Whenever 2 or more licensees desire to consolidate their places of business, they shall make application for such consolidation to the Secretary upon a form provided by him or her. This application shall state: (a) the name to be adopted and the location at which the business is to be located, which name and location shall be the same as one of the consolidating licensees; (b) that the owners or all partners or all stockholders or all members, as the case may be, of the licensees involved in the contemplated consolidation, have approved the application; (c) a certification by the secretary, if any of the licensees be corporations, that the contemplated consolidation has been approved by all of the stockholders at a properly convened stockholders meeting; (d) other relevant information the Secretary may require. Simultaneously with the approval of the application by the Secretary, the licensee or licensees who will cease doing business shall: (a) surrender their license or licenses to the Secretary; (b) transfer all of their assets and liabilities to the licensee continuing to operate by virtue of the application; (c) apply to the Secretary of State, if they be corporations, for surrender of their corporate charter in accordance with the provisions of the Business Corporation Act of 1983.
     An application for consolidation shall be approved or rejected by the Secretary within 30 days after receipt by him of such application and supporting documents required thereunder. The Secretary shall impose a consolidation fee of $100 per application.
     Such consolidation shall not affect suits pending in which the surrendering licensees are parties; nor shall such consolidation affect causes of action nor the rights of persons in particular; nor shall suits brought against such licensees in their former names be abated for that cause.
     Nothing contained herein shall limit or prohibit any action or remedy available to a licensee or to the Secretary under Sections 15, 15.1 to 15.1e or 15.2 of this Act.