The pressure applied must have been wrongful or unlawful; mere hard bargaining is not enough. Linn, 671 F. Supp. at 556, 559. Moreover, a party's threat to assert its legal rights does not rise to the level of duress unless it involves some abuse of the legal process.Thelin v. Mitchell, 576 F. Supp. 1404, 1408 (N.D. Ill. 1983);Enslen v. Village of Lombard, 470 N.E.2d 1188, 1190-91 (Ill.App.Ct. 1984). The facts of this case do not present a situation of economic duress.
However, "[i]t is not wrongful to threaten to do something that one has a legal right to do." Riv Vil, 979 F. Supp. at 656 ( citing Alexander, 423 N.E.2d at 582); Thelin v. Mitchell, 576 F. Supp. 1404, 1408 (N.D. Ill. 1983) (citations omitted) (finding that a party's threat to assert its legal rights does not rise to the level of economic duress unless it involves some abuse of the legal process). Unless wrongful or unlawful pressure is exerted, there is no economic duress.
However, "[i]t is not wrongful to threaten to do something that one has a legal right to do." Riv Vil, 979 F.Supp. at 656 (citing Alexander, 53 Ill.Dec. 194, 423 N.E.2d at 582); Thelin v. Mitchell, 576 F.Supp. 1404, 1408 (N.D.Ill.1983) (citations omitted) (finding that a party's threat to assert its legal rights does not rise to the level of economic duress unless it involves some abuse of the legal process). Unless wrongful or unlawful pressure is exerted, there is no economic duress.