Hinsdale, Illinois – Fuller’s car wash and service center in Hinsdale, where a pedestrian was murdered in 2023, appears to be heading for bankruptcy before filing for such protection in January if court records are any indication.
Recently, the Hinsdale business released financial information as part of its bankruptcy filing.
The business owns 18 cars, many of which are premium models, including Mercedes and Cadillac Escalades, according to filing.
Information showed Fuller owed a total of $452,000 for the 14 cars.
For tax and bankruptcy purposes, these cars must be for business purposes, not for personal use.
Fuller’s name has been washed 19 in the Chicago area, but bankruptcy documents show that the filing is exclusive to the Hinsdale car wash and service center.
Thirteen months before the January bankruptcy filing, five co-owners received nearly $1.2 million in compensation and dividends from the Hinsdale business. Co-owners are Doug Fuller, Susan Groenwald, Ethan Fuller, Colin Fuller and Paula Fuller.
In what appears to be a holiday bonus, co-owners Doug Fuller and Susan Groenwald received $51,402 on December 24th, a month before their bankruptcy filing. This money was outside the normal payment cycle.
In two cycles of submission, the same co-owner increased his normal reward from $5,293 to $8,950.
The final dividend was in July.
Fullers is represented by David Welch, a lawyer at the Chicago Burke, Warren, Mackay & Ceritella law firms. He did not reply to a message this week for comments.
The car wash and service center is located across from Chicago Avenue in downtown Hinsdale.
On July 17, 2023, Sean Patrick Richards, 14-year-old Hinsdale, was walking down the sidewalk in front of Fullers on Chicago Avenue. The boy passed away a few days later.
In an interview in January, the boy’s father, Brian Richards, said the bankruptcy filing had postponed all lawsuits he and his wife, Christine Richards, filed against the then employee who attacked Fullers and his son.
He said the 16-year-old employee’s deposit was set two days after filing for bankruptcy, with Doug Fuller and Susan Gronnewold abdicated the following week.
“Last month, we sat and answered all the questions of Fuller’s lawyers under oath, but they’re not going to do the same,” Brian Richards said in a statement at the time. “Why are they so afraid to tell the truth?”
He declined to comment this week.
Below is information about the cars on Fuller’s debt list and the amount of each liability (book cost in parentheses).
2020 Cadillac Escalade: $65,973 ($107,939)
2024 Audi Q5: $64,800 (uncertain)
2023 Chevrolet Silverado: $52,964 ($84,640)
2022 Chevrolet Silverado: $48,905 ($85,550)
2024 Audi Q5: $46,520 ($64,189)
2022 FORD F150 Pickup: $44,810 ($83,227)
2022 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup: $26,556 ($51,391)
2022 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup: $26,325 ($50,391)
2021 Dodge Ram Pickup: $19,970 ($56,100)
2020 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup: $12,610 ($39,293)
2020 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup: $12,592 ($40,850)
2020 Chevrolet Colorado Pickup: $12,112 ($40,909)
2021 Lexus RX 350: $9,913 ($54,074)
2020 Audi Q5: $7,949 ($65,173)
Total debt: $451,999
