Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Illinois

I am being sued in small claims court in Florida. I live in Illinois. I don't believe Florida has jurisdiction over me. A year ago, the plantiff tried to get me to pay him $5000 because he said I violated his rights to sell a product. At that time, I told him to stop calling me and communicating with me in any manner as I would no longer respond to anything he sent me. I told him to do what he needed to do. About a month ago, he started calling me, sending me emails, and postal mail. I did not read or respond to anything. I returned to sender the package he sent. Recently, he contacted my employer and told them I was involved in illegal activity in the community. He has moved up the ladder to my principal. After I was served, he called my home and left a threatening message about what further litigation he would do if I didn't show up. I'm tired of this harassment. What are my rights? Is it legal for him to continue contacting me since he filed? Thank you


Asked on 5/12/12, 5:38 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Stephen Messutta

Hire an attorney to review everything before you wind up with a default judgment against you. Or at a bare minimum if there is enough time before such a judgment may be entered, you can consider reposting the question and give us information about what you did or did not do, and where you did or did not do same, that is related to what this party is claiming you did, since you give no such information. That being said and since you gave us no real information to be helpful, here is at least one possible way you can be sued there: if let's say he had a "territory" to sell product in FL and you had another territory (say IL), and you tried to sell product in his territory, FL. That may be enough. Again, this is just one example of how you MIGHT be subject to FL jurisdiction; only a full review of the relevant facts and circumstances and any contracts you or he had relative to sales of the product, could produce a reliable answer to your question.

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Answered on 5/12/12, 12:37 pm


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