{
  "id": 2654152,
  "name": "AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF CHICAGO, as Trustee, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. BOOTH/HANSEN ASSOCIATES, LTD., et al., Defendants-Appellees (Horn Chen et al., Defendants)",
  "name_abbreviation": "American National Bank & Trust Co. v. Booth/Hansen Associates, Ltd.",
  "decision_date": "1989-07-28",
  "docket_number": "Nos. 1\u201488\u20140982, 1\u201488\u20142038 cons.",
  "first_page": "865",
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T21:56:50.889546+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
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  "casebody": {
    "judges": [],
    "parties": [
      "AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF CHICAGO, as Trustee, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. BOOTH/HANSEN ASSOCIATES, LTD., et al., Defendants-Appellees (Horn Chen et al., Defendants)."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "JUSTICE McNAMARA\ndelivered the opinion of the court:\nPlaintiff, American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, as trustee, filed suit for damages caused to its building allegedly resulting from the negligent excavation of property located next to the building. Plaintiff now appeals from a trial court order entering summary judgment for defendants Booth/Hansen Associates, Ltd. (architect), Thatcher Engineering Corporation (engineer), Burton-Lip-man Company (general contractor), and Caisson Corporation (excavator), and from an order dismissing the action against defendant Lindahl Bros., Inc. (excavator), for untimely filing under the relevant two-year statute of limitations. Counts against defendants Horn Chen, Benjamin Steiner and 320 North Michigan Corporation (owners) are pending in the trial court and are not involved in this appeal.\nIn 1981, defendants began excavating the premises at 320 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Plaintiff\u2019s building on the adjacent property subsequently sank and was damaged. In February 1982, plaintiff learned the cause of this damage.\nOver two years later, on April 27, 1984, plaintiff filed a complaint, alleging that the construction-related defendants negligently failed to safeguard plaintiff\u2019s property before excavating, negligently removed the earth supporting plaintiff\u2019s building, and negligently failed to support the foundation of plaintiff\u2019s building during construction.\nOn March 1, 1988, the trial court entered summary judgment in favor of Booth/Hansen and Thatcher Engineering for failure to file suit within two years as required by section 13 \u2014 214 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, par. 13 \u2014 214). On the same day, the court granted Lindahl\u2019s section 2 \u2014 619 motion to dismiss count VI on the same grounds. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, par. 2 \u2014 619.) On June 10, 1988, the court granted summary judgment in favor of Burton-Lipman and Caisson for the same reasons.\nSection 13 \u2014 214 sets forth a two-year statute of limitations for actions \u201cagainst any person for an act or omission of such person in the design, planning, supervision, observation or management of construction, or construction of an improvement to real property.\u201d Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, par. 13 \u2014 214(a).\nPlaintiff argues that section 13 \u2014 214 does not apply to its complaint against defendants because the limitations period applies only to injuries \u201ccaused by some defects in improvements to real property.\u201d It does not apply to cases like the present one, involving \u201cclaims arising from *** general acts of negligence while they are installing or erecting an improvement to real property.\u201d Thus, it maintains that section 13 \u2014 214 should be applied only where the injury is caused \u201cby some defect in an improvement,\u201d and not caused by \u201cgeneral acts of negligence,\u201d regardless of \u201cwhether they are repairing improvements *** [or] constructing improvements.\u201d Plaintiff contends that the five-year limitation for property damage applies. (See Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 110, par. 13 \u2014 205.) We do not agree.\nSection 13 \u2014 214 encompasses all actions against persons involved in the construction-related activities enumerated in the statute. (People ex rel. Skinner v. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc. (1986), 114 Ill. 2d 252, 500 N.E.2d 34.) Section 13 \u2014 214 permits recovery by adjacent landowners. (Continental Insurance Co. v. Walsh Construction Co. (1988), 171 Ill. App. 3d 135, 524 N.E.2d 1131.) In construing section 13 \u2014 214, we look to the plain language of the statute. (In re Estate of Cohen (1983), 112 Ill. App. 3d 265, 445 N.E.2d 391.) Section 13 \u2014 214(a) clearly and unambiguously bars all \u201cactions based upon tort *** against any person for an act or omission *** in the *** construction of an improvement to real property\u201d not commenced within two years. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 110, par. 13\u2014 214(a). See Commonwealth Edison Co. v. Walsh Construction Co. (1988), 177 Ill. App. 3d 373, 532 N.E.2d 346.\nWe find no distinction between \u201cimprovements\u201d and \u201cdefects in improvements.\u201d The statute refers to any acts or omissions. (See Continental Insurance Co. v. Walsh Construction Co. (1988), 171 Ill. App. 3d 135, 524 N.E.2d 1131.) Plaintiff also wishes us to rewrite the statute to exclude claims for \u201cgeneral negligence\u201d relating to the defects in improvements to real property. We cannot ignore the plain intent of the legislature, as determined from the statute itself, to include all negligent torts. Commonwealth Edison Co. v. Walsh Construction Co. (1988), 177 Ill. App. 3d 373, 532 N.E.2d 346.\nPlaintiff also argues that an excavation is not an improvement to real property under section 13 \u2014 214 because \u201cthe excavation did not constitute an improvement which would enhance the value of the defendant\u2019s adjoining premises permanently for general uses,\u201d and if the property were \u201cplaced on the market for sale at that time its value could very well have been diminished by reason of the excavation.\u201d\nAn improvement involves more than mere repair or replacement, and excavation prior to construction is an \u201cimprovement.\u201d See Commonwealth Edison Co. v. Walsh Construction Co. (1988), 177 Ill. App. 3d 373, 532 N.E.2d 346; Continental Insurance Co. v. Walsh Construction Co. (1988), 171 Ill. App. 3d 135, 524 N.E.2d 1131; see also Calumet Country Club v. Roberts Environmental Control Corp. (1985), 136 Ill. App. 3d 610, 483 N.E.2d 613.\nPlaintiff\u2019s reliance on Calumet Country Club as support for its argument that a jury should decide whether the excavation was an \u201cimprovement\u201d is misplaced. In Calumet Country Club, there were insufficient facts alleged to determine whether a piping connection constituted an \u201cimprovement.\u201d The court specifically noted that this question of fact would not arise where the construction of a building was at issue.\nThe trial court properly concluded that plaintiff\u2019s cause of action was barred by the two-year statute of limitations under section 13 \u2014 214 of the Code of Civil Procedure.\nFor the foregoing reasons, the judgments of the circuit court of Cook County are affirmed.\nJudgments affirmed.\nEGAN, P.J., and LaPORTA, J., concur.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "JUSTICE McNAMARA"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Regas, Frezados & Harp, of Chicago (Peter G. Frezados, of counsel), for appellant.",
      "Baker & McKenzie, of Chicago (Francis D. Morrissey, Robert W. Smyth, Jr., Michael A. Pollard, and Corinne Seither, of counsel), for appellee Burton-Lipman Company.",
      "Rothschild, Barry & Myers, of Chicago (Norman J. Barry and Daniel Cummings, of counsel), for appellee Thatcher Engineering Corporation.",
      "Greenberger, Krauss & Jacobs, of Chicago, for appellee Booth/Hansen Associates, Ltd.",
      "Cassiday, Schade & Gloor, of Chicago (Bradford D. Roth, Michael J. Gallagher, and Joseph A. Giannelli, of counsel), for appellee Lindahl Brothers, Inc.",
      "Brinton & Bollinger, of Chicago (David R. Barry, Jr., and Kimberly A. Baker, of counsel), for appellee Caisson Corporation."
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST COMPANY OF CHICAGO, as Trustee, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. BOOTH/HANSEN ASSOCIATES, LTD., et al., Defendants-Appellees (Horn Chen et al., Defendants).\nFirst District (6th Division)\nNos. 1\u201488\u20140982, 1 \u2014 88\u20142038 cons.\nOpinion filed July 28, 1989.\nRegas, Frezados & Harp, of Chicago (Peter G. Frezados, of counsel), for appellant.\nBaker & McKenzie, of Chicago (Francis D. Morrissey, Robert W. Smyth, Jr., Michael A. Pollard, and Corinne Seither, of counsel), for appellee Burton-Lipman Company.\nRothschild, Barry & Myers, of Chicago (Norman J. Barry and Daniel Cummings, of counsel), for appellee Thatcher Engineering Corporation.\nGreenberger, Krauss & Jacobs, of Chicago, for appellee Booth/Hansen Associates, Ltd.\nCassiday, Schade & Gloor, of Chicago (Bradford D. Roth, Michael J. Gallagher, and Joseph A. Giannelli, of counsel), for appellee Lindahl Brothers, Inc.\nBrinton & Bollinger, of Chicago (David R. Barry, Jr., and Kimberly A. Baker, of counsel), for appellee Caisson Corporation."
  },
  "file_name": "0865-01",
  "first_page_order": 887,
  "last_page_order": 891
}