Court Opinion

ID: 9527097
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:27:23.600753+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:32.549854
License: Public Domain

PRESIDING JUSTICE GREEN, dissenting: I dissent from the decision to vacate the judgment of the circuit court and to remand for the circuit court to articulate the legal reasons for its ruling. I conclude we should decide the question of the sufficiency of the complaint upon the basis of the grounds for dismissal (1) set forth in defendants’ motion to dismiss, and (2) preserved by defendants’ brief as appellees. When passing upon the propriety of a circuit court order dismissing a complaint where only legal questions are involved, existing precedent places more significance on the issues raised in the circuit court than the general rule permitting their consideration set forth in Estate of Johnson and Frye, cited by the majority. In Doner v. Phoenix Joint Stock Land Bank (1942), 381 Ill. 106, 45 N.E.2d 20, the circuit court struck a complaint in chancery and eventually dismissed the suit with prejudice. On direct appeal to the supreme court, that court noted that the dismissal order was a general order not setting forth reasons for the ruling. Then, the court stated “[ejvery issue raised by the motion to strike is, therefore, before this court insofar as the same is argued.” (Doner, 381 Ill. at 112, 45 N.E.2d at 23.) The supreme court then went on to consider all those issues and concluded the complaint should not have been dismissed. The supreme court did not directly state that it was required to consider all issues concerning the sufficiency of the complaint which had been properly preserved by the appellees but by stating that those issues were “before” it, that court implied such consideration was required. In any event, this court held that consideration of all such preserved issues was required in Powell v. Village of Mt. Zion (1980), 88 Ill. App. 3d 406, 410 N.E.2d 525. In Powell, as here, this court faced the question of the scope of review of a circuit court order dismissing a complaint without stating which of the grounds in the motion to dismiss that court was relying on. This court severely criticized the trial court for not so specifying but also stated: “The trial court’s order was general, not specifying any grounds for the decision. Thus we must review every issue raised in the motions and argued on appeal.” (Emphasis added.) (Powell, 88 Ill. App. 3d at 407, 410 N.E.2d at 527.) Doner and Mid-Town Petroleum, Inc. v. Dine (1979), 72 Ill. App. 3d 296, 390 N.E.2d 428, were cited. In Mid-Town Petroleum, the First District Appellate Court, facing the same type of review as in Doner and Powell, stated that, under those circumstances, “we must first consider whether the amended complaint *** was sufficient to state a cause of action under” the statutory provisions relied upon in the motion to dismiss. (Emphasis added.) (Mid-Town Petroleum, 72 Ill. App. 3d at 299, 390 N.E.2d at 430.) In Macie v. Clark Equipment Co. (1972), 8 Ill. App. 3d 613, 615, 290 N.E.2d 912, 913, under similar circumstances, the First District Appellate Court made similar comments and considered issues raised in the motion to dismiss and affirmed the dismissal. I fully agree with the majority as to the desirability of a circuit judge articulating his reasons for his ruling in dismissing a complaint. The reasoning is an aid to us. The reasoning is also an aid to the pleader, who may be able to replead in such a manner as to avoid the imperfection found by the trial court. However, I do not agree that we would be giving advisory opinions by following the precedent of Powell and the First District Appellate Court decisions I have cited. If we uphold the decision of the circuit court, our decision will dispose of the case. If we reverse, the case can then proceed. The precedent of those cases sets forth specifically the issues which are properly preserved for our review and we do not have to search very far to find them. While the legal reasons for the rulings by the trial court are helpful to us, we give no deference to them. We have an independent responsibility in deciding questions of law. Those questions are shaped by the complaint which has been dismissed and the grounds for dismissal stated in the motion to dismiss and preserved by the appellees. That will not be changed by an articulation by the circuit court. Economical use of judicial resources requires that we proceed to consider those questions now.