Illinois Legislature Passes Bill Allowing for Prejudgment Interest on Personal Injury Claims

Illinois law traditionally has not allowed for prejudgment interest on personal injury claims, but that rule is about to change. On January 13, 2021, the Illinois legislature passed House Bill 3360. The original purpose of the bill was to amend Illinois law relating to mortgage foreclosures and abandoned residential property. However, Senate Floor Amendment No. 1 modified the bill to introduce prejudgment interest for personal injury claims in Illinois.

Prejudgment interest on personal injury actions was not available under the common law, so generally it is only allowed when authorized by a statute. Illinois HB 3360 provides that in all actions for personal injury or wrongful death, the plaintiff shall recover prejudgment interest on all damages set forth in a subsequent judgment at the interest rate of 9% per annum.

Of note is when prejudgment interest begins to accrue under the bill. Among the jurisdictions allowing prejudgment interest on personal injury claims, a plethora of approaches has emerged for determining the starting point. Some states require the rejection of a formal demand with specific requirements (such as Missouri, § 408.040 RSMo.), others from the date of the loss (such as Florida, Fla. Stat. § 687.01), or still others from the date of the filing of the complaint (such as Michigan, Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.6013). Continue reading »

Financial Relief for Your Troubled Small Business Clients

It’s no secret that many small businesses are facing financial troubles these days, not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of the rapid and unpredictable twists and turns of the current economy. This article will discuss, in two parts, the various ways in which a financially troubled business can seek financial relief, ranging from informal negotiations and state statutory remedies to filing a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy case, so that attorneys can provide general assistance to their small business clients, or refer them to an insolvency attorney if appropriate.

Part I: Negotiations and State Statutory Remedies

Informal Workouts

If a debtor is on good terms with its creditors, especially its primary lenders, it may be able to earn itself out of its financial troubles. The secured creditors, of course, must be treated with full respect for their security interests in the assets of the debtor. Unsecured suppliers of critical goods and services also must be treated with care, as their cooperation may be needed at some point in the future.

It is often useful for a debtor to obtain an appraisal of its assets, both real and personal, from well-respected appraisers experienced in their fields. The appraisal should value the assets at three levels: forced liquidation value, orderly liquidation value, and fair market value. These values will enable the debtor to intelligently discuss the likelihood of collection in different situations.

Another useful action would be to hire a consultant. Sometimes business owners cannot see opportunities for improvement which are right in front of them, simply because they think that the current practice works well. The consultant can help the owner review the company’s operating procedures, cash flow procedures and pricing structure to look for opportunities to increase profitability.

The consultant also could prepare projections of future profitability for the company, based upon the opportunities which are discovered. Armed with the collateral valuations and projections, the owner can show the company’s creditors a plan for solving its problems.^[1] That is much more effective than simply asking for more time or engaging in stalling tactics.

Statutory Remedies

1. Assignments for the Benefit of Creditors

Continue reading »

CDC Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law.  This law provided different types of relief to Americans and business entities as a result of financial damage caused COVID-19.  The CARES Act prohibits the filing of eviction lawsuits by a landlord against a tenant to recover possession for nonpayment of rent if the dwelling is a “covered property” as that term is defined in the CARES Act.  Covered properties include a covered housing program (as defined in section 41411(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994), the rural housing voucher program under section 542 of the Housing Act of 1949, federally backed mortgage loans and federally backed multifamily mortgage loans.  After the CARES Act was signed into law, this meant landlords who owned residential properties that were not covered by the two Acts mentioned and were not backed by federal mortgages could proceed with filing eviction lawsuits to evict tenants solely for not paying rent, which typically requires the landlord to state under oath through an affidavit or verified petition that the property they own is not a covered property under the CARES Act.

On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced the issuance of a CDC Order under Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to temporarily halt residential evictions to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.  Continue reading »

COVID-19 Vaccines and the Workforce – Mandatory or Encouraged?

Getting back to normal in the next year or so may be impossible without the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines. Although authorities do not anticipate the vaccines will be widely available until Spring 2021, employers should be considering whether to mandate or merely encourage vaccinations in the workforce.

Currently there is no definitive answer regarding mandatory vaccinations, and your plan will depend on many variables. Because this is the first pandemic in our memory and it is all new to us, consider forming a committee to monitor the status of laws, regulations, and guidance from various agencies.

Your business may be one of the lucky ones that navigated the pandemic without causing a loss of morale or culture, operating safely by working remotely, social distancing, wearing masks, and following CDC requirements. If so, setting aside all other factors, you may simply want to encourage vaccinations for the first few months that they are available, especially given potential concerns about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and the ever-changing laws. You could do this by training and educating employees as to the efficacy of the vaccine, encouraging participation, and offering the vaccine for free (if not covered by insurance) at the workplace during work hours. Continue reading »

FMCSA’s New Rules Offer Improved Flexibility to Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers

For years, commercial drivers and transportation companies have urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to provide greater flexibility in the hours of service (HOS) regulations. This call grew even louder following the implementation of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate. This summer, FMCSA finally announced revisions to the hours of service regulations. The new rules went into effect on September 29, 2020.

The FMCSA’s rule changes affect four areas: the short-haul exception; the adverse driving conditions exception; the 30-minute break requirement; and the sleeper berth provision. Additionally, although it is not a formal rule change, the FMCSA issued new guidance regarding personal conveyances. These updates will help provide flexibility to an industry that often grapples with rigid regulations that have failed to keep pace with reality.

Short Haul Exemption

The short-haul exemption applies to drivers who report at the same location at the start and end of each workday and operate in a limited area. These drivers can keep a time record in place of the more burdensome HOS log. FMCSA’s new rule increases the geographic restriction from 100 air-miles to 150 air-miles. This change will allow motor carriers utilizing this exemption to expand their range, and some drivers whose regular routes previously prevented them from taking advantage of the exemption now can do so. Further, the on-duty limit for short haul operations has increased from 12 hours to 14 hours. Continue reading »

Accumulating Cash and Improving Your Business’ Cash Flow

Part 2 of a 5-part series: Options for Small Business Owners in Financial Distress

Cash is how your business likely will get through its difficulties. Simply put, obtain as much cash as you can, and spend it sparingly.

In Part 1 of this five-part series on options for small business owners in financial distress, I suggested some ideas about improving the operation of your small business in order to survive different types of disasters. In Part 2, I’ll share some thoughts on improving your cash position and cash flow.

First, look at your business as a source of cash.

• Account receivables: Contact your customers with outstanding account receivables and encourage them to make payment. Provide discounts for prompt payment and charge interest on past due amounts if you can.
• Line of credit: If you have unused room on a line of credit, draw on it now while you still can. If things get bad enough, your lender might freeze your line and cut off further draws.
• Business loan: If you need to approach a lender for a new loan or an increase in an existing one, do your homework. No lender is going to give you money just because you ask for it.
• Business plan: Prepare a business plan or update your current plan to reflect current conditions. You may need help from your accountant, attorney, consultant or similar outside sources in order to do so. Your plan may include both a “needs” list and a “wants” list.
• How much? Determine how much money you need to implement your plan whether your business plan is to simply tread water, grow, or pivot in another direction. Break it down so your potential lender understands how it is going to save your business.
• How to pay it back? Once you have a rough number, consider how you’re going to repay it. Your business’ survival depends in part on its ability to pay its debts. Consider both the amount and duration of the likely payments.
• Avoid “hard money” lenders: When looking for lenders, be very careful to avoid “hard money” lenders and their draconian interest rates and repayment schedules. These can include factoring companies who purchase your receivables, MCA lenders who say they are “purchasing” your accounts receivable but in reality are lending against them, and other types of lenders with outrageous interest rates and impossible repayment terms.

Continue reading »

$5,000 Grants Available to Restaurants and Small Businesses in St. Louis County

In response to the tightening of COVID-19 restrictions for restaurants and some other small businesses, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced $5,000 grants through the Small Business Rapid Deployment Fund.

Grants can be used for operating expenses or business costs (e.g., rent and payroll) and purchases needed to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions (e.g., heaters and tents) “incurred between April 1 and December 16, 2020 as a direct result of COVID-19.”

According to the fund’s website, restaurants and small businesses must meet the several eligibility requirements including: Continue reading »

Your Small Business: Getting Through the Economic Turbulence

Part 1 of a 5-part series: Options for Small Business Owners in Financial Distress

Suppose your small business has been doing fairly well over the last few months in spite of COVID-19 and the many other factors affecting our economy. However, you are worried about the upcoming change of seasons, additional shutdown orders, or other circumstances which might adversely affect it.

Or suppose you expect to do well over the holidays even in the face of (or because of) the pandemic, but dread your normally slow months of January, February, and March.

Or suppose you recently undertook a large project which fell apart and left you owing a ton of money.

Different situations require different responses.

Specific Event

If a specific event led to your problems, but your business is otherwise profitable, you may be able to work out of them.

Equipment Problems

Imagine that your business was doing so well that you bought additional equipment and hired additional employees in order to meet the demand.

Unfortunately, your new equipment didn’t work as promised. Rather than the promised six weeks, the new equipment took a year to get up and running smoothly. In addition to failing to fulfill all of your orders during this time, you paid employees overtime to produce as much as they could despite the distractions caused by the equipment problems. Continue reading »

Options for Small Business Owners in Financial Distress: A 5-Part Series

Many small business owners are suffering financially due to the effects of COVID-19 and the unpredictable, rapidly changing economy in general. In this five-part series, we will discuss the various options available to small businesses in financial trouble, all the way from working out obligations informally to Chapter 11 reorganization to going out of business.

The series will cover the following issues:

• Introduction: Options for Small Business Owners in Financial Distress: A 5-Part Series
• Part 1: Your Small Business: The Economic Turbulence – Analyzing and improving your business operations
• Part 2: Accumulating Cash and Improving Your Business’ Cash Flow – Analyzing and improving the business’ flow, as well as obtaining additional financing if necessary
• Part 3: Non-Bankruptcy Ideas for Helping Your Troubled Small Business –  Ideas on using non-bankruptcy options in an effort to restructure your debts
• Part 4: Bankruptcy Options for Your Troubled Small Business – Pros and cons of various types of bankruptcy
• Part 5.1. Getting Through Chapter 11 – Part One: After Filing – Getting through a bankruptcy case and coming out on the other side
• Part 5.2: Getting Through Chapter 11 – Part Two: Plan of Reorganization – Putting together your plan for reorganization and confirmation by the bankruptcy court

Continue reading »

Updates Made to Three Main Street Loan Facilities from the Federal Reserve

The Federal Reserve Board recently adjusted the terms of the Main Street Lending Program (MSLP) in an effort to focus their support on smaller businesses who continue to suffer due to the pandemic. The minimum loan size for the Main Street New Loan Facility (MSNLF), Main Street Priority Loan Facility (MSPLF), and Nonprofit Organization New Loans Facility (NONLF) have been reduced from $250,000 to $100,000. The fees on these three facilities have also been adjusted to encourage business owners to apply for these loans.

New Fee Amounts for the MSNLF, MSPLF, and NONLF

• Transaction Fees: If the initial principal amount of the Eligible Loan is $250,000 or greater, an Eligible Lender will pay the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) a transaction fee of 100 basis points of the principal amount at the time of origination. Eligible Lenders may require Eligible Borrowers to pay this fee. No fee will be imposed if the initial principal amount is less than $250,000.
• Origination Fees: If the initial principal amount of the loan is $250,000 or greater, an Eligible Borrower will pay an Eligible Lender an origination fee of up to 100 basis points of the principal amount at the time of origination. If the initial principal amount is less than $250,000, the origination fee will be up to 200 basis points of the principal amount at the time of origination.
• Servicing Fees: If the initial principal amount of the loan is $250,000 or greater, the SPV will pay Eligible Lenders 25 basis points of the principal amount of its participation in the Eligible Loan per annum. If the initial principal amount is less than $250,000 the SPV will pay 50 basis points of the principal amount of its participation in the loan per annum.

PPP Loan Considerations Continue reading »