Lawsuit: Romeoville village, police owe woman $30,740 seized from her father

A woman’s lawsuit against Romeoville village and police officials claims they owe her $30,470 that was seized 30 years ago from her father, who was convicted of murdering her mother.

Taylor Nischan’s lawsuit, filed March 12, claimed she’s also owed $477,000, which represents the 30-year “investment value” of the money that Romeoville police seized from her father, James Ivan, when officers investigated a suicide attempt on June 28, 1990.

Nischan’s lawsuit claimed she was the only witness to Ivan’s murder of her mother, Genice Nischan Ivan, and her grandfather on June 30, 1990.

Ivan admitted to killing his wife and prosecutors dropped murder charges in connection with Nischan's grandfather's death as part of a plea agreement, according to a 1996 Chicago Tribune article. Ivan was sentenced to 40 years in prison but he died while incarcerated in 2002, according to Nischan's lawsuit.

On May 1, 2019, the village board approved a resolution to pay Nischan $30,470, according to village records. The resolution had a disclaimer that said Ivan's other daughter Melissa Joy Tracy relinquishes any interest or claim to the money.

Nischan’s lawsuit claimed the village’s “payment terms” were amended to include Tracy, which she did not agree with.

Her lawsuit claimed village and police officials deliberately refused to return the $30,470 to her and constructed and executed a 30-year “scheme to hide the money” from her.

One of Nischan’s attorneys, Richard Gan, said she did not receive the money. Gan said he couldn’t comment further because he did not want to affect the litigation of the case.

Romeoville Village Manager Steve Gulden said the village has a “standing practice not to comment on pending litigation.”

Genice Nischan Ivan allegedly asked Romeoville police to return the $30,470 that was seized from her husband on June 29, 1990, Nischan’s lawsuit claimed. She told the police that if the money was not returned, her life was in danger, the lawsuit said.

Nischan learned of the money's existence after reviewing the police file on her father, the suit said.