EDWARDSVILLE – An Illinois company is suing a Missouri business, alleging breach of contract over the amount of rent and other costs owed.
Keller Excavating LLC filed the lawsuit Feb. 12 in Madison County Circuit Court against Chippewa Loft LLC of St. Louis and Gurpreet Padda of Creve Coeur, Missouri, alleging the plaintiff has been damaged for more than $350,000.
According to the complaint, on June 7, 2013, Keller Excavating entered into a lease agreement with the defendants for a commercial building in Edwardsville. The monthly rent payment totaled $8,000 four years, the suit says, and the lease included utilities and taxes, and required the defendants to secure insurance.
The lawsuit states the plaintiff was required to perform environmental remediation work, interior demolition and exterior work to the structure, which it did, spending at least $20,000 to complete the interior work.
The lease was to start Oct. 1, 2013, but the lawsuit says the defendant has failed to make any payments since Aug. 1, 2014. Through October 2015, the defendant owes the plaintiff nearly $112,000 in unpaid rent, taxes, utilities, insurance and interest, the suit states.
According to the lease, the lawsuit says, the defendant's failure to pay constitutes default, entitling the plaintiff to hold the defendant liable for all outstanding monies.
Keller Excavating seeks at least $350,000, attorney fees and court costs, pre- and post-judgment interest and an order granting the plaintiff possession of the property. It is represented by attorneys David J. Gerber, Andrew Carruthers and Chad J. Richter of HeplerBroom LLC in Edwardsville.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 16-L-207