Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with illinois

My speeding citation has turned into a shit snowball.

desjardins — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:19:22 -0800

Please help me navigate a mess involving an expired car registration, a speeding ticket, a lost insurance card, a license held as bond and a omg I can't even think. This involves Illinois and Wisconsin. 1. My car is registered in Illinois and I have an Illinois driver's license. The registration expires today; the license is good for awhile.

2. However, I'm (technically?) a Wisconsin resident, in that I have a lease on an apartment there, but I work in Illinois and sleep half the week in Illinois and the other half in WI. This is meant to be as temporary as humanly possible until I can stay permanently in WI.

3. I did not renew the registration yet because I was planning to get my Wisconsin license & registration this coming Friday, and hopefully avoid getting caught for the next 3 days while it's expired. Before I can register it in IL I have to get an emissions test. Of course, there will now be a late fee.

4. I got stopped for speeding today in a suburb of Chicago, I could not find my insurance card, and so I received another citation for that & my license was taken as bond. My court date is at the end of December. My driving record is otherwise clean.

5. So, I can't register my car in WI or get my WI license until I have my IL license back, correct? It's my understanding that if you have a valid license in another state, you have to forfeit it to get a WI license. I don't know about registering the car.

6. What's the ABSOLUTE CHEAPEST yet legal way to handle this? I am broke, like really broke, and the thought of having to pay to register my car in Illinois and then re-register it in WI when I get my license back is really disheartening.

7. I am freaking out and not thinking clearly, see above about being broke.

Am I going to jail for mistating income for unemployment?!

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:30:00 -0800

IL-UnemploymentFilter: Am I going to jail for misreporting earnings from an affiliate site of mine that sits there and makes money while I've been job hunting?! I was laid off in June from a job in Chicago. Before that occurred I had developed an affiliate website that has been earning me about $300/mo consistently, and I have the funds deposited into a bank account with an EIN that is setup under a sole proprietorship.

Since I was laid off I also applied for unemployment benefits and had told them when I certified each period that I had performed no work for wages.

It has since come to my attention that this may be a bad way to do it, and possibly considered fraud since apparently any earnings under a sole proprietorship are considered as part of the "gross income", and thus I should have reported the commissions I earned each month.

So there's that piece...I also have an LLC setup as I've been trying to launch my own business. I have done a small bit of consulting work with the funds going into the LLC, and I've also just today redirected my affiliate site revenue into the LLC. My understanding is that as long as I don't draw a wage from the account into my personal account, its not considered personal income for unemployment purposes as it is a separate entity and thus I don't need to claim anything and can collect benefits--but I'm not sure of this.

My questions (sorry, there's a few) are as follows:

1. Once the taxes for this year get processed and IDES finds out I had earnings from my affiliate website, are they going to try to collect the overpayment?

2. Realistically, will I be going to jail for this? My gf and I are completely freaked out that I'm going to get put away for earning a little from an affiliate site because I didn't realize I should have reported it.

3. Am I correct that as long as funds are going into my LLC and I'm not drawing a wage from it, then I'm not considered to have earned anything for that period, and thus don't need to report anything for unemployment and can continue collecting as normal?

4. What should I do now? I'm terrified about calling IDES for clarification because I feel like they'll log my phone number, hunt me down and toss me in jail potentially. I considered contacting a lawyer but have no idea what type would specialize in this area and not sure if it makes sense to spend the money until IDES starts asking about things. I'm the type who tries to be honest above all else, but in this situation I'm terrified that if I just call IDES and explain the situation they're going to open an investigation and jail me.

5. Should I tell IDES I've gone back to work and stop claiming benefits for now? Or is it ok to continue collecting them now that I've moved all income to my LLC and am not drawing a wage?

Heirloom Garlic in NE Illinois

glip — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:17:37 -0800

I'd like to find a source in NE Illinois or even Chicago for heirloom seeds and garlic for my Aunt, bricks and mortar if possible. I couldn't seem to find anything promising online, and there are a lot of online places, but I'm in Canada so I have no experience with the U.S. based companies. I'm looking for some large cloved hardneck garlics, as well as other types of heirloom seeds. Seed Savers Exchange is sold out of garlic but I might point her to them for other things. Ideally seeds grown in a similar climate would be better than getting seeds from elsewhere.

What to do about my excruciating work situation?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:52:59 -0800

What are the best strategies for my current work situation? Question relates to disability, unemployment, and illegal activities (not mine). Apologies for any lack of detail, but, you know, anonymity.

I've been at my current job for about a year and a half, where I'm a good performer. Since requesting reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities act (I work in Illinois), my manager and the HR department have started building a tardiness-related firing case (no other employees in the department even have their arrival times tracked), I've had my shift switched back and forth (in addition to some other petty stuff that's jerky but not, apparently, illegal), brought to meetings with HR where I'm yelled at and not allowed to talk, and other Office Space-ish nonsense. One lawyer (although not my lawyer) told me it was clearly retaliation.

Further: the company is misleading in the descriptions of some of its products (although I'm not sure if it crosses the line into actionable fraud as IANAL), they haven't hung the required labor-law posters, and they (as in, the company, not individual users) install pirated software on computers (I've brought this up to multiple managers with no result, and have screencaps of cracker signatures from multiple installs).

Possibly more important: the stress just from going in every day is becoming unbearable. I feel like I'm going to "lose it." My health's been affected. I'm sick of the frustration and I'm sick of taking their shit, and I've run the situation (in much more detail, obviously) by some of my more level-headed friends, and they agree that I'm being treated quite poorly.

So: should I wait until they fire me (as they've told me they will the next time I'm at all late - it's a "right to work" state so that's their right, I guess, ADA issues aside), quit and try to collect unemployment insurance until another full-time job comes up (Illinois seems to allow this if the company was participating in illegal activity), or stick it out, hope their assholism toward me crosses the line into blatant illegality (after reading a recent Metafilter post on workplace bullying, I realized my manager met about 2/3 of the criteria, but, again, being a jerk isn't illegal), and depend on the legal system to provide redress?

Use Tax for a new car purchase in Illinois

cmm — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:44:08 -0800

Should the dealer have dealt with "Use Tax" when I bought my new car in the same state I live? I live in Springfield IL. I purchased a car in O'Fallon IL, about 2 hours away in early July. The car was new.

I just got back from vacation to a tax bill for "Use Tax" for my new car. This surprised me. I figured the dealer would have dealt with this as part of the new car transaction/registration process. The amount is not insignificant.

Previously I purchased a new car also in O'Fallon IL in 1996 and I do not recall dealing with this. At the time I lived in Worden IL, though I was attending college in Indiana at the time. The car had an Illinois title, though. I also purchased a new car in Indiana in 2003 when I lived in Indianapolis and don't remember any of this either.

Am I just an under-informed car buyer? Do I just suck it up and pay this tax? Should I put in a complaint with the dealer that they didn't deal with this or anything?

What really happens if you skip jury duty?

nooneyouknow — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:30:23 -0800

What really happens if you skip jury duty? I got a summons for jury duty, Chicago Illinois, for Aug 6th. I'm not going because we are being audited that week. I don't have any problem going to jury duty. I've done it before, but because of the audit, I can't go this time. I was just going to ignore it, but this is my second notice. I got the first one in May. But it was standby and I forgot to call to see if I was supposed to go. So, I don't know if it was a skip or not. Should I call someone to tell them I'm can't come? Will they let me off for an audit? The Cook County website says they fine you for not showing up. Is that true? Is it likely?

Also, is there anyway I can get switched to the Daley Center from 26th and California?

Can someone attend school full-time and still get unemployment in Illinois?

sugarfish — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:18:24 -0800

Is it legal to draw unemployment benefits in Illinois while attending college as a full-time student? I'm asking this for my mom. She was laid off a few months ago and has been drawing unemployment while looking for work. The economy being what it has, she hasn't had much luck, and is considering going back to college. She wants to go full-time, though, and I'm not having much luck googling an answer about whether or not she'll be able to keep drawing unemployment (while still looking for work!) if she goes back to school. The Illinois unemployment website isn't very helpful, and when I search I keep getting a bunch of yahoo-answers like sites.

Thanks for your help.

Will I get stuck in Chicago traffic if I drive from the Milwaukee airport to South Bend, Indiana, starting at 4 pm Friday?

ruff — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:28:09 -0800

Chicago-driving-filter. If I leave Milwaukee (airport) at about 4 pm on Friday, and drive to South Bend, Indiana, will I spend hours in Chicago rush hour traffic? Can I avoid that somehow? What if I could move my departure time a bit earlier? Is this the route to take? Random bonus question: anyone know a convenient Apple store along this route? Thanks!

P.S. I saw this semi-related question, but it's kind of a different route.

What is the deal with the new Illinois Tollway speed 'cameras'?

jdlugo — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:28:56 -0800

What is the deal with the new Illinois Tollway speed 'cameras'? I read that the state of Illinois was going to be installing speed cameras in work zones. These cameras will automatically mail you a $375 ticket if you are caught speeding. As a Chicago-area commuter, I have seen tons of these 'cameras' on 88 and 355. However, they only look like velocity sensors. There does not appear to be any camera component (no flash, no visible lens).

What is going on with these things? I have seen them outside of work zones and am wondering if they are ticketing speeders in those areas as well.

Thanks!

Divorce lawyer, western Chicago suburbs

Joleta — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:39:25 -0800

Need personal recommendations for a divorce lawyer in the western Chicago suburbs (Aurora area). Need personal recommendations for a divorce lawyer in the western Chicago suburbs (Aurora area). Would be good if the lawyer had experience with protecting the welfare of a special-needs child. (Posting for a family member.)

Noncompete...am I screwed?

Elminster24 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 09:23:10 -0800

Noncompete Filter: I'm in Chicago and signed a non-compete with my employer when I started, and was recently terminated by them (downsizing and whatnot). Is it still enforceable? They have offered me a severance agreement that also has a non-compete in it which I am debating whether or not to sign.

Is the original non-compete enforceable? I am consulting with a lawyer but also wanted to get the hive mind's thoughts and resources on the matter.

Obviously in this economy I'd be screwed if I couldn't work in this industry with my current skillset (I perform a sales related function).

Romantic getaways in Illinois: Want to take my girlfriend on our anniversary on a romantic getaway for a day or two on the weekend of June 20th. Looking for any ideas.

MMALR — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:35:20 -0800

Romantic getaways in Illinois: Want to take my girlfriend on our anniversary on a romantic getaway for a day or two on the weekend of June 20th. Looking for any ideas. I'm looking for ideas. Chicago area or anywhere else in or around Illinois. I'd love to have something where I can stay in a room with a hot tub, but I'm not opposed to a cabin type of getaway or glitzy Chicago getaway. I'm open for ideas.

She works hard for her money, so you betta treat her right.

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:56:39 -0800

I found out today that my job as a supervisor with a major electronics retailer is being eliminated. Help me understand unemployment in Illinois. I was offered a pay cut and demotion today, or I can take a 10 week paid severance package. I decided to cut my losses and run before the May 9 deadline. However, can someone help me understand how unemployment will work? I know this is a question for my HR person, but I thought some of you may have insight into my situation. I'm in Chicago, if that helps.

Paying IL Taxes on a CA judgment?

Ignatius J. Reilly — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:56:31 -0800

Taxfilter. What is the correct course of action given my current tax situation? I spent the entirety of 2008 living and working in Chicago, IL. I did not spend one minute residing or working in another state.

Five years ago, in 2004, I worked for a very shady California company that regularly abused and exploited their workers in violation of CA wage and hour law. In 2007, I opted into a class-action lawsuit against this company.

In fall, 2008, I received a check in the mail for around $1400, which was my share of a settlement on the lawsuit. This check was processed by a CA law firm and already had CA and federal taxes withheld (all properly, as far as I can tell).

Here is my question: Do I need to pay IL income taxes on this money? I can't find and information that speaks to this question without the built-in assumption that actual work was done during the relevant tax year. Obviously, it would be shitty and irrational to have to pay IL taxes on this money, but I recently lived in Oregon (unrelated to this question) where state tax law indeed required just that.

Does anyone have the familiarity with IL taxes to steer my in the right direction here?

Other random tax facts: I am married, filing jointly. My wife was a full-time student for most of 2008, but did have some taxable income. All of our income is from regular-old W-2-producing jobs.

Camping, hiking, backpacking suggestions for a beginner in the Midwest?

lblair — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:07:58 -0800

Summer isn't THAT far off . . . already trying to come up with camping/hiking spots in the Midwest for once it gets warm. Help! Looking for specific recommendations for spots in the IL/IA/WI area, plus whatever other random camping and backpacking tips you want to throw my way. Bonus points for places I can bring my dog, although I don't mind leaving her with my parents for a week either. Having never gone camping as a kid, I only recently discovered how fun it is. I tried to expand my tent-camping experience in the the Illinois/Iowa area last summer but had a hard time figuring out the best places to go. Some of the places I went to were OK, some were kind of boring. Now summer is approaching again (ok, yes I know it's February but I'm desperate.) And I want to start planning for all the awesome places I'm going to go this summer.

I really like the idea of packing/traveling light, so I think I'd like to eventually pick up backpacking too, but I'm not sure I can afford to buy gear for that this year. I was thinking maybe if I found some good spots for tent camping, I could start building up my endurance/ experience on day-long hikes. (Up until now, my camping experience has mainly centered around being drunk around a campfire.) Don't get me wrong, that's also fun, but I want to get back into nature! I want to see some beautiful places but I'm feeling unsatisfied by what I've found through googling and National Park websites. I have a hard time getting a feel for what places are really like, so I'd like to have YOUR recommendations! I'm particularly looking in the Illinois/Wisconsin/Iowa area, but if there's something amazing a little further out, I'm game too. (Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri?) I have been searching some old AskMe's and found some cool stuff already such as the Dark Sky Finder and Pepsi Can Stove. Any other random helpful suggestions like this are more than welcome. I found this thread on backpacking really helpful. The pepsi can stove is a good example of something I can test-drive while tent camping, and then I'll be more confident once I start attempting actual backpacking trips.

Thanks in advance, Mefites. I'm so excited about this, I've literally been having recurring dreams about camping since about December.

Mechanical sculptures in mount prospect

Reverend John — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:37:08 -0800

Northern Chicago Suburbs filter: I'm trying to find info about a group of mechanical sculptures which were once installed at Mount Prospect Plaza. They were there around the mid 80's to early 90's. The current owners of the mall were not the owners at the time, and didn't have any info about the sculptures. Additionally, as far as I can tell the mall has had 100% turnover of its stores since that time, so I don't think any of the current workers there would remember it. I also visited the Mt. Prospect historical society and the public library, and neither had any info.

However, I'm 100% sure they were there, my brother and sisters remember them also. Most were wind powered, however there was one which was electric. This one was in the middle of a large sunken circular garden. At the edge of the circle was a control console consisting of four large switches. Each switch controlled one motor on the sculpture. The sculpture was a long jointed pole, with a motor at each joint, and one at the base to rotate the pole. At the end of the pole was a large ball. The height from the ground to the first joint was such that, even when all the joints were in their extreme 'down' position, the height of the ball was still about 10 feet off the ground so it couldn't hit anyone. Additionally, at the edge of the circle was a second pole, about 20 feet tall, with a tab at the top. If you used the switches to swing the ball to hit the tab a bell would ring. It was quite awesome, and I've been dying in the years since its disappearance to know what happened to it, if it moved, if it exists somewhere else, if its creator has done other works, etc.

Good accountant for a small LLC in the Chicago area?

korpios — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:16:23 -0800

I'm looking to start an LLC in the near future (as I'd like to start doing web development as a part-time business beyond my day job); considering that my taxes are about to get a bit more complicated, I'd like to find a decent small-business accountant in the Chicago area. Any suggestions? For my personal taxes, I've continued to make use of the same accountant(s) for the past few years; they're back in New York, though, and I haven't lived in NY for a few years now. Besides the matter of the LLC, it's probably about time anyway to find a local replacement to use after I file for 2008.

I have indeed seen this post from 2005, but it only received one reply. Might 2009 bring any more tips? :-) FWIW, I'm trying to do this on a shoestring (since web development doesn't really have much in the way of "startup" costs); just seeing the Illinois $500 LLC registration fee made me wince! (Sadly, it's the most expensive state for creating an LLC in the nation.) I'm trying to go as far as I can on my own with the Nolo books, but an accountant's advice just seems prudent at this point.

Cannagetcha some carn?

applemeat — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:12:59 -0800

Can you help me find authentic examples of a Southern Illinois dialect? I'm looking for a few good examples of that mild-to-moderately twangy Southern Illinois dialect that I recall (vaguely) from a few childhood summers spent in and around our lower Land of Lincoln. Can anyone recommend any media examples [youtube would be ideal, but anything Netflix-able would be equally appreciated] of authentic-sounding Southern Illinois accents?

What's the correct order of operations concerning insurance and registration after buying a car from a private seller in Illinois?

hAndrew — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:12:46 -0800

I've agreed on a price for a used car with a private seller in Illinois. I know I need to A. get the signed title, B. register the car with the DMV, and C. get insurance. But what's the correct order of operations, and which steps must be completed before driving the car at all? I understand that C must be completed before driving the car at all. I can't find any conclusive information online about whether B is required before driving the car (such as driving it to the DMV), and the information telephone lines are closed on the weekend. Assuming it is required, is the following the right order of operations?

1. Obtain insurance in advance.
2. Buy car, getting signed title then. I understand the seller must remove their plates at this time.
3. Leave the car (presently not driveable by anyone!) where it is.
4. Visit DMV (in some other car or a taxi), pay sales tax and obtain registration.
5. Return to car and affix (temporary) plates.

Should 1 and 2 be swapped? Can they be without delaying the overall process? Must they be, perhaps because one must be the owner to obtain insurance for a particular car? Is this rest of this order correct?

Rustbelt Roadtrip!

lunasol — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:13:27 -0800

Looking for tips for my upcoming Minneapolis - New York roadtrip. Specifically, where should I sleep, and are there cool things along the way I should check out? I'll be by myself and this will be in December. I've done variations on this trip several times, but never by myself and always in a rush. Since i'll be doing this trip alone, I plan on pacing myself: 19 hours over three or maybe even four days. Here's a map of the route I'm likely to take, with this route as an alternative.

Questions:

Where are good places to stay along this route? I'd like to try to stay in some cute towns, as opposed to a strip mall motel or spending 3 hours getting into and out of a city like Chicago. I'm really into old industrial towns, which there should be a lot of along this route. Or a college town could be good. Either way, a hotel/motel in town where I can walk to a nearby restaurant/coffee shop after a day of driving would be perfect, and I'd like to keep it under $100/night.

Any other good places to stop along the way? I'm looking for good places to eat (ie, great examples of local cuisine, exceptional road food, diners, etc) or cool historical spots, or really anything interesting along the way to break up the monotony of the road.

Also, I've read a lot of the other road trip questions, but I'll certainly take any general road trip advice you've got. I've never done such a long trip by myself!

To answer questions that might come up: I have a AAA membership, I plan on tuning up my car before I go, and yes, this trip does need to be made by car.

Is it legal to host poker in Illinois?

thebwit — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:02:36 -0800

Is it illegal to host poker games in Illinois if the house does not collect any profit? I just moved back to Illinois from Ohio where it was legal to have a home game so long as the house did not collect any money from the game. I am just curious about hosting small games but don't want to risk getting in trouble with the law.

Move to Springfield, IL?

symbollocks — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:16:29 -0800

Why should I move to Springfield, IL? ... and why should I not?

I'm a 20 y/o guy who has a group of friends who live in the area, and I'm about done with a job where I'm located now. Within the next few months I will either continue on where I'm at (Indianapolis, IN btw) or be going elsewhere.

I'm interested in hearing from people who have lived there in the past, or even just visited. What can I expect as far as living expenses, the job market (I'm currently in tech, but I do whatever I need to get by, so a tech job is certainly not required), different areas of town, events, etc. etc.

Illinois Civil Service Exams WTF

Anonymous — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:25:38 -0800

Do you know anything about the Illinois Civil Service exams for library jobs, or about civil service exams in general? I'm taking the civil service exam for a library assistant in Illinois in a few weeks and have never had to take a test where I had no idea what would be asked. They offer no information about the test except that there are 64 multiple choice questions, you get two hours, and I can bring my resume, transcript, course listings, and any certificates (for reference purposes) and a calculator if I want.

I imagine that someone out there in metafilter has taken this test or a similar test before. What kinds of questions do they ask? Are they library-related or not? Is there anything you recommend I study before I go in or is it pointless to study for a civil service exam of any kind? I really want to do well. I know that I can take the test again but I am running out of time and need to do well the first time around if possible.

Any details would be helpful, even basic ones like, "the test is taken on a computer" or "it's a scantron" or "it takes two months to get your results" I am nervous and more information always helps me do better in these situations.

I am posting as anonymous because I don't want people to know I am taking the test. You can e-mail me at civilserviceexamwtf@gmail.com.

Where's the best place to watch the Chicago Air show?

nitsuj — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:08:46 -0800

Where's the best place to watch the Chicago Air show?

I don't want a pickle...

sourwookie — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:00:01 -0800

How to recover a lost title for a scooter I would like to purchase from someone who got it in another state? I'm in Missouri, the title was in Illinois. Simplicity is a priority. I normally wouldn't hassle, but it is mint and the price is better than right. Additionally--I've heard rumor about some mysterious trick involving Arkansas--that just may make everything easier. My barber has a scooter that his father-in-law would like him to sell here in Missouri--AND I WANT IT. The problem is it's 80cc (therefore requires licensing) and has a lost title from Illinois. It is showroom-perfect, like a time machine version of a 1995 Honda.

How do I go about getting a title for it, with minimal involvement from father-in-law (the whole reason he is selling it so cheap--he's a cranky old cuss--is that he wants his involvement with recovery, DMV fees--all hassles really--kept to a minimum)?

Can I buy it and then apply for lost title in Illinois? Can I buy it then get a new title in Missouri? Does he have to get a title, then transfer it over to me? If so, how do I do as much of that as possible for him?

Also I've heard of a way to just get a new title sent to me from Arkansas--a loophole, if you will. Anyone know of any truth to that?