Nickels v. Burnett

SUPREME COURT CASES

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Nickels v. Burnett

State: Illinois

Court: 2nd District Appellate

Docket No: 2-03-0414 Rel

Case Date: 10/20/2003

No. 2--03--0414

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IN THE

APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS

SECOND DISTRICT

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JOHN NICKELS, MERITA NICKELS,
DANIEL LONG, LINDA LONG, ROBERT
KLOTZ, ALLISON KLOTZ, RAYMOND
KLOTZ, JEANETTE KLOTZ, ROGER
KLEIN, IRENE KLEIN, DANIEL KLEIN,
LYNN KLEIN, JUDY ANN MAGNUSON and
RICHARD K. SCHUMACHER, Co-trustees
of the Donald F. Schumacher Trust and the
Margaret N. Schumacher Trust, SCOTT
SWANSON, CHERI SWANSON, CHARLIE
HARRIS, PETER LAKETA, SR., ANNE
LAKETA, DAVE KAUS, KATHY KAUS,
JEFFREY M. SCHMIDT, ANITA T.
SCHMIDT, ROBERT J. OGE, MARTHA E.
OGE, BARRY HALGRIMSON, MARILYN
HALGRIMSON, ALLEN R. CHRISTIANSEN,
KATHLEEN M. CHRISTIANSEN, JOHN
KIRCHMAN, CAROL KIRCHMAN,
DARREN GOCHEE, VERDA GOCHEE,
ROBERT DEACON, CORINNE DEACON,
LAWRENCE ASSELBORN, DONNA
ASSELBORN, ROBERT GREGG, ELLEN
GREGG, RAYMOND LYNCH, REBECCA
LYNCH, PAUL LAKETA, DAVID LAKETA,
PETER LAKETA, JR., JOHN J. JUNEAU,
PATRICIA A. JUNEAU, KEITH JACKSON,
and SHARON MAY,

Plaintiffs-Appellees,

JIM BURNETT and CHRISTINE BURNETT,
Indiv. and d/b/a Burnett Farms,

Defendants-Appellants.

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Appeal from the Circuit Court
of De Kalb County.

No. 02--MR--175

Honorable
Kurt P. Klein,
Judge, Presiding

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JUSTICE O'MALLEY delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendants, Jim and Christine Burnett, appeal the order of the circuit court of De KalbCounty granting plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction enjoining defendants from constructinga hog confinement facility pursuant to letters authorizing the construction of such a facility issued bythe Illinois Department of Agriculture (Department). Defendants contend that the trial courterroneously ruled on the petition for a preliminary injunction without first requiring plaintiffs toexhaust their administrative remedies pursuant to the Livestock Management Facilities Act (Act) (510ILCS 77/1 et seq. (West 2002)). We affirm.

Plaintiffs are landowners in De Kalb County near Hinckley, Illinois. Defendants own and farmproperty in the same area. In 2002, defendants began the process to construct a facility to maintain8,000 head of hogs on their property. The construction and operation of such a facility is governedby the Act. On April 11, 2002, pursuant to section 11(a) of the Act, defendants sent to theDepartment their notice of intent to construct the hog facility.

During the remainder of 2002, defendants worked with the Department to secureauthorization to begin to construct the hog facility. On December 13, 2002, the Department issuedthree letters to defendants granting them permission to proceed with the construction of the facility. On December 16, 2002, plaintiffs filed the instant suit, alleging that the proposed facility would bea nuisance pursuant to section 47--5(8) of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/47--5(8) (West2002)) and a De Kalb County ordinance (De Kalb County Code