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Chicago

Couple suing “Windy City Rehab” stars now going after the real money

Anna and James Morrisey want Discovery Inc. added to lawsuit

Discovery Inc. CEO David Zaslav, "Windy City Rehab" host Alison Gramenos and 2308 W. Giddings St. (Credit: Getty Images)
Discovery Inc. CEO David Zaslav, "Windy City Rehab" host Alison Gramenos and 2308 W. Giddings St. (Credit: Getty Images)

“The Windy City Rehab” could have a spinoff from the events that have ensued over the last year surrounding the show. The latest character to enter the saga: Discovery Inc.

The parent company of HGTV has been named in the lawsuit filed by Anna and James Morrissey, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Earlier this month, the Morrisseys filed a lawsuit against the HGTV show host Alison Gramenos due to a series of problems they had been experiencing with their home at 2308 W. Giddings St. since they moved in. The 4,000-square-foot home in Lincoln Square was featured on season one of the Windy City Rehab series when it was sold to the Morrisseys for $1.36 million, but it allegedly came with a slew of problems.

The Morrisseys claim that they have spent $80,000 to fix the ‘plagued’ home with issues spanning from a bad leak, to an improperly installed roof. They asked for the sale of the home to be reversed and to be compensated for the fixes they had to pay out of pocket.

In an amended complaint filed last week, the Morrisseys claim to have suffered emotional distress “due to Discovery’s deceptive trade practices.” They are seeking a “permanent injunction” to prohibit the company from supporting or endorsing the show and Gramenos.

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“The Morrisseys allege that Discovery violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act by endorsing, sponsoring or promoting Gramenos and [Donovan] Eckhardt as competent real estate developers when they were the exact opposite,” the Morrisseys’ attorney, Nicole Daniel told the Tribune in a statement.

Gramenos has been trying to get the lawsuit dismissed and even offered to buy back and live in the home herself. She has also broken ties with her former business partner and co-host of the show, Donovan Eckhardt.

The parties are due in court on Feb. 13 to discuss how to proceed.

“If the Morrisseys are going to keep expanding this case, what’s next, a lawsuit against the providers that carry ‘Windy City Rehab’ or the manufacturer of the TV sets on which people watch the show?” said Gramenos’ attorney, Daniel Lynch, said to the Tribune in a statement.

[Chicago Tribune] — Jacqueline Flynn

 

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Real Estate Lawsuits