Opinion ID: 2529919
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Validity of Service by Publication in September 2006

Text: ¶ 104 Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/2-1401 (West 2008)) establishes a comprehensive statutory procedure for vacating a final judgment older than 30 days. See People v. Vincent, 226 Ill.2d 1, 7, 312 Ill.Dec. 617, 871 N.E.2d 17 (2007). Relief under section 2-1401 is predicated upon proof, by a preponderance of evidence, of a defense or claim that would have precluded entry of the judgment in the original action and diligence in both discovering the defense or claim and presenting the petition. Id. at 7-8, 312 Ill.Dec. 617, 871 N.E.2d 17 (citing Smith v. Airoom, Inc., 114 Ill.2d 209, 102 Ill.Dec. 368, 499 N.E.2d 1381 (1986)). The State does not dispute that respondent's contention that the trial court lacked personal jurisdiction substitutes for and negates the need to allege a meritorious defense and due diligence. Sarkissian v. Chicago Board of Education, 201 Ill.2d 95, 104, 267 Ill.Dec. 58, 776 N.E.2d 195 (2002). ¶ 105 Respondent maintains that the September 2006 service by publication was invalid because the Department failed to conduct a diligent inquiry prior to issuing that notice, as required under section 2-16(2) of the Juvenile Court Act. That provision states, in relevant part: (2) Where a respondent's usual place of abode is not known, a diligent inquiry shall be made to ascertain the respondent's current and last known address. The Department of Children and Family Services shall adopt rules defining the requirements for conducting a diligent search to locate parents of minors in the custody of the Department. If, after diligent inquiry made at any time within the preceding 12 months, the usual place of abode cannot be reasonably ascertained, or if respondent is concealing his or her whereabouts to avoid service of process, petitioner's attorney shall file an affidavit at the office of the clerk of court in which the action is pending showing that respondent on due inquiry cannot be found or is concealing his or her whereabouts so that process cannot be served. The affidavit shall state the last known address of the respondent. The affidavit shall also state what efforts were made to effectuate service. Within 3 days of receipt of the affidavit, the clerk shall issue publication service as provided below. The clerk shall also send a copy thereof by mail addressed to each respondent listed in the affidavit at his or her last known address. The clerk of the court as soon as possible shall cause publication to be made once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the action is pending. 705 ILCS 405/2-16(2) (West 2006). ¶ 106 The circuit court rejected respondent's contention after holding an evidentiary hearing. In this posture, the circuit court's judgment is reviewed to determine whether it is against the manifest weight of the evidence. See S.I. Securities v. Powless, 403 Ill.App.3d 426, 440, 343 Ill. Dec. 1, 934 N.E.2d 1 (2010). [4] A decision is against the manifest weight of the evidence only if the opposite conclusion is clearly evident. In re Cutright, 233 Ill.2d 474, 488, 331 Ill.Dec. 172, 910 N.E.2d 581 (2009). ¶ 107 The portion of the record relevant to the first publication notice establishes the following. On September 7, 2006, a petition for adjudication of wardship was filed in the circuit court of McLean County which identified respondent as the father of two of Tonya Findley's four minor daughters. The petition incorrectly listed respondent's address as Sheridan Correctional Center, Sheridan, IL. ¶ 108 Shannon Stanfill, the Department investigator initially assigned to the case, spoke to Findley about respondent. Findley told Stanfill that respondent lived in the Chicago area but that she did not know his address. Findley also gave Stanfill an incorrect date of birth for respondent. Stanfill made no other efforts to locate respondent. At the shelter care hearing, no evidence was presented regarding respondent, his location, or efforts made to find him. ¶ 109 On September 11, 2006, an affidavit in support of service by publication, which is required under section 2-16(2), was filed by McLean County Assistant State's Attorney Madeline McLauchlan. In the affidavit, McLauchlan attested that respondent's address could not be ascertained upon diligent inquiry and, thus, process could not be served upon him either personally or by certified mail. The affidavit did not state what efforts had been made by the Department to locate respondent. ¶ 110 On September 19, 2006, the McLean County circuit clerk issued a notice for publication to respondent. The notice was published in the Bloomington Pantagraph the same day. ¶ 111 On October 11, 2006, a Certification of Comprehensive Diligent Search was issued by the Department's Diligent Search Service Center. The certification indicated that a computer search had been conducted of 14 address databases for respondent's name. ¶ 112 On October 24, 2006, an adjudication hearing was held. At this hearing, the circuit court found that it had personal jurisdiction over respondent, through service by publication, and that respondent had defaulted by not appearing after being served. ¶ 113 Based on the foregoing, it appears that the only inquiry conducted by the Department prior to the issuance of the September 2006 publication notice was that of the investigator, Stanfill, asking Findley for respondent's address. Nothing in the record indicates that any attempts were made to pursue other readily available areas of inquiry prior to serving respondent by publication, such as asking Findley for respondent's telephone number, asking the minors and Findley for the names of respondent's relatives, or asking Findley whether she received support from respondent or had an existing child support case. Further, although the State stresses that the Department ran a computer search for respondent's address, that search was conducted a month after McLauchlan filed the affidavit in support of publication, and three weeks after the notice was actually published. The computer search thus fell outside section 2-16(2)'s requirement that the diligent inquiry be undertaken within the 12 months preceding the filing of the affidavit supporting publication. In addition, the computer search was run with respondent's first name misspelled as Darryl, rather than Daryl. ¶ 114 Under these facts, I would hold that the circuit court's finding that the Department conducted the diligent inquiry required before issuing publication notice under section 2-16(2) was against the manifest weight of the evidence. Accordingly, I would conclude that the September 2006 publication notice was issued in violation of section 2-16(2) and failed to confer personal jurisdiction on the trial court. In light of this conclusion, I would also find that it is necessary to consider the validity of the November 2007 publication.