Winding up with a shoddy renovation

A so-called “Windy City Rehab” is one leaky house, according to a lawsuit filed by a Chicago couple against developers of the HGTV fixer-upper television show that claims the home renovation work was shoddy.

The couple who bought the $1.36 million brick home featured on the reality show now want the show’s hosts to take back the 4,000-square-foot house, which they say is plagued with problems: a leaky roof, an upper-floor shower sending gallons of water into the kitchen ceiling below and poorly installed windows are just a few issues mentioned in the lawsuit, accessed by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Plaintiffs James and Anna Morrissey are citing defective and shoddy work, breach of contract, breach of warranty and consumer fraud, according to the article.

The lawsuit, which names several defendants including the TV hosts Alison Gramenos, stage name Alison Victoria, and Donovan Eckhardt, demands the reversal of the March 2019 sale plus $80,000 the Morrisseys say they paid for upgrades and landscaping. The plaintiffs are also claiming emotional distress and asking for punitive damages, according to the newspaper.