April 13 at 1:53 p.m.
Filed under:
Energy
By Tribune staff report
Even as Commonwealth Edison fights in Springfield for legislation that would set utility rates by formula and sharply undercut the authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission, at home, that same regulatory body is undercutting ComEd in its battles for rate increases.
Administrative law judges recommended that Commonwealth Edison Co. be allowed a rate increase of about 3 percent, or $166 million, less than half what the Chicago-based utility requested last June. Get the full story »
Dec. 15, 2010 at 1:52 p.m.
Filed under:
Litigation,
Media,
TV
By Bruce Japsen
DirecTV Group Inc. has agreed to pay $13.3 million in civil penalties and costs, including $185,000 to the state of Illinois, to settle allegations that the satellite-TV service provider used misleading sales and marketing practices. Get the full story »
Oct. 12, 2010 at 6:17 a.m.
Filed under:
Real estate
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
A coalition of as many as 40 state attorneys general is expected Wednesday to announce an investigation into the mortgage-servicing industry, an effort some of them hope will pressure financial institutions to re-write large numbers of troubled loans.
The move come amid recent allegations that mortgage-servicers, which include units of major banks such as Bank Of America Corp., submitted fraudulent documents in thousands of foreclosure proceedings nationwide. Get the full story »
Sep. 29, 2010 at 6:09 a.m.
Filed under:
Real estate,
Tourism,
Travel
From WBBM-Ch. 2 | Illinois residents being warned of scam artists preying on owners of vacation timeshares, posing as timeshare resellers to deceive consumers out of thousands of dollars. The Attorney General’s office has received dozens of complaints since January from timeshare owners targeted by the scam, according to a release. Get the full story >>
Sep. 9, 2010 at 2:26 p.m.
Filed under:
Updated
By Becky Yerak
Sweepstakes contest organizer Publishers Clearing House will pay a total of $3.5 million to Illinois, 31 other states and Washington, D.C. to cover their investigative costs as part of a new settlement that also toughens solicitation practices.
The settlement, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, stemmed from a probe into Publishers’ “marketing practices of misleading consumers to believe purchasing magazines and other products will increase their chance to win the jackpot,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. Get the full story »
July 21, 2010 at 1:43 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Criminal charges,
Transportation
By Problem Solver
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed suit Wednesday against a Melrose Park bus company, saying it defrauded a group of hearing-impaired students and their families.
The suit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, claims Sleepless in the City Bus Service Inc., took $1,750 from the Illinois Service Resource Center, then failed to provide transportation for 55 students and their families on April 27, 2009. Get the full story »
June 29, 2010 at 10:31 p.m.
Filed under:
Litigation,
Mortgages
By Tribune staff report
The state of Illinois sued former mortgage giant Countrywide Financial Corp. on Tuesday for allegedly using discriminatory lending practices for minority borrowers.
The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, said an investigation revealed that African-American and Latino borrowers were much more likely to be given risky subprime loans by the lender than similarly situated whites from 2005 to 2007.