if i appear, am i participating?

Location: Chicago, IL

hi!

this might be a strange question, but i have become aware through the public docket of my apartment management company seeking to evict me/sue me.

i have not received a summons or complaint, which is reflected in the docket. but i want to appear because I wanted to protect my rights and did not want the Court to believe I was ignoring these proceedings.

this is not a case where I refused to pay my rent. after a previous case involving this same lease, which i won on, I lost access to my online rent payment portal. from that point forward, I repeatedly contacted management by email, telephone, and text message asking one simple question: 'How do I pay my rent?'

i asked that question over and over again. documented.

during this same period, management continued sending me lease renewal emails, but never answered my repeated requests for payment instructions - my lease ends at the end of this month, and i am not seeking to renew it due to so many issues (which led to the first attempt at evicting me)

I have remained willing and able to pay my rent, and I have maintained those funds. I simply needed the landlord to tell me how they wanted payment submitted after my portal access stopped working. In addition, I documented ongoing maintenance concerns and contacted the appropriate agencies regarding the condition of the property. I have those records available as well.

because I have only recently become aware of this case and have not received service, i am not sure what to do... this is going to harm my future apartment search.

also, i am not the only person this has happened to with my apartment management. people on reddit have posted that they haven't been able to get ahold of anyone, some people believing the management company no longer exists.

i guess my question is:

if i appear at the hearing, without being served (reflected in the docket), am i actively participating and will it work against me? TLDR; this should've been a phone call / email, but my management has ghosted and heavily relies on communication via their attorney.