Augsburg v. Frank's Car Wash, Inc.

• Decision Date: 22 January 1982
• Docket Number: No. 81-253,81-253
• Citation: 103 Ill.App.3d 329,59 Ill.Dec. 39,431 N.E.2d 58
• Parties: , 59 Ill.Dec. 39 Alfred AUGSBURG, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. FRANK'S CAR WASH, INC., Defendant, v. WARD LUMBER CO., and Bituminous Insurance Company, Lien-Claimants-Appellants.
• Court: United States Appellate Court of Illinois

Page 58

431 N.E.2d 58

103 Ill.App.3d 329, 59 Ill.Dec. 39

Alfred AUGSBURG, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. FRANK'S CAR WASH, INC., Defendant, v. WARD LUMBER CO., and Bituminous Insurance Company,

Lien-Claimants-Appellants.

No. 81-253.

Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District.

Jan. 22, 1982.

Law Offices of O'Reilly & Cunningham, William F. Cunningham and Jeffery G. Eaton, Wheaton, for lien-claimants-appellants.

Tyler, Peskind & Solomon, Lloyd J. Tyler and Theresa M. Banas, Aurora, for plaintiff-appellee.

VAN DEUSEN, Justice:

Bituminous Insurance Company (Bituminous) appeals from the denial of its petition to intervene and to vacate an order which denied its worker's compensation lien claim.

Plaintiff, Alfred Augsburg, suffered injuries on November 27, 1974, while acting within the scope and course of his employment with Ward Lumber Company. Bituminous, the worker's compensation insurance carrier for Ward Lumber Company, paid to Augsburg a substantial sum as worker's compensation. Subsequently, Augsburg filed a personal injury suit against several defendants, including Maybrook Company, Inc. On October 12, 1979, a judgment for $28,000 was entered in favor of Augsburg and against Maybrook Company, Inc. On January 16, 1980, a release and satisfaction of judgment was filed with the court. In the release, the plaintiff, Alfred Augsburg, acknowledged full satisfaction and payment, and he released the $28,000 judgment entered on October 12, 1979, against the defendant Maybrook Company, Inc.

On February 8, 1980, plaintiff appeared before the court and secured an order directing that the $28,000 collected upon the judgment be held by plaintiff's attorney, as an officer of the court, until the respective rights of the plaintiff and of Ward Lumber Company and Bituminous to said sum were determined. Apparently, prior to that date, the $28,000 collected on the judgment had been held by plaintiff and his attorney free from any court order.

Immediately following entry of the foregoing order, plaintiff presented to the court a petition for determination of lien together with proof of service of notice of the February 8, 1980, hearing, mailed on January 18, 1980, to Ward Lumber Company and Bituminous. Also attached as an exhibit to plaintiff's petition was a letter of Bituminous addressed to plaintiff's attorney, acknowledging receipt of a copy of the petition and the notice of the February 8, 1980, hearing. In the letter, Bituminous also set forth the amount of its lien claim less attorneys' fees and its share of costs due plaintiff's attorneys. Finally, the letter asserted that because plaintiff's attorneys were their "statutory attorneys," they saw no necessity for a separate appearance to protect their rights.

At the February 8, 1980, hearing, neither Bituminous nor Ward Lumber Company appeared before the trial court. At that time, plaintiff's attorney correctly advised the trial court that the interests of his client were adverse to those of the lien claimants and he, therefore, was not representing them.

The court thereupon proceeded to consider the plaintiff's petition to determine the lien claim of Ward Lumber Company and Bituminous in the $28,000 paid on the judgment.

After consideration of the plaintiff's petition, the trial court entered its order. In its order, the trial court found: (1) that it had jurisdiction of the plaintiff and the lien claimants, Ward Lumber Company and Bituminous; (2) that the statutory notice of the filing of the common law suit herein was given to the employer Ward Lumber Company on September 16, 1976; (3) that neither Ward Lumber Company nor Bituminous had petitioned to intervene in said suit; (4) that pursuant to chapter 48, section 138.5 of Illinois Revised Statutes the court was authorized to make such order as it deemed appropriate upon the lien claim of Ward Lumber Company and Bituminous; (5) that reasonable notice of the hearing on plaintiff's petition for determination of the lien was served by the plaintiff on the aforesaid lien claimants on January 16, 1980, in compliance with Uniform Circuit Court Rule 4(a)(4); and (6) that Bituminous had acknowledged receipt of said notice and had declined to appear. Thereupon, the court ordered and adjudged as follows: (1) that neither Ward Lumber Company nor Bituminous had any right, claim or interest to any portion of the judgment entered in the above cause; (2) that Alfred Augsburg was entitled to receive the sum of $28,000; (3) that upon payment of the sum of $28,000 to Augsburg by Maybrook Company, Inc., receipt of which was acknowledged in open court, the judgment is satisfied free and clear of any lien by Ward Lumber Company or by Bituminous; and (4) that Maybrook Company, Inc., was released and discharged of any liability to Augsburg, Ward Lumber Company and Bituminous for any claims they have or might have in the future arising out of the incident which is the subject matter of the litigation or arising out of or by reason of any payment or benefits under the Worker's Compensation Act. Ill.Rev.Stat.1979, ch. 48, par. 138.1 et seq.

On December 12, 1980, pursuant to sections 26.1 and 72 of the Civil Practice Act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1979, ch. 110, pars. 26.1 and 72), Bituminous filed a petition to intervene and to vacate the order of February 8, 1980, on the grounds that Bituminous had not received proper notice and had not been made a proper party to the proceeding and, that, in the alternative, the order of the court was void and had no effect on the lien claim of Bituminous by reason of the provisions of section 5(b) of the Worker's Compensation Act. Ill.Rev.Stat.1979, ch. 48, par. 138.5(b).

In addition to vacating the order of February 8, 1980, Bituminous sought to intervene and have the court determine that it was entitled to its lien, and that plaintiff and Maybrook Company, Inc., were jointly and severally liable therefor.

In a letter of opinion dated March 4, 1980, the trial court denied the petition to intervene and vacate. The court first considered the contention of Bituminous that the court was without authority and jurisdiction to enter the order of February 8, 1980, adjudicating its lien claim. It did so independently of the requirement of section 72 of the Civil Practice Act (Ill.Rev.Stat.1979, ch. 110, par. 72), that the petitioner must show due diligence. The court properly did so. A petition attacking a judgment or order as void may be brought at any time, either in a direct or in a collateral proceeding, and need not meet the requirement of section 72 for timely presentation, even if the party filing the petition deems it to be a petition filed under that section. First Federal Savings & Loan Association v. Brown (1979), 74 Ill.App.3d 901, 905, 30 Ill.Dec. 538, 393 N.E.2d 574.

In considering the question of jurisdiction, the trial court found in effect that it had subject matter jurisdiction under the applicable...