Savanna Complaint (03.19.14)
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jurisdiction.
3. Savannas reported sales tax situs violates Illinois statutory law because none of
the retailers actual business of selling in this state occurs within Savanna. In reality, the
Retailers conduct their business of selling within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction in Schaumburg,
Illinois. The Retailers thus enjoy the benefits of the RTAs transportation services in Schaumburg
without contributing their fair share of sales taxesall at great expense to the citizens and law
abiding taxpayers living and doing business there. This scheme deprives the RTA of its portion
of sales tax revenues necessary to fund its continued operations.
4. A recent Illinois Supreme Court case,Hartney Fuel Oil Company, et al. v. Hamer, et
al., 2013 IL 115130, 36, 998 N.E.2d 1227, Ill. 2013 (Hartney), reaffirmed that the business of
selling under local retailers occupation taxes (local ROT Acts) is a fact-intensive composite of
many activities and the legislative intent for enacting local ROT Acts was to allow local
jurisdictions to tax the composite of selling activities taking place within their jurisdictions,
collecting taxes in relation to services enjoyed by the retailer. The Hartneydecision invalidated
the Illinois Department of Revenues (IDORs) rules governing retailers occupation taxes
imposed by local jurisdictions.
5. In the wake of Hartney, the IDOR issued emergency rules on January 22, 2014,
which declare that mere retail order acceptance does not by itself constitute the business of
selling for taxing purposes (the Rules). A copy of the Rules is attached as Exhibit A, 86 Ill.
Adm. Code 320.115 (amended by emergency rulemaking at 38 Ill. Reg. ____, effective Jan. 22,
2014 for a maximum of 150 days). The Rules set forth guidance on the application ofHartneys
composite of selling activities test in various circumstances. The Rules list nine factors that are
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to be used to determine whether a seller is engaged in the business of selling in a particular
Illinois taxing jurisdiction. Id. at 320.115(c)(1)-(3). According to the Rules, each of these factors
must be viewed in light of the overarching principle that the retailer incurs local retailers
occupation tax in the jurisdiction where it enjoyed the greater part of governmental protection
[and] benefitted by being conducted under that protection. Id. at 320.115(c)(4)(A).
6. The practices complained of herein violate an Illinois law that has been in place
for 40 years.
7. On March 5, 2014, attorneys for the RTA sent a letter to the Retailers by certified
mail, fax, and e-mail advising that the RTA had reason to believe that the Retailers were
engaging in selling activities within the RTAs jurisdiction. The letter requested specific
information relating to the Retailers operations in the State of Illinois so the RTA could assess
whether the RTA was receiving all of the tax revenue to which it was entitled. A copy of the letter
is attached as Exhibit B.
8. The letter specifically stated that it was sent in an attempt to avoid litigation and
that if there was no response by March 13, 2014, the RTA would take the necessary actions to
protect its rights. The letter invited a call to the RTAs attorneys to discuss the matter. As of the
time of filing this complaint, neither of the Retailers has contacted the RTA or its attorneys in
response to the March 5, 2014 letter.
9. This action is brought to require the Defendant Retailers to pay taxes in the
proper jurisdiction, to recover statutory damages from the Defendant municipality, and to
obtain appropriate and full monetary and equitable relief from all of the Defendants.
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PARTIES
10. The RTA is a special purpose unit of local government and municipal corporation
created by Illinois law. The RTAs primary responsibility is the financial and budget oversight of
the Chicago Transit Authority, the Commuter Rail Division of the RTA (Metra), the Suburban Bus
Division of the RTA (Pace), and regional transit planning initiatives. The RTA is the third largest
public transportation system in North America, providing more than two million rides per day,
and its system covers 7,200 route miles in a six-county region with a population of
approximately eight million people. The six counties comprising the RTAs taxing jurisdiction are
Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will. The RTA is funded, in part, through the Regional
Transportation Authority Retailers Occupation Tax pursuant to the Regional Transportation
Authority Act (the RTA Act), 70 ILCS 3615/4.03(e).
11. Defendant Savanna is a non-home rule municipal corporation located in Carroll
County, Illinois.
12. Defendant Palatine Oil is a retail fuel, oil and lubricant distributor. It is an Illinois
corporation with a main retail location at 900 National Parkway, Suite 260, Schaumburg, Cook
County, Illinois 60173 and other locations within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction. Palatine Oil
provides its customers with on-site bulk delivery of motor fuels, as well as oil, lubricants and fuel
storage equipment. Upon information and belief, Palatine Oil is a wholly owned subsidiary of
Rabine Group.
13. Defendant Rabin Group is, upon information and belief, a privately-held Illinois
holding company composed of Palatine Oil and a number of limited liability companies,
including: Rabine Paving American, LLC; Rabine Paving, LLC; Rabine Sealco LLC; Rabine Utility
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Pavements, LLC; Rabine Snow Pros LLC; Rabine Power Performance LLC; and Crawford Roofing
Experts, LLC. Rabine Group claims to be a local, regional, and national provider of commercial
paving, commercial roofing, industrial flooring, fuel, and oil distribution services. It maintains
corporate offices and/or retail facilities at 900 National Parkway, Suite 260, Schaumburg, Cook
County, Illinois 60173.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
14. This Court has jurisdiction over the Defendants pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-209
because they are residents of, and transact business within, the State.
15. Venue is proper in the Circuit Court of Cook County pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/2-
101, 5/2-102, and 5/2-103 because it is the county where the Defendants activities described
herein inflicted damage, and because it is the county in which all or part of the transaction
giving rise to the causes of action described herein occurred.
FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
Sales Tax Background
16. Illinois sales tax is imposed upon retailers at a rate of 6.25% pursuant to the
Illinois Retailers Occupation Tax, 35 ILCS 120/1 et seq. Municipalities receive a Local Share of
the statewide 6.25% tax, which presently equals 1.0% of the sale price. See 35 ILCS 120/3; 30
ILCS 105/6z-18. The State also authorizes home rule county governments, home rule municipal
governments, and the RTA to impose their own local retailers occupation taxes through the
Home Rule County Retailers Occupation Tax Law (55 ILCS 5/5-1006), the Home Rule Municipal
Retailers Occupation Tax Act (65 ILCS 5/8-11-1), and the RTA Act (together referred to as the
local ROT Acts).
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17. The local ROT Acts allow these government entities to levy retail occupation taxes
upon all persons engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property at retail within
the county, municipality, or metropolitan region. 55 ILCS 5/5-1006; 65 ILCS 5/8-11-1; 70 ILCS
3615/4.03(e).
18. The RTA Act contains a statement of legislative purpose, describing public
transportation as an essential public purpose as follows:
There is an urgent need to reform and continue a unit of local
government to assure the proper management of public
transportation and to receive and distribute State or federal
operating assistance and to raise and distribute revenues for localoperating assistance. System generated revenues are not
adequate for such service and a public need exists to provide for,
aid and assist public transportation in the northeastern area of the
State, consisting of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will
Counties.
70 ILCS 3615/1.02(a)(i).
19. The Illinois Supreme Court recently made clear the legislative intent of the RTA
Act: such taxes are to be collected in part because the revenues generated by public
transportation are insufficient to support that essential public purpose in Cook, DuPage, Kane,
Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. Hartney, 2013 IL 115130, 29, 998 N.E.2d 1227, 1236 Ill.
2013.
20. The RTA Act thus imposes a sales tax upon the business of selling in the
aforementioned six counties comprising the Chicago metropolitan region and RTAs taxing
jurisdiction. 70 ILCS 3615/4.03(e).
21. The State of Illinois, by law, also provides to the RTA additional annual funding
equal to 30% of its sales tax revenue as a match on sales made in the six-county RTA region. See,
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e.g., 70 ILCS 3615/4.03.
22. In Illinois, the location of the business of selling determines which local
governmental units receive the local share of the statewide tax on retail sales. Thus,
municipalities are highly motivated to attract retailers to their communities to garner the
resulting sales tax revenue.
23. The IDOR collects all sales taxes paid by retailers and remits to local government
units their respective shares.
Sales Tax Schemes and the 2004 Statutory Change
24. In an attempt to take advantage of different municipalities combined sales tax,
certain municipalities, brokers, and/or retailers, beginning as early as 2000, attempted to make it
appear that sales transactions occurred in lower-taxed jurisdictions when, in fact, they took place
in other, higher-taxed jurisdictions. These brokers and retailers asserted that the situs of the
retailers sales should be at the location of purported sale acceptance, even if the retailers
business of selling occurred elsewhere. The entities opened sham sales offices in low tax
areas while the subject retailers actually conducted their predominant selling activity in higher-
taxed locales.
25. In light of the prevalence of such kickback schemes and the harm they caused to
municipal corporations, the Illinois legislature took action. The General Assembly passed a
statute prohibiting certain retailers and municipalities from entering into retail sales tax rebate
agreements after June 1, 2004 where such agreements deprived other government units of sales
tax revenue. 65 ILCS 5/8-11-21 (the 2004 Statute). Said statute recites in part:
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Sec. 8-11-21. Agreements to share or rebate occupation taxes.
(a) On and after June 1, 2004, the corporate authorities of a municipality shall not
enter into any agreement to share or rebate any portion of retailers' occupation
taxes generated by retail sales of tangible personal property if: (1) the tax on
those retail sales, absent the agreement, would have been paid to another unit of
local government; and (2) the retailer maintains, within that other unit of local
government, a retail location from which the tangible personal property is
delivered to purchasers, or a warehouse from which the tangible personal
property is delivered to purchasers. Any unit of local government denied retailers'
occupation tax revenue because of an agreement that violates this Section may
file an action in circuit court against only the municipality. Any agreement
entered into prior to June 1, 2004 is not affected by this amendatory Act of the
93rd General Assembly. Any unit of local government that prevails in the circuit
court action is entitled to damages in the amount of the tax revenue it was
denied as a result of the agreement, statutory interest, costs, reasonable
attorney's fees, and an amount equal to 50% of the tax.
26. This statute is intended to prohibit one jurisdiction from poaching retailers from
another for sales tax purposes utilizing tax rebates, while the former jurisdiction still retains a
retail or warehouse location from which tangible personal property is delivered to purchasers.
27. Despite said statute, some retailers and brokers entered into tax rebate
agreements directly with low-tax municipalities even after the effective date of the 2004 statute.
28. Many of the said retailers are located within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction and/or
deliver their retail products to customers from retail or warehouse locations within the RTAs
taxing jurisdiction where the retailers engage in the business of selling, and their sales are or
should be subject to the RTAs sales taxes.
29. As a direct result, the RTA is deprived of significant sales tax revenue.
Economic Incentive Agreement Between Savanna and Palatine Oil
30. In the case at issue in this complaint, Palatine Oil, which is located within the
higher-taxing community of Schaumburg, entered into a contract called an Economic Incentive
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Agreement (EIA) with the lower-taxing municipality of Savanna. A copy of the EIA is attached
as Exhibit C.
31. The community of Schaumburg is located within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction. Its
combined sales tax rate is 9.00%, whereas Savannas combined sales tax rate is only 6.50%.
32. Pursuant to the EIA, Palatine Oil opened a small sales office in Savanna which
commenced operations on or about May 1, 2008. Although the sales office was described in
the EIA as Palatine Oils principal corporate business and sales office, this was a fiction. See
Exhibit C, Section 3. This sales office in Savanna had little, if any, decision-making authority and
did not conduct the business of selling.
33. In return for Palatine Oils establishment of its sham sales office, Savanna
agreed to pay Palatine Oil a rebate of thirty-six percent (36%) of the sales tax revenue paid to it
by the IDOR for the purported sales conducted by Palatine Oil at its sham sales office. Exhibit
C, Section 4, (A).
34. Palatine Oil and Savanna realized significant financial benefits from this
arrangement. Palatine Oil paid a lower sales tax rate than it would have paid in Schaumburg and
also received substantial compensation from Savannas sales tax rebate (all without truly
changing its operations in any material fashion). At the same time, Palatine Oil required virtually
no municipal services for its small sales office in Savanna, since its primary sales operations
and staff where it actually engaged in the business of selling remained within RTAs taxing
jurisdiction.
35. Savanna received an unjustified windfall in sales tax revenue without incurring the
expense of providing municipal services to Palatine Oil.
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a maximum of 150 days). The Rules took effect upon issuance and are to be treated as law as of
that date.
40. The Rules specifically declare that, with few exceptions, mere retail order
acceptance does notby itself constitute the business of selling under the local ROT Acts. See
Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(b)(8)(A). They also provide guidance on the application of
theHartneycomposite of selling activities test.See Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(b)-(c).
41. For typical retailers, such as those conducting over-the-counter sales of tangible
personal property in which the purchaser takes possession of the property immediately or the
seller ships the property to the purchaser from the location where the sale was made, the Rules
dictate that the business of selling occurs in the jurisdiction where the over-the-counter sale
occurred. Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(c)(2).
42. For sellers whose particular retail operations make determining sales tax situs
more difficult, the Rules set forth four Primary Factors and five Secondary Factors for
determining the true location of the business of selling. The Primary Factors are: A) the
location of officers, executives and employees with discretion to negotiate on behalf of, and to
bind, the seller; B) the location where offers are prepared and made; C) the location where
purchase orders are accepted or other contracting actions that bind the seller to the sale are
completed; and D) the location of inventory if tangible personal property that is sold is in the
retailers inventory at the time of its sale or delivery. Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(c)(2).
43. The Rules caution that the Secondary Factors are only to be considered if the
Primary Factors fail to resolve the question of situs. Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(c)(3).
The Secondary Factors are: A) the location where marketing and solicitation occur; B) the
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location where purchase orders or other contractual documents are received when purchase
orders are accepted, processed, or fulfilled in a location or locations different from where they
area received; C) the location of the delivery of the property to the purchaser; D) the location
where title passes; and E) the location of the retailers ordering, billing, accounts receivable and
other administrative functions. Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(c)(3).
44. Pursuant to the Rules, determining sales tax situs must be performed in keeping
with the principle that the retailer incurs local retailers occupation tax in the jurisdiction where
it enjoyed the greater part of governmental protection [and] benefitted by being conducted
under that protection. Exhibit A, 86 Ill. Adm. Code 320.115(c)(4)(A).
45. It is clear that Hartneys fact-intensive approach for determining the situs of the
business of selling controls application of the local ROT Acts.
COUNT I
CLAIM FOR LOST REVENUES UNDER 65 ILCS 5/8-11-21 (the 2004 Statute)
The RTA v. Savanna
46. The RTA repeats and realleges paragraphs 1-45 above as paragraphs 1-45 of this
Count I.
47. Savanna entered into the aforesaid EIA with Palatine after the effective date of
the 2004 Statute.
48. The actions of Savanna violated the 2004 Statute because:
a. Absent the agreement, Palatine Oil and its parent, Rabine Group, wouldnot have paid and would not be paying sales taxes in Savanna but would
have paid or be paying taxes in one or more of the municipalities
contained within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction; and
b. On information and belief, Palatine Oil and Rabine Group maintain retail
or warehouse locations within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction from which
tangible personal property is delivered to purchasers.
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49. By reason thereof, the RTA has and is suffering loss and Savanna is liable to the
RTA for damages in the amount of the tax revenue it was denied as a result of the said EIA,
statutory interest, costs, reasonable attorneys fees, and an amount equal to fifty percent of the
lost tax consistent with 65 ILCS 5/8-11-21.
50. The RTA does not know the exact amount of sales tax received by Savanna and
thus denied to the RTA from the said EIA. However, such sums shall be determined in the course
of discovery in this case.
WHEREFORE, the Plaintiff, the REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, requests this
Court to enter judgment in its behalf and against the CITY OF SAVANNA, for an amount equal to
the amount of tax revenue each was denied as a result of said violation of 65 ILCS 5/8-11-21,
plus statutory interest, costs, reasonable attorneys fees and an amount equal to fifty percent of
such lost tax, and for such other and further relief as the Court deems proper.
COUNT II
CLAIM FOR DAMAGES AND EQUITABLE RELIEF (post-Hartneydecision)The RTA v. Savanna, Palatine Oil and Rabine Group
51. The RTA repeats and realleges paragraphs 1-45 above as paragraphs 1-45 of this
Count II.
52. Savanna entered into an EIA with Palatine Oil. The activity conducted by Palatine
Oil in Savanna under the EIA purportedly consists of accepting sales purchase orders and
possibly other minor related activities. Such actions do not constitute the business of selling by
the retailer pursuant toHartney, 2013 IL 115130, 998 N.E.2d 1227, Ill. 2013, and the Rules.
53. Due to the EIA, the Retailers, on information and belief, misreported tax situs.
They reported Savanna as the situs of Palatine Oils tax sales when in fact the business of selling
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occurred within the RTAs taxing jurisdiction.
54. An actual controversy exists between RTA, on the one hand, and Savanna,
Palatine Oil and Rabine Group, on the other hand, and therefore by the terms and provisions of
735 ILCS 5/2-701 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, this Court is vested with the power to
declare the rights and liabilities of the parties hereto and to give such other and further relief as
may be necessary and proper.
WHEREFORE, the Plaintiff, the REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, prays this
Court adjudicate the rights of the parties with respect to the activities conducted at the office
maintained by the Retailers in Savanna and:
(a) find and declare that the activities conducted by the Retailers in Savanna do
not constitute the business of selling as defined by the Hartney decision and the Rules
promulgated by the IDOR;
(b) find and declare that the Retailers are engaged in the business of selling, as
defined by theHartneydecision and the Rules promulgated by the IDOR, within the RTAs taxing
jurisdiction;
(c) enjoin the Retailers from siting said retail sales to the City of Savanna;
(d) mandatorily enjoin the Retailers to site said sales for retail sales tax purposes
to the location where the Retailers conduct the business of selling within the RTAs taxing
jurisdiction;
(e) order an equitable accounting of the sales tax revenue at issue;
(f) enter judgment in favor of the RTA and against Defendants for sales taxes
lost to the RTA from the Retailers sales from such date as the Court deems proper;
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(g) award P l a i n t i f f i t s costs o f u i t ; and(h} grant such other and f u r t h e r r e l i e f as the Court deems roper.
PLAINTIFF DEMANDSA RIAL BYAJURYOFTWELVE 12)ONALLCOUNTSAND SSUES TRIABLE BYA URY.
T h e REGIONALTRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY,an l l i n o i s s p e c i a l purpose u n i t o f
government and municipal corporation~ .
B i '~Y ~HEYL, ROYSTER, V E R &ALLENTimothy . B e r t s c h y , ARDC 199931John P . H e i l , r . , ARDC 62372$6M a Yu o f , ARDC 6278767Alex S . Ketay,ARDC 631322019 . L a Sa I e t r e e t , S u i t e 1203
Chicago, L 6003Telephone: 312.853.8710Fa s m I e : 312.782.0040
and124SWAdams t r e e t , S u i t e 600
P e o r i a , I L 61602Telephone:3 9.67 .0400F a c s i m i l e : 309.676.3374
C o ok County F i r m No. 15683
15
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IN THE IRCUIT COURT4FCOOKCOUNTY, LLINOISCOUNTYDEPARTMENT, HANCERY IVISION
T h e REGIONALTRANSPORTATIONAUTHORITY, n l l i n o i s s p e c i a l purpose u n i tof government and m u n i c i p a l c o r p o r a t i o n ,
}P l a i n t i f f ,
v s . ase N .}
T h e CITY OFSAVANNA, n l l i n o i s no n-homer u l e m u n i c i p a l i t y , PALATINE OIL COMPANY,INC. and RABINE GROUP,
Defendants.ILLINOIS SUPREMECOURT RULE 22(b) AFFIDAVIT
Maura u s o f , h a v i n g been duly sworn and upon o a t h , s t a t e s as o l l o w s :1 . I am ompetent to e s t i f y concerning the m a t t e r s c o n t a i n e d i n t h i s A f f i d a v i t .2 . As a t t o r n e y f o r the P l a i n t i f f , I have reviewed the f a c t s of h i s case and have determined
the t o t a l amount of money damages sought exceeds i f t y thousand d o l l a r s and 00/100c e n t s ( $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 ) .
H YL, ROYSTER, VOELKER &ALLEN19 . L a S a l l e S t r e e t , S u i t e 1203Chicago, L 6603Telephone: 312.853.8710ANDSENDALLPLEADINGSTO:H YL, ROYSTER, VOELKER &ALLEN124SWAdams t r e e t , S u i t e 600P e o r i a , I L 61602Telephone: 309.676.0440F a c s i m i l e : 309.676.3374Firm No. 15683
aura Yu of 7 67
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STATEOFLLINOIS
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