People Ex Rel. Daley v. Warren Motors, Inc.

The defendants, Warren Motors, Inc., and its owner and president, Warren W. Ottinger, obtained reductions in real property tax assessments through a fraudulent scheme involving personnel of the board of appeals of Cook County (the board). The State’s Attorney of Cook County filed the action concerned here in the circuit court of Cook County, seeking an accounting and the imposition of a constructive trust upon the benefits realized by the defendants, i.e., the illegally obtained reductions plus interest. The defendants filed a motion to sever any equitable cause of action from any of the law…