAFT- NICHOLAS AND TARA HENKE TO JASON AND HEDDA FORQUER                       

NEW ATHENS

$80,000-8720 GOLDEN RULE MINE ROAD- KAY WACKER TO GARY AND DENA VASQUEZ                                                                                                  

O’FALLON

$65,000-213 EAGLE RIDGE- LINDA S. MEYER TRUST TO PHB CAPITAL, LLC               

$133,900-712 COUNTRY OAKS LANE- JOHN AND LUCITA TIGUE TO JEFFREY AND EMILY LUEKE                                                      

$159,000-211, 225 & 303 EAGLE RIDGE- DENNIS C. AND RUSSELL W. WIEMAN TO PHB CAPITAL, LLC          

$252,500-525 LONGFELLOW DRIVE- THOMAS AND LYNN CULLEN TO LAWRENCE T BATZ                                                 

$269,000-529 FROS COURT- MICHAEL AND REBECCA TUCKER TO BRANDON AND ANGELA LAURET                                                             

$303,000-121 SPYGLASS COURT - RAYMOND AND NIMFA VAN ZWIENEN TO ERIC AND JODY CADOTTE

$369,900-1150 WINDEMERE RUN- JOHN AND DALA PRATHER TO DAVID AND PAMELA KNIEPKAMP                                                                          

SWANSEA

$276,000-1818 CARRINGTON WAY- KATHLEEN L SCHARZ TO GLENNDON AND DOLORES PHILPOTT                                                             

SHILOH                                                

$35,000-2613 LAUREN LAKE DRIVE- DERRICK WILLIAM BREWER TO CNR, INC                                                                       

$111,800-804 PLANKWAY DRIVE- GARFIELD PROPERTIES, LLC TO TYLER A. JACKSON                                                                         

$216,000-804 BLUFF RIDGE LANE- FULFORD HOMES, LLC TO TYLER SULLIVAN AND KAILEY BACHNER-SULLIVAN                                                   

$259,500-1082 CROMWELL LANE- MARK AND ALISON MCCOY TO LOU EVANS ROSE               

ST. CLAIR REAL ESTATE LISTINGS JULY 10 TO JULY 14

JULY 10

BELLEVILLE                         

$72,200-2119 LEBANON AVENUE- HEARTLANDS CONSERVATORY TO JEFFREY AND MOLLY KING                  

$126,500-4 OXFORD COURT- MATTHEW AND STEPHANIE SUTTON TO LORI RAINBOLT                                     

$137,500-1836 SPRUCE HILL DRIVE- EVONNE WEYHAUPT REVOCABLE TRUST TO DIANA TOMAI   

$185,000-50 POWDER CREEK- JAMES D. JACOB, JR. TO DENNIS AND PAMELA JENKINS                                     

$156,500-320 HARRISBURG DRIVE- DENNIS AND PAMELA JENKINS TO ROBERT HAIDA AND JENNIFER RYDER                                          

$285,000-331 LAKE FOREST DRIVE- HAVEN FINDERS, LLC TO JONATHAN AND MELINDA JOHNSON                             

$358,000-2402 FAIRWAY DRIVE- CHRISTOPHER AND KATHERINE DEWITT TO DAVID AND STACY WARD     

$605,000-4 PREMIER DRIVE AND EMPIRE DRIVE- WILLIAM B. CALLISON TO EDWIN H CALLISON, JR.                                            

CAHOKIA

$4,500-2288 CAROLE STREET- GOSHEN REAL ESTATE, LLC TO BRYAN GILCHRIST                                                  

$15,500-506 ST BARBARA LANE- GABA'S PROPERTIES, LLC TO JMR HOLDINGS LLC                                                             

$47,000-1202 SAINT MARGARET               CAHOKIA- SAINT LOUIS INVESTMENTS, LLC TO 6 STARR PROPERTIES, LLC                                                                

$49,500-139 SAINT ROBERT- SAINT LOUIS INVESTMENTS, LLC TO 6 STARR PROPERTIES, LLC

EAST SAINT LOUIS                                                                           

$43,207.42-724 NORTH 82ND STREET- INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES TO SECRETARY OF HUD

MILLSTADT                                                                                        

$134,000-416 WEST WHITE STREET- DAVID AND THERESA SIEBER TO HEATHER ERWIN                                                                    

$167,500-34 LANDAU DRIVE- SCOTT AND KATHY ADDISON TO BLAKE AND SUZANNE ALBERTER                                                                                                   

$210,500-572 MANOR LANE- NANCY VOGEL TRUST TO DAVID AND THERESA SIEBER

NEW ATHENS    

$35,000-2535 BRUER LAKE ROAD- LEROY AND MARY ELLEN DU QUETTE TO DARRIN AND RACHELLE FIZER                                              

O’FALLON

$129,500-804 EAST SECOND STREET- JOAN TITE AND ANGELIQUE TITE-NORDEEN TO PAUL AND KENNA WITTKOWSKI                               

SWANSEA                          

$360,000-1006 WARWICK PLACE- JOHN AND KATHLEEN KERNAN TO DEANNA G MUELLER                                                                                             

JULY 11

BELLEVILLE

$20,000-2921 W MAIN STREET- ALLISON BABCOCK, TRUSTEE BETTYE A.SCOTT REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST TO JEFFREY AND TRACY BABCOCK

$7,555.00-419 GILBERT STREET  - FANNIE MAE TO STEVE J NEUMEYER    

$37,600-306 NORTH 40TH STREET- RALPH ZINCK TO JARED T. CLEMENTS                                                               

$47,000-2717 OLD FREEBURG ROAD- AMERICAN GOLDFINCH PRESERVATION TRUST TO SMZ CORPORATION                        

$79,000-1008 NORTH 2ND STREET- JOSEPH AND MINDY BAUMAN TO FORREST MONROE CRAWFORD

$91,500-2 FLORAL DRIVE- VIRGIL L AND MARGARET M REINHARDT BY NANCY A RULE, THEIR ATTORNEY IN FACT  TO LINDSEY N. RAKOWSKI

$97,000-16 LAWNDALE DRIVE- MARK A MAHAR AND DONALD M. KLUGE TO DEAN HAFFORD                       

$105,000-109 SUMTER- SUSAN D ROWAN TO CARL DEAN SCHWARZ AND KIRSTIE LYNN HEWLETT               

$105,000-2425 RICHLAND PRAIRIE BOULEVARD- ALICE MARY RICHARDS TO ERIK AND HEATHER BOWMAN                           

$130,000-62-64 LAKE FOREST DRIVE- CAPTOLA BELINDA RANGE TO SHAUNDRA C SCHAEFER                        

$140,250-1025, 1027 COOL VALLEY DRIVE- JOSHUA AND ELENA TEPEN TO DAVID LADIPO                              

$565,000-20 EMPIRE DRIVE-ST. B & D INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES, INC TO CLAIR COUNTY LAND COMPANY, LLC        

CAHOKIA

$6,500-1224 SAINT MICHAEL DRIVE- SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO TIMOTHY O SCHWARTZ                               

$57,000-718, 719 ST. PAUL DRIVE- DAVID AND PATRICIA ELLIS TO ROMERO'S CONSTRUCTION, LLC                                            

CASEYVILLE        

$210,748.00-7902 LAUREL FLATS DRIVE- C.A. JONES, INC               TO RAYMOND AND CRYSTAL DANN

EAST SAINT LOUIS                                                           

$1,490.00-703 N 73- LASHUNDRA DURHAM TO ANDRE AND MARSHAUN WARREN                                                                                                                                                                           

$3,000-5120 NELSON AVE- ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PAUL POZSGAY                        

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

$149,000-1 BURCHAM DRIVE- DANIEL HARDY PELLET TO ERIC GREEN AND TOMASA ZAMORA                      

LEBANON           

$245,000-11500 STATE ROUTE 4- JASON R KUNZ TO THOMAS GROTHAUS                             

$265,000-8 RYAN CIRCLE- GLENNDON AND DOLORES PHILPOTT TO BRADLEY AND LENA HARTSOCK

MARISSA            

$15,650-915 S MAIN ST- RONALD W ARBEITER, TRUSTEE CABUCK LAND TRUST #1 TO TIMOTHY AND PAULA SWEENEY

$168,900-3713 WINWARD WAY DRIVE- CARLOS AND KIMBERLEY CRISS TO WAYNE AND JANNA PARKER 

MASCOUTAH                                                                                                                                    

$185,000-343 FALLING LEAF WAY- ANDREW PULTMAN TO DARINDA CARDELLI                                                                                                                                                   

O’FALLON

$117,500-1505 OAK MEADOW DRIVE- HENRY AND DEANNA SCHMIDT TO ALEXANDER THAYNE KING        

$156,500-314 WESTFIELD- BERNARD WILLIAMS TO MICHAEL AND JESSICA TOTH                                                

$305,912-1312 MERRIAM PARKWAY- INNOVATION CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LLC TO DOUGLAS AND LORI SCHIEPPE               

$303,800-1102 RICHLAND PARK DRIVE # 20C- STONE BRIDGE VILLAS, LLC TO JAMES AND LISA PORTER     

SHILOH                                                                

$182,000-2614 PIPER HILLS DRIVE- FARHAD ATAIYAN TO KERCELL D PARKER        

SMITHTON

$322,000-5438 LIVE OAK DRIVE- THEODORE J ZYCH TO RICHARD E SPEJEWSKI                                                     

SWANSEA          

$50,000-16 KINGS COURT- STEPHEN HARDY TO B & D HOME RENOVATIONS, INC.

$128,000-1832 KINSELLA AVENUE- ERICA KNIEPKAMP TO BARRY AND KATHRYN BOSEMAN

$197,500-1717 OLD PARK LN- BRADLEY J HEAP TO SHARON C WILFORD                  

$220,000-506 BETTY JEWELL COURT- SUSAN PHILLIPS TO MONTE AND MASAYO JOHNSON

JULY 12

BELLEVILLE

$45,000-7210 WEST B STREET- THE ESTATE OF RONALD G MISCHKE TO DAN RYDER          

$69,800-5813, 5817 MEMORY LANE- DANIEL AND MELLANY KIESER TO GMW INVESTING LLC                       

$92,000-3101 MILL SPRINGS ROAD- SANDRA LEHR TO CHERYL A SCHUSTER          

$97,000-6 DARDENELLE DRIVE- THE ESTATE OF JOAN BARKEN TO KELLY AND BRADLEY SHEMWELL             

$102,000-1820 WEST BELLE STREET- ERIC JOSEPH AND JENNIFER A JOSEPH TO JONATHAN EDWARDS       

$119,000-13 EASTWOOD DR- EMMA AND CHRIS MELVIN TO CHARLES TAYLOR AND SHANNON HOOD      

$125,500-8 MAPLE DRIVE-KEVIN SANGOLO TO AMANDA KACH                                                  

$126,400-722 NORTH CHARLES STREET- LAUREN M FISS AND JAN FISS TO CHRISTOPHER ALLEN MANN AND KELLY LYNN BEHRLE    

$252,735-2427 PRO TOUR DRIVE- BRENT MOORE TO ELIZABETH RUTH ANDERSON-DOZE AND HERMAN BRITT DOZE JR                                               

CASEYVILLE

$65,000-420 S. 5TH STREET- WILLIAM AND ROBERTA BURG TO ANGELA HILDRETH AND DANIELLE M BROWN        

$100,000-639 SUMMIT AVE- CIPRIANO ZAMORANO TO JUAN CRISTOVAL MOLINA GALLARDO AND NORBERTO MOLINA BENITEZ            

COLLINSVILLE                                   

$105,000-222 CASEYVILLE ROAD- TODD EMBREY TO JAMES AND STACEY MATZ                                                  

$103,750-404 HILLSIDE DRIVE- ELLIOT AND MARQUIETTA BLAYLOCK TO LAREN BLAINE ROE

$135,000-1104 ARROWHEAD DRIVE- JEFF ELKINS, JR TO JAMES DENTON REED                                                                                     

FAIRMONT CITY                               

$60,000-3802 LOCUST- SILVIA, ROSEMARY, AND ANTONIO OSEGUERA TO STEVEN WINHEIM        

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

$140,000-406, 408, 410 MARCINAH LANE- CENTRUE BANK TO ELEVEN ELEVEN PROPERTIES, LLC                                                                 

$95,500-209 LINDA DRIVE- CHAD TURNBULL AND AMANDA MEGGISON TO MARK AND MICHELLE

FAYETTEVILLE

$45,548.51-2211 W MISSOURI AVE- THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION TO KEVIN AND JAMIE FRITZ         

LEBANON           

$83,000-10908 KENTFIELD DRIVE- JAMES R FREY TO BRADSHAW PROPERTY GROUP                                         

$216,000-10929 SYLVAN VISTA DRIVE- DOUGLAS AND LORI SCHIEPPE TO CAROLYN A STREMSTERFER                       

MARISSA                                            

$65,000-319 N GRACE ST- PATRICK AND ALYSSA WRIGHT TO SHANE SURMEIER AND JACQUELINE MARIANOVICH

MASCOUTAH                                    

$130,000-618 KNIPP- DANE AND SARAH KIRKENDALL TO JEFFREY A WEBER                                                           

MILLSTADT                                                        

$299,900-5776 LAKE BRIAR DRIVE- JAMES AND LISA PORTER TO GERALD AND BARBARA PALMISANO       

O’FALLON          

$51,000-506 N CHERRY STREET-DUNBAR PROPERTIES INC TO SANMAN PROPERTIES

$62,500-1309 TIMBER RIDGE TRACE DRIVE LOT 135- RESERVES OF TIMBER RIDGE, LLC TO HUNTINGTON CHASE HOMES

$199,500-934 BROOKDALE- PARIS ROSENBERG TO GENEVIEVE M COLLINS            

$210,000-1539 NORTH PARC GROVE COURT- NEW TRADITION HOMES, LLC TO MICHAEL AND JANEL MUELLER                     

$211,765-1004 STILLWATER DR- MCBRIDE STONE BRIDGE, LLC TO JAMES MICHAEL AND GWYNETH JEAN JENKINS               

$295,000-1121 HIGHTOWER PLACE DRIVE- STEVEN AND DIANA COTE, COTEES SJC AND DLC FAMLY TRUST TO LARA B MORRISON

$331,408-748 MERRIFIELDS DR- H & L BUILDERS, LLC TO JASON AND LAURA BROWN                                       

$565,000-8633 SAVOY LANE- ELLIE CADE CUSTOM HOMES, LLC TO ALVIN AND STEPHANIE DOSS                                                                                                                                                                                 

SMITHTON

$151,515-218 SUBURBAN DRIVE- JORDAN AND BRITTANI KRAMPER TO STEVEN SCHOENHERR                     

SHILOH                                                                

$270,000-210 EDBROOKE DRIVE - WARREN B WATKINSON TO FREDERICK AND EMILY MANUEL                                                    

JULY 13

BELLEVILLE

$5,200-1156 KUTZ STREET- THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION TO HOMEFRONT PROPERTIES LLC AND JCS ACQUISITIONS LLC          

$8,000 -16 CONCORD DRIVE- NEW ERA VENTURES, LLC TO HENRY DAVIS                               

$8,000-512 PARK AVENUE- DANIEL HAMILTON TO KIMBERLY ANN MEYER

$21,000 -420 NORTH 5TH STREET- COLUMBIA NATIONAL BANK  TO JONATHAN AND LISA LOESCHE           

$31,000 -130 NORTH 31ST STREET- COLUMBIA NATIONAL BANK TO JONATHAN AND LISA LOESCHE           

$33,000 -6921 W. C ST- JP MORGAN CHASE BANK TO WINTERS FAMILY INVESTMENTS LLC                             

$166,500 -413 ST. SABRE DRIVE- DALE DURHAM AND DALE W. DURHAM TO THOMAS A EDWARDS            

$380,000 -23 S. 59TH ST - RONALD PADGETT, SCOTT SCHUTZENHOFER, TIM GEHRS TO WESTWOOD WASH'S LLC       

LEBANON

$18,000-216 NORTH HORNER STREET- P.K. JOHNSON V ADMINISTRATOR TO MCKENDREE UNIVERSITY    

MASCOUTAH

$52,625 -9702 WINNEBAGO WAY-AKS DEVELOPMENT TO KAPPERT CONSTRUCTION CO

MILLSTADT      

$30,000 -409 BENHAM DRIVE- CYNTHIA SIEGEL VP & TRUST ADVISOR/REGIONS TO COY W MULLENIX      

O’FALLON

$60,000 -1577 MARY TODD LANE- KIM CURTIS TO GREG E. MOULDON                                   

$260,000 -804 GRACE POINT COURT- PAUL AND KARLA BUELOW TO JAY AND SHENICA SPECK                      

JULY 14

BELLEVILLE

$27,500 -109 W 4TH STREET- THE JOHN D. MCGINTY AND KAY F.MCGINTY TRUST TO EQUITY TRUST COMPANY   

$82,500-5 GERRI ANN DRIVE- JULIES ELLIS JOHNSON TO KELYN O STEPHENS         

$130,000 -24 MAGNOLIA DRIVE- MICHAEL AND WINDALEE MCCARRON TRUST TO HYMAN THOMPSON                  

COLUMBIA

$48,000 -9201 WILTSHIRE- STONEHENGE LAND TRUST II TO JOHN AND KELLY TOUCHETTE

DUPO   

$15,600 -509 N. 5TH STREET- ANTOINETTE HOPKINS AND ELMARIE WILSON TO RICHARD SUTTER

$18,900 -300 STONE STREET- US BANK TO RYAN MATTHEW BYERLEY       

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS      

$33,500 -71 CONCORD DRIVE- ESTATE OF TERRY L. HINDMAN TO RENETIA COLINE AND JONTAE GOVAN, SR          

$66,750 -14 WEINEL DRIVE- JAMES E SCOTT TO JOHN P SCOTT    

$76,500-24 SHERYL DR- WILLIAMS MENARD TRUST TO DERRICK AND AMANEE VONDERHAAR                     

$231,000 -68133 WELLINGTON VALLEY COURT-DAVID AND MELISSA BANIAN TO MARIA PAGE                    

$262,000 -3745 STATE ROUTE 15- MATTHEW AND KARA HARRIS TO CHASE AND MARIA MORRIS

FREEBURG

$117,000-312 WEST PHILLIPS STREET- ASHLEY AND LANCE FIX TO AARON AND HEATHER BECCUE

MASCOUTAH 

$173,500 -543 FALLING LEAF WAY- MATTHEW AND MARY LYNN TO DAVID AND DOMINIQUE MERCADO

MILLSTADT

$40,000 -816 EAST MADISON STREET- THOMAS AND CHRISTINE KINKELAAR TO DANA SCHNEEBELI            

$189,900 -18 WOODFIELD DRIVE- THE LYNNE M. HEIDORN LIVING TRUST TO THOMAS AND CHRISTINE KINKELAAR               

$250,000 -866 EAST MADISON STREET- THOMAS AND CHRISTINE KINKELAAR TO DANA SCHNEEBELI          

$330,000 -20 GEMSTONE DRIVE - JL SCHAEFER CONSTRUCTION INC TO MATTHEW AND ERIN BARRIGER  

NEW ATHENS

$92,700 -411 S CLINTON STREET                - BRIAN ALBERT TO ERIC K WHITE

O’FALLON     

$1,800 -600 LONGFELLOW DRIVE OUTLOT C- AHMAD DERIYAH TO JAMES AND AMANDA MARTINEZ         

$40,500 -1413 VICTORIA SQUARE COURT- SOUTHERN ILLINOIS LAND INVESTMENTS, INC. TO PATRICIA STALLINGS                               

$130,000 -701 SOUTH 5TH- MATTHEW GALANTUOMINI TO BRENDAN AND KAYLA CARLISLE                           

$174,900 -520 HIGHLAND VIEW DRIVE- ROBERT AND JEANNINE RYDER TO JOSHUA AND RACHEL KINTZ   

$198,000 -1114 CREEKSIDE COURT- JOSEPH AND KATHRYN LAPP TO JASON AND MEGAN SLACK  

$200,000 -502 JUNIPER DRIVE- SHANON XANDERS TO ANTHONY AND EVE ROGERS                           

$205,000 -1508 KECK RIDGE DRIVE- PAUL T. LEE AND LARINA SUET WING MUI TO KAROLYN MCCOTTRELL              

$277,900-1429 CLIFTON WAY COURT- JOHNATHON L SMITH TO GERALD EADY    

$351,000 -164 KNOLLHAVEN TRAIL- DOMINIC M. SEIPP REVOCABLE TRUST TO MATTHEU AND TAYLOR RIGOLLET

$344,500 -1300 HOLLANDER COURT- ERIC AND LAURA VAN HOOK TOSTEPHEN AND ANDREA HARRINGTON                                          

SHILOH

$229,900 -2739 LONDON LANE- RICARDO AND LATOSHA TIBBS TO KESTNEEL AND ERICA JOHNSON           

$299,000 -2634 LONDON LANE- TTW LLC TO DOUGLAS B. CURRY LIVING TRUST  

ST. LIBORY          

$10,672 -STATE ROUTE 15- ELAINE SHARBAIN AND MELISSA MIDDENDORF-LEACH TO IBRAHIM SHARBAIN AND ELAINE SHARBAIN          

SMITHTON                                         

$256,000 -5327 WHITE OAK DRIVE- MARY B SCHUH TRUST TO KEITH AND BARBARA JACOB                           

$195,000 -5301 WHITE OAK DRIVE- JOANNE KOCOT ESTATE OF JOSEPH KOCOT TO VERNON AND MARY OBERMEIER               

SWANSEA

$160,000 -1713 BAXSTON COURT- MARJORIE C CREIGHTON TO FORREST H MORELAND  

JULY 7

US BANK V STEVEN SCHMIDT, $116,485.29, 1639 25TH STREET, HIGHLAND.  17CH419

JULY 10

PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICING V RACHAEL AND JONATHAN RHODES, $117,212.07, 123 HAMPTON ST, BETHALTO. 17CH421

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC V ROBERT AND DEBORAH STREET, $212,037.59, 537 LAKEVIEW ACRES, COLLINSVILLE. 17CH424

US BANK V JULIE FOWLER, $48,884.60, 307 S. AURORA ST, COLLINSVILLE. 17CH425

JULY 11

US BANK V ALAN TURNER, $49,211.35, 1309 2ND ST, COTTAGE HILLS. 17CH421

FREEDOM MORTGAGE V JASON AND VICTORIA PHILLIPS, $84,149.04, 2705 GRANDVIEW AVE, ALTON. 17CH423

CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES V JOSHUA CAMPBELL, $50,363.67, 2915 PALMER AVENUE, GRANITE CITY. 17CH426

JP MORGAN CHASE BANK V ALBINAS SAKALAUSKAS, $97,067.60, 604 WATCH HILL RD, COLLINSVILLE. 17CH427

JULY 12

DITECH FINANCIAL V PHILIP POLITE AND SANDRA HUBER, $131,731.67, 5 DEER PARK, DORSEY. 17CH428

DITECH FINANCIAL V JEFFREY AND SUSAN COTTER, $109, 594.19, 162 HAMPTON DRIVE, GLEN CARBON. 17CH429

THE BANK OF EDWARDSVILLE V JAMES KUDELKA, $64,520.15, 2514 HODGES AVE, GRANITE CITY. 17CH430

JULY 13

THE BANK OF EDWARDSVILLE V CAROL ANN SESSIONS, $28,273.07, 200 SOUTH PENNSYLVANIA, SOUTH ROXANA. 17CH431

THE BANK OF EDWARDSVILLE V RICHARD AND REBECCA LAMBERT, $110,529.35, 405 LINDENWOOD DR., TROY. 17CH432

DEUTSCHE BANK V CHARLES YARBER; UNKNOWN AND NONRECORDED CLAIMANTS, $26,121.55, 2601 MISSOURI AVENUE, GRANITE CITY. 17CH433

BANK OF AMERICA V CHRISTOPHER GAPINSKI; CITY OF ALTON; UNKNOWN CLAIMANTS, $89,976.49, 3433 ROBIN AVE, ALTON. 17CH434

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC. V UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF ROBERT AUDRAIN, $17,541.46, 1833 SPRUCE STREET, GRANITE CITY. 17435

JULY 14

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE V UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF JULIA HANNEL, $93,559.78 ,514 VERMONT, BETHALTO. 17CH437

FINANCE OF AMERICA REVERSE V JEFF AND TANYA SCOTT, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF JANET SCOTT, $51,650.09, 600 SOUTH OLD SAINT LOUIS ROAD, HARTFORD. 17CH436

JULY 17

CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES V CHRIS, KELLY, AND ERIC TREBING, $95,964.63 ,3842 LAKE STREET, GRANITE CITY. 17CH442

WELLS FARGO V LORETTA MCCLURE, $32,947.40, 2561 CENTURY DRIVE, GRANITE CITY. 17CH441

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING V BENJAMIN AND JAIMIE DONA, $98,448.84, 666 E LORENA AVE, WOOD RIVER. 17CH438

JULY 18

CHASE BANK V JENINE DEPROW; DIANE SUTTON; DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, $69,602.30, 2140 ADAMS STREET, GRANITE CITY. 17CH447

BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC V LEGATEES OF CLARENCE STEELE SR, $39,633.48 , 2219 HUMBERT STREET, ALTON. 17CH445

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC V JOSHUA AND CHANDRA SHASTEEN, $90,295.10 ,412 NORTH AURORA STREET, COLLINSVILLE. 17CH444

THE BANK OF EDWARDSVILLE V CASSANDRA KLOPFER, $41,794.33, 3007 MCCORMICK DRIVE, ALTON. 17CH443

JP MORGAN CHASE V DAVID AND SARAH KANE, $236,169.68 ,1511 STAMPER LANE, GODFREY. 17CH440

WELLS FARGO BANK V ROBBIE KUDELKA, $50,958.17, 401 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, SOUTH ROXANA.  17CH439

JULY 19

WELLS FARGO BANK V RYAN BRONNBAUER, $79,870.67, 2016 MANLEY AVENUE, GRANITE CITY. 17CH448

JP MORGAN CHASE V JENINE DUPROW, $69,602.30 , 2140 ADAMS STREET, GRANITE CITY. 17CH447

QUICKEN LOANS V DAVID AND SARA MALCZEWSKI, $71,708.86, 2233 BROWN ST, ALTON. 17CH446

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton sent the new education finance bill, Senate Bill 1, to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk on July 31 after orchestrating a two-month delay.

In response, the governor has issued an amendatory veto, stripping a bailout of Chicago Public Schools and other elements from the bill, including an attempt to prevent a future pension cost shift, and eliminating special subsidies that benefit only a few districts.

Under the bill as altered by the governor’s amendatory veto, the state will pay for the normal cost of Chicago teacher pensions going forward. But the other extra funds granted to CPS have been eliminated.

SB 1 will now return to the Senate, where lawmakers will have three options:

1. Lawmakers can agree with the amendatory veto and vote the altered legislation into law, which will require a three-fifths majority vote in both chambers.
2. Lawmakers can override the veto and make their original bill stand, which would require a three-fifths majority vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
3. Lawmakers can let the bill die by either failing to override the governor’s veto or by simply doing nothing.

If the last of those three scenarios occurs, SB 1 will become void and lawmakers will have to pass new legislation to release state dollars to districts before the 2017-2018 school year starts.

School funding is in jeopardy because state lawmakers purposely made state aid dependent on the separate passage of a new school funding formula when they passed the fiscal year 2018 budget, which also included the largest permanent income tax hike in Illinois history.

As it was passed to the governor’s desk, SB 1 rewrote the state’s education funding formula and included a bailout of CPS worth hundreds of millions of dollars. That bailout included new money for CPS pensions and maintained special CPS carve-outs that no other district gets.

It’s unfair to demand state taxpayers bail out CPS, as they were forced to do two decades ago.

Details of the amendatory veto

The governor stripped out several elements of SB 1 in his amendatory veto. The bill still contains the new “evidence-based” funding formula, but Rauner removed the CPS bailout and several other elements.

The state will pay for the normal cost of Chicago teacher pensions going forward. But the other extra funds granted to CPS have been eliminated.

The governor:

• Removed $200 million in special state funding for CPS that no other district gets.
  The governor struck language that grandfathered into the new funding formula the special annual “block grant” CPS has received for 20 years. The block grant gives CPS $200 million in extra funding that no other district gets. Putting the block grant into the funding formula would have locked that extra money in place. The governor’s veto cuts those additional dollars.
• Changed language so the state only pays for the “normal” cost of Chicago teacher retirements going forward.
  The governor’s amendatory veto changed language to reduce many of the items that favored only Chicago in the bill. Instead, the state will now pay for the annual “normal” cost – the yearly benefits accrued by teachers – of CPS retirements, as it does for the rest of Illinois’ school districts.
• Cut language allowing CPS pension debt to crowd out funding for other districts.
  SB 1 also allowed CPS to receive more money by allowing the district to appear poorer than it actually is.
  Currently, CPS has to contribute about $500 million annually to pay down its unfunded pension liability. The new funding formula would have allowed CPS to deduct, or “hide,” the $500 million from the district’s local resources when it applied for state aid. That would have made CPS look poorer and ensured its place as a “Tier 1” district, meaning it would be first in line for new state aid dollars.
• Cut language that prevented any pension cost shift going forward.
  The governor removed language from the bill that would have prevented the state from ever shifting the cost of teacher pension contributions to where they belong – local school districts.
  Under current law, the state pays for the employer pension costs of school districts outside of Chicago despite the fact that teachers are not state employees. This gives districts incentives to dole out higher pay, end-of-career salary hikes, and perks that spike pensions, because districts know the state will pay for the resulting pension costs.
  Districts will only moderate the benefits they offer when they are required to bear their own pension costs.
  But SB 1 would have effectively neutralized any attempt to do that. The bill’s original language said that if the state ever instituted a pension cost shift, then the state would have to increase state aid to districts by the same amount – rendering a pension cost shift pointless.
• Removed districts’ ability to look poorer than they actually are when applying for state aid.
  Despite SB 1 proponents constantly emphasizing “fairness” as a primary motivator for passing the bill, the new funding formula kept special subsidies in place that allowed select districts to look poorer than they actually are when applying for state aid – particularly CPS.
  Districts whose revenues were affected by both local property tax caps and special economic zones were allowed to underreport their property wealth when applying for state aid. These subsidies, for the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, and tax increment financing, or TIF, respectively, overwhelmingly benefit CPS.
  The governor removed the language that allowed districts to underreport their property wealth using those subsidies.
• Made other changes that strip out other unnecessary and complicated parts of the formula.
  The governor also made some technical changes to the bill, including creating a per-pupil “hold harmless” provision in 2021 and beyond – rather than a district-level “hold harmless” provision, which was included in the original bill – and eliminating the minimum funding requirement for evidence-based funding.

Real education reform

Rauner was right to strip the CPS bailout and other bad elements from SB 1, but lawmakers should go even further and scrap SB 1 entirely. Beyond the CPS bailout, the “evidence-based” funding model within SB 1 will be an expensive failure.

The new formula has failed to improve student outcomes in other states where it’s been tried. And it demands up to $6 billion a year in additional funding for school districts once it’s fully rolled out, all from taxpayers who have just been hit with the largest permanent income tax increase in Illinois history.

To allow all schools in Illinois to open as planned, lawmakers should change the budget so education funding can be distributed under the existing formula.

Once that’s done, lawmakers should start working on a new set of educational reforms that include a new set of priorities.

If lawmakers want to make sure more education dollars reach students, they should focus instead on freeing up the waste in Illinois’ sprawling, inefficient education bureaucracy.

Reforming expensive pensions, consolidating unnecessary school district bureaucracies, and eliminating executive pay for administrators are far more effective solutions than SB 1.

Tuesday, August 8

1:30 P.M.

KELLERMAN IND V MARION BASS SECUR

01-L-457, CROWDER

Wednesday, August 9

9:00 A.M.

JARRET SPROULL V STATE FARM

16-L-1341, MUDGE

MATTHEW EATON V TURTLE WAX

17-L-644, CROWDER

AL HARASH MOHAMED V GORAN OTHMANAWNY

17-L-635, CROWDER

MICHAEL LEDBETTER V TRICKEYS SERVICE

17-L-267, CROWDER

CARMED CM 53 LLC V WARREN HUFF

17-L-73, CROWDER

JOHN FABRICK TRAC V RON WARD

16-L-1787, CROWDER

ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ V KERLANDO RODGERS

16-L-1524, CROWDER

RICARDO SURIA V CARRO HOLLANQUEST

16-L-1468, CROWDER

DEBRA SIMMONS V JEANNE NEWBURY

16-L-1367, CROWDER

REGIN BLANKENSHIP V DAVID HARMON

16-L-1182, CROWDER

BETTY SHERMAN V MARQUETTE REALTY

16-L-962, CROWDER

JAMES JOHNSON V BRIAN SAWYER

16-L-701, CROWDER

LUCAS CLARK V TRICKEYS SERVICE

16-L-638, CROWDER

DENISE SPARKS V GREGORY SMITH

16-L-234, CROWDER

ALVAN DUNCAN V DENNIS SZAKACSI

16-L-186, CROWDER

RICHARD FANCHER V BEST BUY

15-L-1582, CROWDER

JOHN BEATTY V FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

15-L-1277, CROWDER

ROBERT MAYBERRY V ARTHUR HECK

15-L-893, CROWDER

ZACHARY GLEASON V VAN LENHARDT INC

15-L-820, CROWDER

KRISTI NASELLO V ALTON MULTISPECIALISTS

15-L-273, CROWDER

ROBERT “CHICK” FR V DONNEWALD DISTRIBUTION

14-L-1384, CROWDER

CHARLENA NINNESS V DALLA RIVA

14-L-1284, CROWDER

PHILLIP VOSS V TERRENCE MURPHY

14-L-771, CROWDER

JOHN OBUCINA V HAAS ENVIRONMENTAL

14-L-561, CROWDER

SHARLA WITHERS V DIANE LANTER

14-L-291, CROWDER

BETTY COX V SHELL OIL COMPANY

13-L-1730, CROWDER

RAYBURN CONWAY V ALHAMBRA COMMUNITY

12-L-1894, CROWDER

11:00 A.M.

NOREEN HILDRED V FARROW TRA

16-L-1610, CROWDER

Thursday, August 10

9:00 A.M.

JESSICA WILLIAMS V JACOB SMITH

15-L-918, MUDGE

A seminar for local and appointed officials, as well as the publlic, on Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act issues will be held at 5 p.m., Aug. 9 in the county board room of the County Administration Building, 157 N. Main St., Edwardsville.

According to a press release issued last week, Madison County Board members, township and municipal officials, school district leaders and school board members, park, library, fire and water district and department heads are encouraged to attend.

Attorneys Christopher Boggs and Ella York with the Public Access Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office will present. The two-hour seminar will also included information on the State Officials & Employees Ethics Act, followed by a question and answer session.

“This seminar is not only open to public officials, but citizens are welcome to attend as well,” board chairman Kurt Prenzler said in the release.

The event is free of charge, though seating is expected to be limited. Those interested in attending can email Madison County communications manager Cynthia Ellis at cmellis@co.madison.il.us.

Revamped in early January 2010, The OMA is a state law requiring that all meetings of public bodies be open to the public, except in certain and limited instances where a closed door setting can be legally justified.

OMA rules also stipulate that the public be given advance notice of all meetings, including details about time, place and subject matter. It is also the legal responsibility of all public officials to educate themselves under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

EAST ST. LOUIS – A consumer alleges that a debt collector is attempting to collect an alleged debt that is not owed.

Dewayna Mosely-Pitts filed a complaint on July 26 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Credit Management alleging violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

According to the complaint, the defendant is attempting to collect an alleged debt owed by the plaintiff to Charter Communications. The suit states the plaintiff filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August 2016, which included the alleged debt owed to Charter. The plaintiff alleges she received a discharge of her debts in December 2016 and that the defendant was notified.

The plaintiff holds Credit Management LP responsible because the defendant allegedly continued its collection communications to plaintiff after she had filed for bankruptcy.

The plaintiff seeks compensation for actual and statutory damages, costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and such further relief as the court deemed just. She is represented by David J. Philipps and Mary E. Philipps of Philipps & Philipps LTD in Palos Hills.

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, East St. Louis Division case number 3:17-cv-00799

BELLEVILLE – A Mississippi woman has filed suit against several companies alleging that her decedent's lung cancer and death were wrongfully caused by asbestos exposure.

Carolyn Young, individually and as special representative of the estate of Karl Wade Young, deceased, filed a complaint on July 19 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against the Arvimeritor Inc., A.W. Chesterton Co., Borg-Warner Corp., Caterpillar Inc., Certain-Teed Corp., et al. alleging negligence and other counts.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that, during plaintiff's decedent Karl Wade Young's employment from 1971 to 2010, he was exposed and inhaled asbestos fibers from certain products manufactured, sold, distributed or installed by defendants. As a result, the suit states he was caused to develop lung cancer. He died on Nov. 9, 2016, the suit states. 

The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because the defendants allegedly negligently included asbestos fibers in their products when adequate substitutes were available and failed to provide adequate warnings and instructions concerning the dangers of working with or around products containing asbestos fibers.

The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks damages of more than $50,000, punitive damages and all other relief that the court may deem appropriate. She is represented by Ethan A. Flint and Laci M. Whitley of Flint Law Firm LLC in Edwardsville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 17-L-385

BELLEVILLE – A man alleges he was injured in a collision in Monroe County.

Ryan Castello filed a complaint on July 18 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Darren E. Ralston and Wells Asphalt alleging negligence.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on April 20, he sustained severe and permanent injuries when Ralston, who was in the scope of his employment with Wells Asphalt, rear-ended him while he was stopped at a red light at the intersection of state Route 3 and Park Street.

The plaintiff holds Ralston and Wells Asphalt responsible because the defendant Ralston allegedly failed to maintain proper control of the motor vehicle he was driving and failed to sound horn or provide warning of the approach.

The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks damages of more than $50,000 and costs of this suit. He is represented by Charles J. Baricevic of Chatham & Baricevic in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 17-L-376

BELLEVILLE – The city of Belleville has filed a suit against a property owner over allegations that a structure on the property is not in compliance with city codes and is dangerous to the neighborhood.

City of Belleville filed a complaint on June 29 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Jay L. Peterson, Regions Bank and P-Tax Securities LLC alleging that they failed to comply with the building code of the city of Belleville.

According to the complaint, Peterson owns an Arthur Street property in the city that the defendant alleges has a structure on it that is unsafe, damaged and dilapidated. 

The plaintiff seeks an order restraining and prohibiting defendants from selling or transferring the subject property and to demolish the building at the owners' expense, award for attorney's fees, costs and expenses and any other relief as equity requires. It is represented by Assistant City Attorney Brian D. Flynn of Flynn Guymon & Garavalia in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 17-MR-198

BELLEVILLE – The city of Belleville alleges a structure on North 10th Street is dangerous because of its condition.

City of Belleville filed a complaint on June 29 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Stillwater Corp., The Bank of Edwardsville and St. Clair County Trustee alleging that they failed to comply with the city's building code.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that the defendants own or have an interest in a property at 326 N. 10th St. in the city. The plaintiff alleges that the structure on that property is dangerous because it is structurally unsafe, damaged and dilapidated and not in compliance with city code.

The plaintiff seeks an order restraining and prohibiting defendants from selling or disposing the subject property and to abate nuisance by demolishing the building at their expense, award for attorney's fees, costs and expenses and any other relief as equity requires. It is represented by Assistant City Attorney Brian D. Flynn of Flynn Guymon & Garavalia in Belleville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 17-MR-199

CHICAGO – Civil defense lawyers can now learn from modern examples of best practices with the new Defense Counsel Training Manual, which had not been updated since 1995.

The manual often referred to as “the defense lawyer’s bible,” was recently published by International Association of Defense Counsel. It focuses on giving civil junior attorneys and internal law firm training programs a current resource for best defense practices and covers topics ranging from the initial investigation of a case, depositions, trial and post-trial motions.

The third edition includes the vital changes in the law that have taken place in the last 20 years, including the 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. It also explores new areas of law that didn’t exist in the '90s, like the discovery of electronically stored information.  

“The DCTM contains something for every civil defense lawyer,” the manual says in its introduction. “All new lawyers should have a copy of the manual, study it and use it continuously to hone their professional skills.” 

The IADC utilized past presidents, leaders and member lawyers of the organization to write the manual based on their area of expertise.  

“The IADC’s Defense Counsel Training Manual offers the wisdom and experience of some of the most accomplished civil defense lawyers,” John T. Lay Jr., IADC president and a shareholder at Gallivan, White & Boyd, P.A. said in a press release. “The publication includes information that cannot be gleaned from other, more rudimentary, lawyer manuals.”

IADC also modernized its distribution of the manual by not only offering it as a printed book but as well as a digital format for e-book readers like the Kindle. 

As a 2,500-member, invitation-only organization headquartered in Chicago, IADC provides resources and support for attorneys who represent corporate and insurance interests and provides leadership in legal reform.

EDWARDSVILLE — A Madison County property owner is suing over alleged livestock trespassing.

Emil Albrecht filed a complaint in Madison County Circuit Court against Blaine Bilyeu, trustee and executor of the estate of Jefferey C. Metrick, and Mark Moore, alleging that the defendants failed to prevent livestock from damaging his property. 

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that his property was damaged on Nov. 4, 2016 due to the unlawful presence of the defendants´ livestock. The plaintiff claims that he incurred financial obligations from the continual trespass of the livestock, causing his wheat, grass crops and soil to be damaged, which allegedly violated his quiet life. 

The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible for allegedly failing to maintain control of the livestock and prevent the livestock from entering the plaintiff's premises.

The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment in an amount in excess of $5,000, order of cease and desist from allowing any livestock from the entering the premises and for other relief the court deems just and equitable. He is represented by Chad J. Richter of HeplerBroom LLC in Edwardsville.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 17-L-930

SPRINGFIELD – McLean County Presiding Judge Rebecca Foley committed no error when she stayed trial for a man about to die of lung cancer, Fourth District appellate judges decided on July 26. 

They ruled that boilermaker Cleaver-Brooks sought a stay in good faith, in the midst of a discovery dispute that would have compromised a trial. 

The Fourth District must separately resolve that dispute, through the unusual tactic of friendly contempt. 

Plaintiff Larry Salvator died on March 11, eight days after Foley granted a stay.   

Salvator and wife Marcia Salvator sued Cleaver-Brooks and 42 other defendants last year, claiming he developed mesothelioma from inhaling asbestos. 

The Bloomington asbestos firm of James Wylder, representing the Salvators, moved to expedite discovery and trial. 

Foley granted the motion, and set trial for this Feb. 6. 

In November, the Salvators asked Cleaver-Brooks to produce index cards that a corporate representative described at a deposition. 

The representative said he used them to search for boilers at job sites. 

Cleaver-Brooks objected in December, arguing that any request is irrelevant if it isn’t limited in time and scope to the facts of a case. 

Cleaver-Brooks counsel wrote, “Subject to the foregoing and without waiver, Cleaver-Brooks states that there are over 90,000 index cards and they are too voluminous to produce.” 

Counsel wrote that Cleaver-Brooks would make them available in an orderly fashion at a mutually agreeable time. 

In January, Cleaver-Brooks proposed an agreement providing that the firm of Wylder Corwin Kelly would not disclose the cards to third persons. 

Cleaver-Brooks proposed that plaintiffs wouldn’t take cards out of order or remove them from drawers, or take notes or pictures, or use cellular phones. 

It further proposed that plaintiffs might copy individual cards that relate to pending or future claims brought against it by Wylder Corwin Kelly. 

The Salvators rejected the proposal. 

Cleaver-Brooks moved for a protective order, claiming the cards contained trade secrets and proprietary information including customer names. 

Cleaver-Brooks asked Foley to allow a single inspection and apply it to all pending and future claims brought by Wylder Corwin Kelly. 

At a hearing, Foley said, “They are going to go through and be marking those that they deem relevant and then those will be copied?” 

Cleaver-Brooks counsel said that was correct. 

Counsel for the Salvators assured Foley that they wouldn’t disseminate customer lists to competitors of Cleaver-Brooks. 

Foley denied a protective order, finding Cleaver-Brooks didn’t establish that the cards were trade secrets. 

She ruled that a request for a single inspection was premature. 

On Jan. 18 and 19, plaintiffs inspected 90,000 cards and tabbed 5,077 for copying. 

On Jan. 24, Cleaver-Brooks moved to continue the Feb. 6 trial setting. 

Cleaver-Brooks claimed it needed to review the tabbed cards for relevance. 

On Jan. 26, the Salvators moved to compel production of the tabbed cards. 

At a hearing on Jan. 27, Foley continued the trial to April 7. 

“While Mr. Salvator is certainly entitled to a priority setting, it cannot be to the detriment and prejudice of the defendants,” Foley said. 

“They are entitled and in fact ethically obligated to fully and zealously represent and defend their clients. 

“I do not think this case is ready based on discovery issues.” 

She didn’t take up the motion to compel production. 

On Feb. 8, Cleaver-Brooks argued that Foley should deny production of all tabbed cards except 13 that related to boilers where Larry worked. 

Cleaver-Brooks alternatively argued that if Foley ordered full production of the cards, she should enter a protective order limiting their disclosure and use. 

Counsel wrote that if Foley ordered full production, Cleaver-Brooks would ask for a final and appealable order or a finding of friendly contempt. 

At a hearing on Feb. 9, counsel for the Salvators accused Cleaver-Brooks of bad faith in trying to delay trial until Larry died. 

Cleaver-Brooks counsel answered that it allowed a review of all 90,000 cards as the court required. 

Counsel claimed counsel for the Salvators developed a hit list from the cards. 

Counsel expressed fear of dissemination across the country. 

Foley ordered production, finding the tabbed cards relevant and potentially linked to discoverable information. 

Cleaver-Brooks asked for an order against disclosure to other firms or other people outside the Wylder firm, and Foley denied it. 

She said that if Cleaver-Brooks intended to refuse to comply, she would forge ahead with a friendly contempt finding to give it an opportunity to appeal. 

At a hearing on Feb. 27, she said, “When a contemnor refuses to follow the court’s order and does not hold the court in disdain or subject it to scorn, the proper procedure to test its order on appeal is for the contemnor to request the trial court to enter a citation of contempt.” 

She said she believed Cleaver-Brooks made its request in good faith. 

She imposed a $1 fine. 

On Feb. 28, the Salvators moved to modify the contempt judgment or rehear it. 

On March 1, Cleaver-Brooks filed an appeal notice and moved to stay all proceedings pending resolution of the appeal. 

At a hearing on March 3, Foley denied review of the contempt judgment and stayed all proceedings. 

She said that while Larry was entitled to an expedited trial, “that doesn’t necessarily equate with an absolute right to have his case heard.” 

“I’ll try to be delicate, but if he were to pass, he doesn’t necessarily have an absolute entitlement to have his case heard before that time,” Foley said. 

“While we work very hard to do that, the court has to balance other considerations including due process rights of the other parties. 

“Here the issue that involves the relevance and the use of the index cards is not likely to end at this juncture.” 

On March 11, Larry died. 

Marcia Salvator appealed the stay to the Fourth District, claiming Cleaver-Brooks filed a frivolous appeal of the contempt order in bad faith, to delay the trial. 

Fourth District judges found Salvator failed to demonstrate bad faith. 

Justice James Knecht wrote, “At this juncture, we find Cleaver-Brooks has presented a substantial case on the merits and argument sufficient to suggest its appeal is not clearly frivolous.” 

“While a party’s illness certainly is a factor in deciding whether to grant or deny a stay, it is but one factor,” he wrote. 

“The trial court found the continued litigation would be beset with the parties’ disagreements about the production and use of the information from the index cards.” 

Justices John Turner and Carol Pope concurred. 

Pope retired on Aug. 1. 

Meredith Hudgens of Chicago led the team representing Cleaver-Brooks. 

The Fourth District has not set oral argument on Foley’s friendly contempt order.

It’s been nearly a year-and-a-half since an Illinois good government group raised eyebrows over questionable campaign spending by the state’s auditor general, and now the organization is suing over Auditor General Frank Mautino’s failure to respond to records requests.

Attorneys for Kirk Allen, cofounder of the Edgar County Watchdogs, filed a civil action in state court against Mautino over the official’s alleged failure to produce records relating to questions over his campaign spending, which the group first reported on back in January 2016.

The suit was filed on July 12 in the Circuit Court of the Fifth Judicial Circuit in Edgar County.

Past news reports show that Allen and John Kraft, the group’s other cofounder, raised awareness through their reporting about questionable spending by Mautino’s campaign during the time he was serving as a state representative.  

Mautino, who spent 24 years in the Illinois House of Representatives, was appointed auditor general by the General Assembly in October 2015; he took office the following January.

The inquiries began almost immediately, with Allen’s group questioning $200,000 over a 10-year period that was spent on fuel and vehicle repairs at a service station in Spring Valley, which is Mautino’s hometown.

The group also questioned more than $200,000 in irregular payments that were made to the Spring Valley City Bank, according to reports.

It wasn’t long after the Edgar County Watchdogs reported their findings that both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Illinois Board of Elections disclosed they were conducting separate inquiries.

In May 2016, according to news reports, the state board ruled that Mautino “willfully” violated an order it had issued that compelled Mautino to amend his campaign finance reports.

The board ultimately issued Mautino a fine in the amount of $5,000, although that fine appears to remain unpaid. 

At the same time, however, the board voted to not refer the matter to local law enforcement, despite Allen’s group seeking to have the board do just that.

Allen previously reported that Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed also decided against taking any action, citing the ongoing federal investigation as reason to not get involved at the local level.

Allen was informed that if state law violations that wouldn’t be handled through the federal investigation were uncovered, the matter would be forwarded to Illinois authorities.

Aside from the alleged financial irregularities, the Watchdogs raised questions about the prospect of patronage hires, the argument being that Mautino brought people aboard who were unqualified for their respective positions.

In the recently filed lawsuit, Allen claims that Mautino’s office failed to produce all of the records he requested back on Feb. 14, 2016.

The suit says that the office produced a mere 10 documents, in contrast to the 5,500 pages of documents it provided to Allen after a separate records request a week prior, on Feb. 9 of that year.

The Feb. 14 request, the suit says, was for copies of communications asking questions about Mautino’s campaign records between Feb. 10 and 15 of that year.

The suit, which seeks summary judgment, says that Mautino’s office must come forward with “supporting evidence and may not rest on mere argument or its own pleadings,” as to why the entirety of the records request was not fulfilled.

“It is undisputed that [Mautino’s office] is a public body and that Allen requested copies of communications asking about Mautino’s campaign records and any responses to such questions,” the suit reads. “Allen need not make any further showing because the burden of proof on exemption claims and the adequacy of the search lies with [Mautino’s office].”

The suit says that Allen may also address exemption claims by the auditor general’s office, if any arise, over redactions of the records stemming from the Feb.9, 2016 request only after Mautino responds to this summary judgment motion.

It says Allen also disputes the adequacy of Mautino’s searches for records responsive to the Feb. 14 request, and that he insists that the auditor general’s office comes forward with proof of the search that it says it performed.

Last year, Mautino invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination while the state Board of Elections was conducting its inquiry because of the ongoing federal investigation, the Madison-St. Clair Record previously reported.

The board had given Mautino up until July of last year to amend his campaign reports.

At the time, the Edgar County Watchdogs, on its website, called on Mautino to resign “as the people of this state will never trust him as our Auditor General knowing he chose to stay silent to avoid-self-incrimination on civil matters that could potentially lead to criminal charges.

The group stated that it learned Mautino was cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its criminal investigation, which may have signaled that Mautino was willing to provide information that could point to wrongdoing by other political figures. 

Earlier this month, the website mywebtimes.com reported that Allen alleged in his private complaint sent to police agencies that Mautino had falsified documents filed with the board of elections.

Among the allegations were that Mautino listed principal payments to Spring Valley City Bank, while bank records indicated that the checks were cashed, and also that Mautino’s campaign listed expenditures for vehicle repairs with Happy’s Super Service center in Spring Valley but that invoices had shown the payments were actually put toward fuel purchases.

A copy of the formal complaint shows that it was sent to Spring Valley Police Chief Kevin Sangston, Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed and Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz.

Among the alleged statutory violations in the private complaint are Failure to comply with order of election authority, perjury, mutilation of election materials and forgery.

Just recently, the watchdog group reported that dates on two subpoenas issued in connection with the federal investigation show that Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass likely took the group’s reporting seriously.

The first subpoena was issued to the Illinois House of Representatives just over a month after the watchdog group issued its first report about Mautino in late January 2016 and the second was issued to the state Board of Elections 18 days after the first subpoena.

Copies of both subpoenas to testify before a grand jury were posted to the website of the Edgar County Watchdogs.   

EAST ST. LOUIS - District Judge Phil Gilbert granted summary judgment for Westmore Equities in a suit alleging it had a legally binding contract with the City of Mounds to develop a Dollar General store in the area. 

Westmore is a real estate development company for Dollar General Corporation. 

It claims Mounds breached the contract. 

However, Mounds alleges the contract was not valid. 

Both parties sought summary judgements when Gilbert ruled in favor of Westmore. 

According to the complaint, the Mounds City Council committed to have Westmore develop the store at 764 S Blanche

As part of the agreement Mounds had agreed to give Westmore 75 percent of the annual tax incremental finance (TIF) revenue up to $350,000 over 23 years.

On April 21, 2010 the two parties signed a redevelopment contract. 

At the time, no specific budget amount was presented to City Council. Instead, the mayor entered an exclusive contract with the company based on previous discussions. 

In July 2013 Westmore made its first payment request of $16,769.63, which Mounds paid. However, in September 2014, Mounds notified Westmore that the contract was void and they would not pay further amounts. 

The plaintiff questioned whether the contract can be deemed void without the prior approval of City Council.

Mounds claimed it has limited authority under the non-home rule municipality, but Gilbert found that it has the ability to make contracts, including the one with Westmore, because of the TIF Act. 

“The Act is an avenue by which the Illinois code grants additional power to non-home rule municipality through statute,” he wrote in his judgement.

“Further the City did not make promises to make the Dollar General a possibility; instead it took affirmative actions to induce Westmore to begin developing the property,” he added.

The court also concluded that the mayor had the authority to enter into a valid and binding contract.

“When you look to the Illinois Municipal Code and the TIF Act together, it becomes clear that Butler, then the City mayor, had the express right to enter into any necessary contracts needed to effectuate the redevelopment plan, which had been approved on April 19, 2010 by the City Council,” Gilbert wrote.

BENTON - Magistrate Judge Reona Daly held that a woman suing Fare Foods for alleged sexual harassment waived attorney-client privilege during her first meeting with attorney Kevin Kaufhold because her mother was present. 

During plaintiff Amy Swyear's deposition, she was asked by defense attorney Shari Rhode whether a third party was present at the meeting. Swyear answered that her mother was present. 

Rhode then asked what was discussed during the initial meeting with Kaufhold, who objected to the question based on attorney-client privilege. 

Kaufhold instructed Swyear not to answer the question. 

Daly wrote that Illinois law holds that “the attorney-client privilege will not shield from disclosure statements made by a client to his or her attorney in the presence of a third party who is not an agent of either the client or attorney."

A discovery dispute was held June 26 to discuss the issue. 

Swyear mentioned during the meeting that her mother had a previous business relationship with Fare Foods, the order states. 

She also stated that her mother sought legal advice during the initial consultation in question regarding whether she had a potential claim against Fare Foods. 

Swyear argues that the common interest doctrine should maintain attorney-client privilege in this situation. 

Daly did not agree.

"Here, it appears that Swyear’s mother was present during the initial consultation to provide emotional or moral support," Daly wrote. "While the Court is not unsympathetic to Swyear’s position, the presence of her mother during the consultation waived the attorney client privilege."

"Additionally, Swyear’s communications are not protected under the common interest doctrine," she added. "The common interest doctrine is 'an exception to the rule that no privilege attaches to communications between a client and an attorney in the presence of a third person.'"

"The doctrine is applicable 'where the parties undertake a joint effort with respect to a common legal interest, and the doctrine is limited strictly to those communications made to further an ongoing enterprise.' 

"Although Swyear’s mother may have had prior business dealings with the Defendant, Swyear and her mother did not share a common legal interest. Swyear is pursuing a Title VII wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuit; there is no evidence that Swyear’s mother sought legal services for such claims," Daly wrote. 

Daly overruled Kaufhold's objections and ordered Swyear to respond to the original question.

In her complaint, Swyear argued that she was employed as an outside sales representative with Fare Foods Corporation when she was allegedly subjected to a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. She was later terminated after reporting the alleged harassment. 

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:16-cv-1214

An inspection company and the home sellers deny liability in a buyer’s lawsuit alleging they failed to disclose mold and moisture damage.

Cynthia Scully filed her complaint against sellers David and Sherry Scheldt, Stephen Norris and Prudent Home Inspections Inc., alleging violations of the Residential Real Estate Disclosure Act.

In her complaint, Scully alleges she entered into a real estate contract with the Scheldts on March 22, 2016, to purchase a property in Moro. However, Scully claims she was not informed that the property had mold and moisture damage. She also claims the plumbing did not comply with plumbing codes.

She claims she suffered damages after paying $234,900 for a property that she says is worthless and uninhabitable.

The Scheldts answered the complaint on June 21 through attorney Christopher Donohoo of The Donohoo Law Firm PC in East Alton.

They argue that they are not liable for defects unknown to them.

They claim the Residential Real Property Disclosure Act states that the seller is “not liable for any error, inaccuracy, or omission of any information delivered pursuant to the Act where the seller had no knowledge of the error, inaccuracy, or omission.”

The defendants state that the property’s plumbing was inspected by the Illinois Department of Health, which they relied upon.

Scully filed a reply to the affirmative defenses on June 30 through attorney Deborah Hawkins of Hawkins Law Office PC in Edwardsville.

She denies each and every allegation.

Norris and Prudent Home Inspections answered the complaint on July 11 through attorney Johnathon Brereton-Hubbard of the Law Office of McDonald & Bogdan in St. Louis. The defendants deny liability.

Scully seeks a judgment in excess of $50,000, plus court costs.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 17-L-606

In July, Chicago Public Schools borrowed $500 million in long-term, high-interest loans. These loans, taken out at interest rates between 7.25-7.65 percent, will cost the district more than $850 million in interest costs alone for a total cost of $1.35 billion, according to a Chicago Tribune analysis.

CPS will pay off the loans over 25 years, paying roughly $35 million a year in interest. Adjusted for inflation, the total value of the interest on the loan is roughly $405 million.

As the Tribune notes, by the time the loan is paid off, CPS students entering kindergarten this fall will be in their mid-30s.

The district plans to use $229 million from the $500 million loan to recoup losses on bonds from previous years. The district will also reimburse itself $31 million in capital expenses from past years, the Tribune explains. This tactic of using new loans to pay off old debts is known as “scoop and toss,” a method of covering deficits used by various city bodies.

While CPS funnels more money toward exorbitant interest costs due to years of financial recklessness, Illinois lawmakers are attempting to bail out CPS as part of the state’s new education funding plan.

If CPS is unable to secure funding from the state to pay off the loan, the district has stated it plans to look to property taxes to pay off its increasing debts.

The $500 million long-term loan came shortly after the district borrowed $387 millionin short-term loans from JPMorgan to cover a pension payment and generated nearly $70,000 in interest a day over the summer.

Despite having taken out a total of $887 million in loans over the last two months, CPS students and parents may not notice any large improvements in the classroom come fall, as CPS has used its dependency on short-term borrowing to make payments on pension debt rather than using the money to fund classrooms.

If one aspires to become a politician in Illinois, there's one tried and tested route.

Attend private elementary and high schools.

As reported by the Sangamon Sun, research conducted by its publisher - Local Government Information Services (LGIS) - found a clear and unmistakable trend regarding the K-12 school choices of Illinois' top elected officials - present and past.

They may politically support Illinois' public schools, but an increasing number of elected officials are opting out of using them personally.

The LGIS report comes as Governor Bruce Rauner and Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich are pushing a measure that would give a state tax deduction to philanthropists who underwrite private school scholarships for low-income students.

Many opponents of the measure attended private schools themselves.

LGIS found that private schools produce a disproportionate number of statewide officials, state legislators, members of Congress and judges. And not just in Chicago and its suburbs.

Everywhere private schools exist, including the sprawling Metro-East, the Quad Cities, Springfield, Bloomington, Rockford, Peoria, Champaign, and they continue to fuel Illinois' political machines and family dynasties.

The Catholic League Caucus

All four state legislative leaders are Catholic school products, elected by dozens more state legislators who graduated from of one of Illinois' 70-some Catholic high schools.

House Speaker Michael J. Madigan (D-St. Ignatius) and Senate President John J. Cullerton (D-Wheaton St. Francis) square off with House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Fenwick) and Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington Central Catholic).

The Springfield presence of Chicago-area institutions like St. Ignatius, which counts five active legislators as alums, and Fenwick, which counts two to go with former Governor Pat Quinn, are well-established.

So are smaller, but just as politician-producing, schools like Alton Marquette Catholic (Sen. Bill Haine D-Alton, State Rep. Dan Beiser D-Alton), Central Catholic (State Sen. Bill Brady, State Rep. Dan Brady), Peoria Notre Dame (U.S. Rep. Darin Lahood, former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood), Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (former State Legislator Karen Hasara) and Rock Island Alleman Catholic (U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling, U.S. Rep. Phil Hare).

Current State Senator Neil Anderson attended Assumption Catholic H.S. in Davenport, Iowa, just across the border from his home in Moline.

Catholic schools outside Metro Chicago aren't relegated to larger population centers.

Mater Dei Catholic H.S. in Breese (pop. 4,221) in Clinton County, counts the county's two most successful elected officials as alums. Former State Rep. Kurt Granberg, who served fom 1987-2009, and the late former State Senator and State Treasurer James Donnewald both attended Mater Dei. 

Donnewald's children and grandchildren are also Mater Dei alums.

A now shuttered school - East St. Louis Assumption, closed in 1989 and turned in to a state prison-- has perhaps the deepest downstate roster of politician-graduates.

Its alumni include U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, former U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello and his son, current State Rep. Jerry Costello, Jr. as well as countless local elected officials in St. Clair County.

Dominance of the state attorney general's office

Private school influence extends to all branches of government.

Two of the last six Illinois governors attended private schools.

Democrat Pat Quinn grew up in west suburban Hinsdale, where he attended St. Isaac Jogues Elementary School. He graduated from Fenwick H.S. in Oak Park.

Republican Jim Thompson, Illinois’ longest-serving governor (1977-1991), was raised in Chicago’s Galewood neighborhood on its far west side. He attended North Park Academy, a private high school then on the campus of North Park University. The school closed in 1969.

The Illinois attorney general’s office has been run by a private school graduate for 30 of the last 34 years, and counting.

Like her father, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (2003-present) attended private schools, graduating from The Latin School of Chicago in Lincoln Park.

So did her predecessor, Jim Ryan (St. Procopius/Benet Academy) as well as former Attorney General Neil Hartigan (Loyola Academy), who also served a term as state lieutenant governor (1973-77) and lost a bid as the Democrat nominee for governor in 1990.

The last two Illinois treasurers have been public school products. But the previous four, including Pat Quinn, attended private schools.

Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka  (1995-2007) boarded at the Presbyterian, all-girls private Ferry Hall School in Lake Forest; it became part of Lake Forest Academy in 1974.

Her successor, Alexi Giannoulias, is a graduate of The Latin School of Chicago.

Four of seven Illinois State Supreme Court Justices are private school products: Justices Anne Burke (Maria H.S. of Chicago), Thomas Kilbride (Kankakee Bishop McNamara), Mary Jane Thies (Chicago St. Ignatius) and Bob Thomas (Rochester, NY McQuaid Jesuit).

So were the court's two most recent retirees, Thomas Fitzgerald (Chicago Leo) and Mary Ann McMorrow (Immaculata).

For thee, but not for me

State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) and State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) are two of Chicago's most vociferous advocates for raising property and income taxes to spend more money on Chicago Public Schools (CPS).

Neither have said how much CPS would have to spend to convince them to send their own kids there, however.

Raoul has a daughter at University of Chicago Lab School, his own alma mater. His son graduated from Chicago Lab last year and attends Lake Forest College.

Cassidy's three children attend Francis Parker, an elite private school in Lincoln Park.

Both Chicago elected officials argue their constituents should choose Chicago Public Schools,  while simultaneously avoiding the schools themselves. And they’re in good company.

LGIS found that but a fraction of the city’s Springfield delegation themselves attended Chicago’s public schools.

Of 52 legislators analyzed, 29 attended private high schools. Just 10 attended CPS.

Most Chicago politicians and Chicago-based policymakers are the product of Chicago’s private schools-- and are choosing a similar path for their children.

In a 2014 letter to the Chicago Tribune, State Sen. Raoul declared proposals that would give Chicago parents a choice of sending their children to public or private schools “irresponsible.”

He argued that the best students would leave CPS, which would “exacerbate the inequalities already plaguing our system.”

Raoul would know.

Raised in Hyde Park, he could have gone to CPS, but never did, instead choosing the private Ancona School and the prestigious (now closed) Harvard-St. George before completing high school at University of Chicago Lab. 

Other Lab graduates in the State House include House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Hyde Park), who also attended Catholic grammar school (St. Thomas the Apostle), and South Side State Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Washington Heights), a former staffer for Governor Quinn before he was appointed to the seat earlier this year.

Rep. Cassidy was raised in Bradenton, Fla., where she attended Catholic elementary schools and the local public high school. Demanding a tax increase for CPS, she staged a photo-op last week at Sullivan High School, less than one mile from her home in the 7300 block of North Ashland.

“It’s all about the kids,” she told reporters.

Cassidy didn’t mention that, when it came to her own kids, Sullivan proved so unacceptable that she chose to drive them 40 minutes to a private school each day to avoid it.

Like Chicago Lab, Francis Parker is a frequent school of choice for the city’s politically connected. It runs $24,160 for kindergarten; high school costs more than $31,000 per year.

Cassidy earns a base salary of $67,836 for her work as a state legislator. 

Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Montessori)

In advocating for bigger Chicago Public Schools’ budgets, State Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-South Shore) frequently thanks his mother for sacrificing “to make sure I had a good education.”

“There are kids right now in Bronzeville and South Shore who, if given the resources, could be the next great scientist or entrepreneur,” he told the Chicago Tribune.

Mitchell, who has no children, avoids publicizing the fact that he, himself, didn’t attend public schools, studying at Montessori schools in the western suburbs (Alcuin Montessori of Oak Park and Keystone Montessori of River Forest) before high school at St. Joseph’s of Westchester.

A former community organizer, Mitchell got his political start working for Chicago City Council member and state representative turned lobbyist Will Burns.

Burns was also a private school product, graduating from the renowned Hawken School in his native Cleveland.

Before running for office, Mitchell also worked for two private school products State Attorney General Madigan and former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who attended St. Ignatius.

The alma mater of House Speaker Madigan, St. Ignatius is unrivaled when it comes to political clout.

In addition to both Madigans, it claims Bill Daley, former Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes and U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Chicago) as graduates, as well as sitting State House members Rep. Kelly M. Burke (D-Oak Lawn), Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Ashburn), Rep. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chatham), and Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park).

Harmon, who also attended St. Giles Catholic Elementary School in Oak Park and sends his children there, has been actively opposed to Rauner and Cardinal Cupich's tax credit proposal.

He and 34 other legislators signed a letter to Rauner in May outlining their opposition to any programs that could benefit private schools, including allowing parents to direct tax dollars for their own children.

Ten of the signatories attended private schools-- including Harmon, Cassidy, Cullerton, Raoul, Flynn-Currie, Mitchell, State Rep. Robert Martwick (D-Loyola Academy), Sen. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Joliet St. Francis), Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Mt. Carmel) and State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Phillips Exeter Academy).

----

How many active state legislators attended private school?

LGIS found 53 active state legislators who attended private elementary or high school.

Where did yours go?

Source: LGIS research

Madison County Circuit Judge Dennis Ruth denied dismissal in an Edwardsville attorney’s defamation suit alleging a client’s opponent accused him of having low ethical standards and questioned his firm’s employee diversity.

Edwardsville attorney Todd Sivia filed the complaint against Michael M. Lischko on June 16, alleging defamation per se.

He alleges he represented Lischko’s daughter and son-in-law, referred to as “the Fallers,” in a case against Lischko in the small claims court in Madison County involving a disputed gift from the defendant to the Fallers.

Sivia continues to represent the Fallers against Lischko for an alleged debt owed to Lischko.

According to the one-count complaint, in a series of emails to Sivia dating back to October 2016, Lischko allegedly threatened to report what the defendant claimed to be ethical violations by Sivia.

Lischko allegedly threatened to contact the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Saint Louis University School of Law Alumni Association, Lewis and Clark Community College, Edwardsville and Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau and American Legion, among others. Sivia claims he has an “important professional relationship” with each of these organizations.

Lischko has already contacted the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and the Goshen Rotary Club, the suit states.

In a March 18 email, Lischko allegedly told Sivia that his company website showed that he “did not employ any 'Afro-Americans,' and suggested that a call to the NAACP would ‘rectify this oversight on (Mr. Sivia’s) part.’”

He allegedly went on to inquire whether Sivia employed any members of the LGBTQ community.

Sivia also alleges Lischko sent a letter to Mike Hanley of the membership department of Goshen Rotary Club suggesting that Sivia possessed low ethical standards. Hanley forwarded the email to Sivia.

Sivia alleges the defendant’s “repeated threats” in his letter to Hanley disparaging his ethical standards “evidence intent on the part of Defendant to harm the reputation of Mr. Sivia by deterring professional acquaintances and peers from associating with Mr. Sivia.”

He further argues that the published letter to Hanley constitutes per se defamatory statements because “they impute an inability to perform or want of integrity in the discharge of Mr. Sivia’s duties as an attorney, and/or they prejudice Mr. Sivia or impute a lack of ability in his legal profession.”

Sivia alleges Lischko’s statements were false and were made with actual malice because he either “knew the statements to be false or believed the statements to be true but lacked reasonable grounds for that belief.”

Lischko answered the complaint on July 6, denying liability.

He also filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on July 6.

He argues that the amount requested in the complaint has been written over by an unknown party and is illegible.

He also argues that in his letter to Hanley, he is quoting a statement of the Rotary Club and asks Hanley to discuss Sivia’s email.

Sivia responded to the defendant’s motion to dismiss on July 28, arguing that he does not need to plead actual damage to his reputation in a defamation claim “because the statement is deemed to be so obviously and materially harmful that injury to the plaintiff’s reputation is presumed.”

“Here it is alleged that the words impute the lack of integrity by Mr. Sivia in performing the duties as an attorney and the words impute a lack of ability in Mr. Sivia’s profession, which has prejudiced an individual in his or her profession,” the response states.

Lischko filed a motion to amend his original motion to dismiss on July 28.

He argues that he believes Sivia wrongly requested punitive damages in his complaint.

“It is unknown to Mr. Lischko if Mr. Sivia followed procedure and filed a pre-trial motion (for punitive damages) and requested a hearing on punitive damages,” the motion states.

Ruth denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss that same day, arguing that the defendant had already filed his answer when he filed the motion to dismiss.

However, he granted Lischko’s oral motion to strike punitive damages and granted Sivia leave to refile.

Ruth scheduled a case management conference for Sept. 27 at 10 a.m.

Sivia is represented in the case by his own firm, Sivia Business & Legal Services PC in Edwardsville.

Lischko is representing himself pro se.

Madison County Circuit Court case number 17-L-857