EDWARDSVILLE — A land owner seeks $2.5 million in a suit alleging an Illinois company that used her land to store wrecked cars left the property contaminated with leaked petroleum and trash.
Trisha Bell, individually and as trustee of the Wright Illinois Land Trust, filed a complaint March 17 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Insurance Auto Auctions Inc.
According to the plaintiffs' complaint, Insurance Auto Auctions "took physical possession" of a property owned by the plaintiffs located on State Route 162 in Pontoon Beach in 2000. The plaintiffs claim that from 2000 through 2020, the defendant stored "wrecked motor vehicles" on the property before their disposal by various insurance companies. At the time the defendant took possession of the property, it was "clean and not contaminated." The plaintiffs claim they were not allowed on the property, which was surrounded by a large and tall fence. When they were finally allowed access to the property in early 2021, they discovered the property had been contaminated with trash and leaking petroleum from the stored vehicles. The plaintiffs further claim that an investigation showed a cost of up to $2.5 million to clean up the property from the contamination done by the defendant.
The plaintiffs seek compensation of $2.5 million and all other just relief. She is represented by Thomas Maag of The Maag Law Firm LLC in Wood River.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 21-L-000340