Opinion

Murphy v. Richert

Court
District Court, N.D. Illinois
Filed
Apr 8, 2022
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 21.0%

The opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

EASTERN DIVISION

Kathleen White Murphy and Thomas )

White, as co-administrators of the )

Estate of Anna M. White, )

)

plaintiffs, )

) Hon. Heather K. McShain, M.J.

v. )

) No. 15 C 8185

Elizabeth Richert, )

)

defendant. )

PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR

CERTIFICATION OF JUDGMENT

Plaintiffs Kathleen White Murphy and Thomas White, as co-administrators of

the Estate of Anna M. White, by their undersigned attorneys, request that this Court enter an

order pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1963 finding good cause shown to direct the Clerk to issue

certified copies of the judgment so plaintiffs may enforce that judgment in other districts, and in

support thereof state:

1. On May 27, 2021, this Court entered a $246,152.76 judgment in favor of

plaintiffs and against Elizabeth Richert individually. ECF No. 468.

2. On November 24, 2021, Richert filed a notice of appeal. ECF Nos. 501

& 503. So far, Richert has filed three motions to reschedule the date for her opening brief,

currently due May 4, 2022.

3. Richert never posted a supersedes bond.

4. Richert has assets in the District of Arizona, specifically, the Carefree

Home which was held in the name of the Robert Trust at the time of Robert’s death, see ECF

No. 467 at 5, and passed to her under all versions of the Robert Trust. Id. at 9. Richert

presumedly has assets in the Southern District of Florida, where she resides. See ECF No. 467

at 6 (Richert could not remember where she deposited $467,541.82 out of the Robert Trust

proceeds and produced no bank records showing what she did with this money) (leading

plaintiffs reasonably to believe Richert still possesses this money). Plaintiffs are unaware of

any assets Richert holds individually in the Northern District of Illinois. See ECF No. 9 in 19-

2397 (claiming financial hardship with respect to $505 appellate docketing fee).

5. Under the laws of this circuit, failure to post a supersedes bond

constitutes “good cause” under 28 U.S.C. § 1963 for registration of a judgment even while

under appeal. Chicago Downs Association v. Chase, 944 F.2d 366, 371—72 & n.3 (7th Cir.

1991); Pacific Reinsurance Management Corp. v. Fabe, 929 F.2d 1215 (7th Cir. 1991);

Trustees of Chicago Truck Drivers v. Central Transport, Inc., 935 F.2d 114 (7th Cir. 1991); see

generally Siegal, COMMENTARY TO 1988 REVISION, 28 U.S.C. § 1963 (West Supp. 1989).

WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, plaintiffs Kathleen White Murphy

and Thomas White, as co-administrators of the Estate of Anna M. White, request that this Court

enter an order finding good cause to direct the Clerk to issue to plaintiffs two certified copies of

the judgment so that plaintiffs may begin enforcement actions in the District of Arizona and the

Southern District of Florida, and grant whatever additional relief the Court deems just under

these circumstances.

Respectfully submitted,

KATHLEEN WHITE MURPHY and

THOMAS WHITE, as Co-Independent

Administrators of the Estate of Anna M. White

By:__/s/ Paul J. Kozacky

Paul J. Kozacky

Caitlin Brown

KOZACKY WEITZEL MCGRATH, P.C.

77 W. Wacker St., Suite 4500

Chicago, Illinois 60601

(312) 696-0900

pkozacky@kwmlawyers.com

cbrown@kwmlawyers.com

Christopher M. Saternus

CHRISTOPHER M. SATERNUS, ATTORNEY AT LAW, P. C.

102 West Emerson Street

Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005

(847) 437-9434

cmsaternus@msn.com

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned attorney, certify that I caused a true and correct copy of Plaintiffs’

Motion for Certification of Judgment served on the following through ECF, before the hour of

9:00 p.m. on April 8, 2022:

Elizabeth K. Richert

8724 Sunset Drive, #282

Miami, FL 33173

(305) 349-3191

Email: sunset8770@aol.com

/s/ Caitlin J. Brown

Caitlin J. Brown

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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