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Resident urges Hinsdale to pursue claim in Fuller Service Center bankruptcy over engineer bill
Summary
A Hinsdale resident told trustees Fuller Service Center listed the village as a disputed creditor in a bankruptcy filing and urged the village to try to collect costs for an independent engineer hired to oversee bollard work.
Christine Richards, a Hinsdale resident, told the Village of Hinsdale Board of Trustees on March 18 that Fuller Service Center Inc.’s bankruptcy filings list the village as a disputed creditor and that the company has paid about $1,200,000 in salary, bonuses and dividends to family members while leaving at least two creditors unpaid.
Richards told the board she believes the unpaid debt includes the cost of an independent engineer the village hired to review and oversee installation of bollards at Fuller Service Center in July 2024. "The installation of safety measures at a private business should not be funded by our tax dollars," she said, and said the filing shows the company paid for luxury vehicles and other transfers she described as asset shedding.
Why it matters: Richards said the village is listed as a disputed creditor for an unspecified amount and asked what the board would do to ensure the engineer’s bill is collected. She presented documents she said were public bankruptcy filings that, she told the trustees, show Fuller Service Center paid nearly all creditors except the village and its counsel.
Richards described evidence in the filings — copies she put into the packet — that she said show transfers of about $1,500,000 to family members and a separate creditor (an affiliated Home and Hardware store) owed roughly $90,000. She also said she has photographed vehicles tied to the company that now have temporary license plates as part of transfers.
Trustee and staff response: A village official told Richards the village's attorneys are handling the bankruptcy and debt-collection matters. "We have lawyers who help collect debts for the Village. So we'll just pursue it," the official said. No further formal direction or vote was recorded at the meeting.
The record: Richards said Fuller Service Center previously signed an agreement to pay for the village-hired engineer but is now disputing the obligation in bankruptcy filings. She commended village staff for pursuing the claim and asked the board to prioritize collection given what she said were ongoing asset transfers by the company.
Next steps: Village staff indicated legal counsel is involved and that the village will pursue claims through the bankruptcy process; the board made no additional public motion or directive during the meeting.
