After having his contractor permit terminated, fans of the Windy City Rehab wonder if Donovan Eckhardt is still in business.
Alison Victoria met contractor Donovan Eckhardt, a Chicago native while working on Kitchen Crashers.
When Eckhardt participated in three episodes of the show, the two learned they had a lot of mutual friends, which led to the start of a friendship that would spiral down later.
The two created a sizzle reel for HGTV, suggesting a show in which they would buy run-down Chicago homes, renovate them, and then sell them. The idea was greatly received by HGTV, and Victoria and Eckhardt were soon filming the new show.
As Eckhardt recalled to Sophisticated Living, “One night, we went to a Blackhawks game and started talking about renovating old buildings. And we decided there and then to do it. I still remember us laughing and saying, ‘Let’s buy a building!'”
Continue reading to find out what happened later.
Is Donovan Eckhardt Still In Business? What Happened To Him After Lawsuit?
Donovan Eckhardt is still in business even though he received a bad image from the lawsuit involving HGTV.
The lawsuit caused Victoria to terminate connections with Eckhardt and hire a new team of general contractors, according to House Beautiful in January 2020. He was fired in the spring of 2019.
In July 2019, one of Windy City Rehab’s projects was issued a number of citations for breaking city ordinances, including ones relating to the construction work’s start and stop times each day.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the project was issued two stop-work orders after officials discovered various infractions, and the show was also cited for construction tasks that were conducted without first obtaining the proper building licenses.
Donovan filed his own defamation suit in January of 2021 which was shot down in July after the judge dismissed it. Eckhardt’s defamation claim covers episode by episode through Season 2 and explains why he believes the show’s editing and portrayal of him “humiliated” him.
Eckhardt and Victoria “proceeded with certain work without obtaining approved amendments to necessary permits, without completed inspections, and ultimately received various building code citations, which resulted in the temporary suspension of both of their respective licenses and privileges to apply for building permits,” according to the lawsuit.
“Where did the money go?”
Feuding “Windy City Rehab” partners Alison Victoria Gramenos and Donovan Eckhardt are seeking court-appointed oversight and a financial review of their joint venture because their relationship has “deteriorated.”https://t.co/eWhinukTL0 pic.twitter.com/Ly7owVVKhY
— Chicago Things to Do (@redeyechicago) June 14, 2021
Donovan Eckhardt Net Worth 2022
Donovan Eckhardt is estimated to have a net worth of around $3.5 million. Even after the lawsuit, it didn’t affect his net worth too much.
Donovan and Alison had a fight when a local couple whose property they had repaired filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against them.
He has founded many companies which have helped him to increase his assets. He is also involved in multiple projects. Though the lawsuit certainly didn’t help him with his image, it doesn’t seem to have damaged it too much.