Public Administrator

The Office of the Public Administrator provides estate administrative services for people who die intestate or for those decedents with no person or next of kin with the right or desire to administer the estate in Illinois.

 

The Public Administrator’s primary role is to administer estates which would otherwise remain un-administered, protect the decedent’s property from loss or theft, make burial arrangements, conduct comprehensive investigations to discover all assets, liquidate assets at public sale and distribute assets to heirs, pay the decedent’s bills and taxes and to find such persons who are entitled to inherit from the estate and ensure that the proper legatees receive their inheritance.

 

The responsibilities and powers of the Public Administrator are statutory in nature and are created by the Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5/13-1 et seq.). Pursuant to the Probate Act, the Governor of Illinois appoints a Public Administrator for each county in Illinois to a serve a four-year term. (755 ILCS 5/13-1). The duties and functions of the Public Administrator are primarily governmental in nature, however, the powers given and procedures followed are the same as those given to and followed by private administrators. The Public Administrator, as a public officer, not only has the duty to discharge the governmental functions of his office, but also is vested with fiduciary duties to preserve and account for the assets committed to his custody and to act in the best interest of the estate. (56 A.L.R.2d 1183).

 

Nicholas G. Grapsas, Public Administrator Biography:

Nicholas G. Grapsas is a native Chicagoan who has practiced law in the Chicago area for over 23 years and is quite familiar with the state and federal court systems in and around Cook County. Nick has served as a senior prosecutor for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office where, as a senior prosecutor in the felony trial division, he was responsible for the management and trials of hundreds of felony prosecutions concerning both violent and financial crimes. Nick personally tried a substantial number of these cases to jury verdict or judge’s finding. Nick also oversaw the trials performed by junior prosecutors and supervised the development of felony prosecutions in their pre-charging stages before cases reached the courtroom.

 

After Nick left the State’s Attorney’s Office he joined a prominent and well-respected downtown law firm where he became a partner and focused in the areas of white-collar criminal defense, commercial litigation, government law and appellate practice. Nick served as an assistant to the Special Counsel to the Illinois Secretary of State in which capacity he was involved in the “License for Bribes” investigation which resulted in the federal prosecution and convictions of numerous former state employees, including the former Secretary of State and Governor.

 

In addition, Nick represented and advised local municipalities and government officials as Special Counsel and was often called on to advise municipalities on proper police practice and procedures. As Court-appointed Special State’s Attorney, Nick successfully represented a government official who was repeatedly accused in a series of civil lawsuits of committing fraud and other malfeasance. In those cases, Nick prevailed in each level of the state court system.

 

In another of Nick’s cases, he was counsel to a municipality in defending the constitutionality of the law which provided for the creation and location of the state’s then last riverboat gambling license. In that case, Nick won that case at each step of the court system, including in the Illinois Supreme Court where that Court ruled unanimously for Nick’s client.

 

Nick also served as counsel for a major national health insurer against the major tobacco manufacturers in the prosecution for damages based upon RICO and other fraud related claims.

 

Nick’s practice is focused in the area of criminal defense and civil litigation throughout the Chicago area. He handles cases including homicides, robberies, burglaries, domestic violence, sex accusations, drug offenses and gun cases. Nick also focuses in the areas of theft, forgery, and all financial and property crimes, including mortgage and bank fraud.

On the civil side of his practice, Nick represents people and businesses involved in contract claims, restraining order disputes, liquor license and tax violations, and zoning disputes. Almost every day, Nick is in the state and federal courtrooms of Chicago defending the rights and claims of people and businesses accused of crimes or other allegations.

 

Since November, 2008, Nick has also served as the Cook County Public Administrator by appointment of the Governor and unanimous confirmation of the Illinois Senate. In that office, Nick is charged by law with the duty of administering the estates of persons who have died without wills or whose designated executors cannot serve to administer the decedents’ wills. Nick oversees a staff of dedicated people who investigate these estates and govern them through the Cook County court system until they are closed by the distribution of their assets. Nick accounts for and protects these assets from plunder, theft and other wrongdoing so that the rightful persons obtain them properly and lawfully.

 

Nick was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1988. He is also a member of the Bars of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, including the Federal Trial Bar, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also serves as panel counsel with the Federal Defender Program of the United States District Court and represents criminal defendants by Court appointment. Nick graduated from Loyola University of Chicago College of Arts and Sciences and from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law.

 

Call the Public Administrator’s office at 312-603-0100 and request information on property for sale.
If you leave a message, you MUST include your full name and *postal* mailing address. Also include your phone number, in case we need to reach you for clarification.