Donovan Eckhardt, the former co-host of the hit HGTV show “Windy City Rehab,” was ordered by a judge this week to fork over $15,000 to a plumbing supply company that sued for nonpayment.
The suit was filed in September by Morton Grove-based Crawford Supply Group.
Eckhardt hadn’t responded to the suit and was a no-show at virtual court hearings, so on Wednesday a Cook County judge issued a default judgment and ordered him to pay the company $11,858.69 and cover attorney fees of nearly $4,000, according to attorney Michael D. Weis, who represents Crawford Supply.
Weis said that after several attempts to serve Eckhardt notice of the suit in person, the deed was done by leaving a copy on his front door and sending one through the mail.
So Weis was understandably surprised when he checked his voicemail Wednesday not long after the judgment was issued and heard a message from Eckhardt asking Weis to call him about the case.
They’re presently playing phone tag, Weis said.
Eckhardt, who can seek to vacate the judgment within 30 days, didn’t return a call for comment.
Eckhardt is in the opening stages of an unrelated defamation lawsuit that he filed in January against the company that produces “Windy City Rehab.”
In that suit Eckhardt claims he was falsely painted as an untrustworthy villain on the show. He’s seeking $2.2 million.
His former co-host, Allison Victoria Gramenos, was not named in the lawsuit. The two had a falling out, and Eckhardt left the show in the second season.
Meanwhile, HGTV announced last month that fans of the show can expect new episodes to begin airing some time in late 2021.
