43min. Judge Patricia O'Brien Sheahan. A second couple, Shane Jones and Samantha Mostaccio whose property was featured on the season 1 episode titled "House of Horrors" alleged negligent construction, according to a complaint filed. Season 2 of the series had all the drama to make the show worth a watch for its audience. But, having his defamation lawsuit dismissed in Illinois has likely been a big blow for Donovan Eckhardt, who was both looking to recover some of his financial losses brought on by the show and all of the lawsuits, and regain at least some of his good name. Eckhardt and Victorias relationship seemingly breaks down in the new season under the strain of the lawsuits. Gramenos is not named in the original lawsuit or the counterclaim. UPDATE: A Cook County, Illinois judge has dismissed former Windy CIty Rehab cohost Donovan Eckhardt's defamation claim against the program's showrunners. Donovans California-based attorney Ognian Gavrilov said via the Chicago Sun-Times,The facts, as I see them, are very strong. ga('ads.send', { Donovan left Windy City Rehab in the middle of season two. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Alison is not named in the lawsuit, per Deadline. Where did the money go? By mid-season, Eckhardt had left the show and filed a lawsuit of his own. Although the show did relatively well, some of the fans had a bone to pick with the duo for having done a ropey job while renovating some of the residences for their clients. [4] Six episodes were broadcast between September 15, 2020 and October 20, 2020. Throughout Season 2, both Alison and lead contractor Donovan Eckhardt dealt with multiple lawsuits related to the projects that were featured on Season 1, which caused a fall-out between the former coworkers. (Tracy Swartz/Chicago Tribune). Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Windy City Rehab's Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt (Getty) "Windy City Rehab" partners have landed themselves in court. A report published in The Chicago Sun-Times revealed that it all started when the upstairs shower leaked gallons of water into the couples kitchen. One episode showed the two of them being turned down for a loan from a bank. Donovan's lawsuit filed in California reveals that his business, Greymark Development Group, has taken a big hit. Read |Who is Medina El Aidi? The "luxury" home that they renovated had somehow started falling apart. Shane and Samantha had reportedly also dealt with "construction and warranty defects, including water damage, cracking concrete columns and a problematic garage. The couple claimed that their garage which required more than $100,000 in repairs. Fans of the reality show Windy City Rehab were shocked when clients from the show filed multiple lawsuits against its hosts. 16 2022, Published 8:45 p.m. The show's hosts Alison Victoria and her former lead contractor Donovan Eckhardt also gained a massive fan following after the show aired. Thus, any allegation that monies were diverted to prop up the high-profile Windy City Rehab projects is simply untrue, Stefaneas said in his statement. hitType: 'event', Donovans lawsuit stated that he spoke with Alison several times a day and she was intimately involved in the creation of every budget., A post shared by Donovan Eckhardt (@donobro). Windy City Rehab has had its share of lawsuits since it first aired. Donovan is not backing down and hes filed a second defamation lawsuit in California, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Her attorney did not immediately return a Tribune request for comment. As matters got out of hand, the wealthy couple dragged Alison, the shows chief interior designer and her contractor partner Donovan to court, by filing a lawsuit. Powered by. The property owners say they paid more than $380,000 to finish the Stratford renovation and more than $850,000 to complete the Orchard renovation. [2] Production of a second season was delayed when the show's producer contracted coronavirus,[3] and was broadcast in 2021. Weve rounded up our coverage of all the real-life complaints and suits facing the show. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Donovan " alleged he was falsely portrayed as the series' villain and blamed for crimes he didn't commit. By Mitch Dudek Jun 9, 2021, 3:20pm PST Former 'Windy City Rehab' host Donovan Eckhardt drops a zinger in feud with Alison Victoria Pocket Flipboard In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday, Ferro Investment Fund LP and Mark Triffler Declaration of Trust say they lent a . According to Cinema Blend, Donovan was not only fired from Windy City Rehab in the spring of 2019, but he also filed a lawsuit against Big Table Media and Discovery the show's production and parent companies for $2.2 million. In his original filing, Eckhardt reported that he'd suffered social media attacks from fans because of his portrayal on the series, and that helped lead to anxiety and depression. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Together, the pair made some of their clients' dreams come true. Season 2 of the 'Windy City Rehab' saw the duo, Alison and Donovan fighting lawsuits. With a sharp business skill and a deep knowledge of how the market works, she waves her magic wand to make anything a stellar-looking piece. Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt flipped homes on Season 1 of HGTV's "Windy City Rehab. NY 10036. "Windy City Rehab" partners Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt find themselves in legal trouble once again. 'Windy City Rehab' Season 2 is coming to an end but not without some classic reality TV drama. He said Greymark lost substantial revenue last year compared to the prior year. Show host Alison Victoria Gramenos, Eckhardts former business partner, is not named as a defendant in the suit. A post shared by alisonvictoria (@thealisonvictoria) on Sep 13, 2020 at 4:32pm PDT. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, In the premiere episode of Season 2, we saw what appeared to be the beginning of the end of Alison and Donovans business partnership and friendship. During the season, the duo undertook different projects with the most famous one being the renovation of a 4,000-square-foot luxury home in Lincoln Square. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Read |Who is Uros Racic? Away from the cameras, the home flipping reality TV show has recently taken on the tone of a legal drama. To prove embezzlement, a prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a moral certainty that the defendant had a specific intent to defraud the victim of property entrusted to the defendant through the fiduciary relationship. His original lawsuit in Cook County said, Nothing in this carefully scripted, choreographed, and edited scene is true, the outlet reported. Donovan was a contractor on the show and the two decided to pitch Windy City Rehab to HGTV. 2530 N. Orchard St. in the Park West neighborhood is photographed on July 5, 2019. As the stars of HGTV's Windy City Rehab, Alison Victoria and Donovan Eckhardt spend a lot of time together. Donovan Eckhardt, a 40-year-old Chicago-based contractor, gained popularity with his appearance in the show 'Windy City Rehab' Season 1, which aired in January 2019. Hosted by designer Alison Victoria and contractor Donovan Eckhardt, the show is now in its second season. What evidence is needed for embezzlement? ga('ads.send', { During the course of Windy City Rehab season 1, the collaboration between Donovan and Alison seemed effortless and successful. Fans of Windy City Rehab know what a tough time Alison had with her former business partner Donovan Eckhardt. What you need to live your best life now. Windy City Rehab[1] is an American television series on HGTV. wordlist = ['!', '$.027', '$.03', '$.054/mbf', '$.07', '$.07/cwt', '$.076', '$.09', '$.10-a-minute', '$.105', '$.12', '$.30', '$.30/mbf', '$.50', '$.65', '$.75', '$. Interior designer Alison Victoria buys and restores historic Chicago homes. Thats when Alison discovered that the majority of their renovation budget for an unfinished project hundreds of thousands of dollars had apparently been paid out to Donovans company without her knowledge. Fire damage adds to the difficulty of renovating a three-unit house. A hearing is scheduled for May 21. With Victoria designing the homes and Eckhardt bringing those visions to life, both stars gained a pretty big following after Season 1 wrapped. Distractify is a registered trademark. "Despite costly structural damage, permit delays, failed inspections and other challenges, Alison is determined to create gorgeous homes and earn top profit," declared HGTV's press release. ADVERTISEMENT The construction contractor is now embroiled in a number of lawsuits against him. Learn more about the reality TV star. In December 2019, Greymark had revenue near $1.5 million, the Chicago Sun-Times. Column: March Madness is here for Northwestern. While Alison Victoria will continue to star, fans will not see Eckhardt appear in future episodes of the show (via House Beautiful). One Chicago couple claimed that the day after they closed on their house (the renovation of which was featured in an episode of Season 1), an upstairs bathroom started leaking gallons of water into the kitchen below it. a " 2 A FIRST LOOK AT JOSEPH HELLERS FUNNIEST NOVEL SINCE "CATCH-22" WHO ARE WE? Alison Victoria of "Windy City Rehab" is being sued by former partner Donovan Eckhardt. Windy City Rehab lawsuit no.2 filed by Shane Jones While the first lawsuit had dealt a heavy blow to Alison and Donovan, a second one followed within a few days. Then, yet another lawsuit cropped up when a former friend of Donovans claimed that he (along with his family) had invested millions of dollars in the projects featured on the show, only to find out later that Donovans claims of expertise in building in Chicago were fraudulent. Watch. But construction projects don't always go as planned, and a lawsuit filed in Cook County on December 30 alleges that the Windy City Rehab team defrauded James and Anna Morrissey. 2023 GRV Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved. In addition to Chicago projects, Alison decided to travel to Los Angeles for work projects. Of Course, That Means The Showrunner Is Getting Asked About Mark Harmon's Gibbs Possibly Returning, Viral TikTok Shows Off Moment JLos Face Filter Fails And Some Of Her Wrinkles Are Exposed. The property owners say they found substantial deficiencies in flooring, HVAC, masonry, plumbing and other work performed at the Stratford location, while numerous categories of work were underperformed or incomplete at the Orchard location, including demolition, electrical work, flooring and framing. According to the counterclaim, Eckhardt had minority ownership interest in 612 West Stratford LLC at certain times in the past. His company, Greymark, was retained as general contractor for the renovation of the Stratford and Orchard buildings. Our work isnt just business; its a relationship.. All Rights Reserved. Be the first to review this item 2017 TV-G. January 21, 2019. Gramenos used a different general contractor for Season 2. Her attorney, Daniel Lynch, said in a statement that Eckhardt and his companies are not involved as general contractor or in any other construction capacity on any of the projects for Season 2. Gramenos appears to still be working with Pajazetovic. Eckhardt's attorney has already filed an appeal in the hopes of having the decision overturned, but we don't know right now if the plan is to re-file the lawsuit in California should the appeal prove unsuccessful. From permit violations to stop-work orders to lawsuits alleging shoddy construction and fraud, the show has garnered plenty of controversy. Gramenos raised questions about project budgets and the amount of money Eckhardts company received, but Eckhardt said in his suit Gramenos was intimately involved in the creation of every budget and the procurement of every loan., Statements suggesting Donovan misappropriated, embezzled or wrongfully derived money from past projects are false, according to the suit. In each episode, a candidate house is visited by Alison and Donovan, who discuss its potential for redesign and resale value (houses are purchased without a client in mind). Windy City Rehab returned for its second season this year and the show has been in the media spotlight following allegations against its star Donovan Eckhardt. The HGTV series "Windy City Rehab" premiered in 2019 and became an instant hit with home renovation fans. Donovans lawsuit filed in California reveals that his business, Greymark Development Group, has taken a big hit. 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