Alison Victoria is bringing her skills to Las Vegas on the brand new present Sin Metropolis Rehab, however she beforehand labored in Chicago for 5 seasons on Windy Metropolis Rehab. HGTV’s Chicago-based present was not with out its scarcity of drama, particularly within the early seasons.
That’s due to authorized drama involving Victoria and her former enterprise associate Donovan Eckhardt, whom she not works with. Scroll down for a refresh on what occurred, together with the place the 2 stand immediately.
What occurred to Alison Victoria and Donovan Eckhardt?
Victoria and Eckhardt had a falling out in 2020, which was documented on Season 2 of Windy Metropolis Rehab. Victoria formally pulled the plug on her working relationship with the contractor after she came upon he mishandled firm funds, she revealed on an episode of the present.
On the time of the falling out, Eckhardt’s contractor’s license was suspended (extra on that under), however Victoria discovered that he’d nonetheless issued an bill to his personal firm. “What are you getting paid for?” she puzzled, noting that he couldn’t have accomplished the work on account of his suspension. She feared he was additionally letting different invoices “slip” by way of for work he hadn’t really accomplished.
“You bought the cash off the highest,” she ranted. “That implies that’s my cash too. These are my homes. That’s my financial institution mortgage. And I obtained zero from these jobs. From most of them, I obtained zero revenue.”
“That is the top with me and Donovan,” Victoria stated. “He’s gone, by his personal proper, by his personal doing. I’ve misplaced a good friend and I’ve misplaced a enterprise associate. However I do know this … this occurred for a purpose, and I do know that I’m robust, and I do know that I’ll get by way of this.”
In 2021, Eckhardt sued Discovery Inc. and Massive Desk Media, Windy Metropolis Rehab’s manufacturing firm, claiming the accusations about how he dealt with funds have been false. Whereas he didn’t sue Victoria immediately, she was inadvertently introduced into the lawsuit amid Eckhardt’s claims of “defamation” and “intentional infliction of emotional misery.”
Eckhardt claimed he was painted because the “villain” on Windy Metropolis Rehab, resulting in “despair, sleeplessness, and lack of urge for food,” in keeping with Chicago Solar Instances. He stated he additionally misplaced cash due to the drama. The lawsuit was dismissed, per Chicago Solar Instances.
Why did Donovan Eckhardt lose his license?
Eckhardt’s contractor license was suspended for 45 days in 2019, in keeping with the Chicago Solar Instances. The outlet reported that Eckhardt “violated the regulation by constructing three garages and storage decks with out permits and endangering staff and the general public by eradicating flooring at properties with out placing up security limitations.”
In protection, Eckhardt claimed that he didn’t give the course to finish this work. He stated the work was accomplished by individuals he approved to work on the properties, although. Town nonetheless held him liable since he was nonetheless the corporate proprietor. Eckhardt was additionally accused of working at 11 properties with out the correct permits.
All of this got here amid a bunch of different authorized points for Victoria and Eckhardt. The 2 have been hit with a number of stop-work orders on account of constructing violations in 2019, and we additionally unable to file new permits right now. They have been additionally sued by a few of the householders whose houses they renovated. One explicit purchaser sued for fraud in 2020, claiming their upstairs bathe leaked gallons of water simply in the future after they closed on the home, with extra issues arising from there.
Plus, Eckhardt was sued by a subcontractor, who claimed he didn’t obtain greater than $100,000 he was owed for work he did on a mission.
Are Alison Victoria and Donovan Eckhardt associates now?
No, Eckhardt and Victoria not have a working relationship or a friendship. She informed Folks in 2023 that they’re not associates, and reiterated this in one other interview with the outlet in 2024.
“Donovan who?” she stated. “It’s so far behind me that I don’t even look again. However I do know it’s so necessary as a result of when individuals come as much as me, they are saying, ‘I really like your present, I really like you and watching you undergo that has helped me. Thanks for being weak. Thanks for displaying it.’”
Per his Instagram web page, Eckhardt nonetheless seems to be doing contracting work.
Sin Metropolis Rehab, Season 1, Wednesdays, 9/8c, HGTV