‘Windy City Rehab’ Ends Season, But Legal Troubles Linger For HGTV Series

Bruce Haring
·3 min read
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UPDATE: A lawsuit against HGTV Windy City Rehab stars Alison Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt has been resolved.

Gramenos, who goes by Alison Victoria on the show, posted online via Instagram Friday, writing, “I gratefully announce that the lawsuit arising out of the project at 1700 Wabansia has been resolved.”

She and the plaintiffs issued a statement that Gramenos said was designed to serve as the “final word on the dispute,” below:

“Plaintiffs Shane C. Jones and Samantha V. Mostaccio have voluntarily resolved their claims related to the construction project at 1700 Wabansia. They have done this after consultation with their new counsel, the law office of Jayaram Law, Inc. who has provided effective legal advice and counseling.

“The amount received for plaintiffs’ claims has satisfied plaintiffs that Alison Victoria Gramenos and Ermin Pajazetovic (owner of Space Builders) have acted appropriately with respect to resolving the disputes that led to the lawsuit. Plaintiffs have agreed to comment no further on the project and Ms. Gramenos and Mr. Pajazetovic are grateful that plaintiffs are now satisfied and that this unfortunate misunderstanding has been put behind them.”

Jones and Mostaccio were featured in a season 1, episode 7 show, “House of Horrors.” They filed the lawsuit back in April in Cook County, Illinois, alleging negligent construction and warranty defects, including water damage, cracking concrete columns, and issues with the garage.

The suit claimed more than $100,000 in repairs on the home, which was purchased in spring 2019 for $1.3 million.

The resolution of this particular lawsuit doesn’t end things for Gramenos and Eckhardt, who have split as professional partners. They were named in another suit also alleging serious construction problems. They were hit with “stop work” orders on several properties by the city of Chicago. Those have since been lifted, but the lawsuit is still pending.

EARLIER: The popular HGTV series Windy City Rehab has reached the end of its second drama-filled season, as host Alison Victoria Gramenos had to call a time-out in the finale to deal with some bad legal news while on camera.

But even though the season has reached the finish line, the host’s legal problems are apparently far from over.

People reports that the owners of a house featured on Windy City Rehab tried to freeze Victoria’s financial assets amid an ongoing lawsuit. Anna and James Morrissey, who purchased a house featured on Season 1 of the series, filed a motion October 8 seeking to prevent Gramenos from “dissipating her assets, including selling any property which she owns or controls.”

According to Gramenos’s attorney, the court has denied the motion.

The Morrissey’s sued Gramenos and her former business partner, general contractor and developer Donovan Eckhardt, in December 2019. The couple filed a new lawsuit on September 20 of this year, adding the production company for the show, Big Table Media, and Discovery Inc., which owns HGTV.

The lawsuit alleges shoddy work, including “leaks and water penetration,” a crooked front door, crumbling exterior mortar, and problems with the roof and garage.

In the Season 2 finale, Gramenos received a phone call about a second lawsuit from another couple.

“If you only knew what comes into my phone,” she said on camera. “I have people coming out of the woodwork. I have homeowners that are being contacted by the press. All I ever did, and all I’ve ever done, is design. Honestly…Sorry, guys, I’m freaking out.” She then exited the camera interview.

Later, upon her return, she admitted, “I’m just dealing with a nightmare.”

HGTV has not said whether the show will return for a third season.

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