Lawsuit claiming home on ‘Windy City Rehab’ was plagued with leaks ends in settlement
CHICAGO - A lawsuit claiming Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt sold a North Side couple a leak-plagued home that was featured on the HGTV show "Windy City Rehab" has been settled for an undisclosed amount.
The suit, filed by Anne and James Morrissey in late 2019 seeking $1.36 million, has had many twists and turns.
At one point last year, the Morrisseys, claiming they were duped into believing Victoria and Eckhardt were experts in the industry, cited the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Acts in seeking to have the show permanently removed from the airwaves.
The effort was unsuccessful. New episodes are slated to air in the coming months.
Earlier this year, Big Table Media, the production company behind the show and a defendant in the lawsuit, sought to block internal emails from being introduced into the case by claiming they should be shielded under the same laws that protect journalists from revealing sources.
A home renovation show "does not qualify as news," attorneys representing the Morrissey’s argued.
The Morrisseys also sought to block Victoria from selling her personal Bucktown home out of fear she would try to shield money gained from the sale from being part of any future judgment in the case. A Cook County judge denied their request.
Eckhardt is no longer involved in the show and is suing show runners for painting him as an untrustworthy villain.
An attorney for Eckhardt said in an emailed statement: "The resolution of this matter has come primarily through Donovan’s efforts in working towards an agreement satisfactory to all parties involved. He looks forward to moving on with other business opportunities in the future."
Attorneys for the Morrisseys and Victoria didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.