BELLEVILLE – Two property owners are suing over a management agreement they allege the defendant did not follow. They are citing breach of contract and negligence.
Ray H. Lewis and Alihah M. Lewis filed the suit March 3 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Christone Enterprises.
The plaintiffs own property at 2713 Pipers Court, Belleville, and entered into a management agreement contract with the defendant on April 8, 2004, the suit says.
The lawsuit alleges the defendant has breached the agreement in that it failed to maintain the property pursuant to the terms of the contract, including not making proper repairs, selecting inappropriate renters for the property, and doing work on the property without providing the plaintiffs adequate notice.
In addition, the suit alleges, the plaintiffs were billed for expenses incurred by tenants retained by the defendant that the tenants should have been responsible for, such as utilities.
The plaintiffs paid expenses of nearly $64,000 to repair damages to the property, the suit alleges.
The claim of negligence, that the defendants allegedly breached their duty by failing to comply with the terms of the agreement, has led to damages suffered by the plaintiffs, the suit says. Those damages include lost rental income, lost wages and costs incurred to repair the premises.
The plaintiffs seek judgment on both counts in the amount of $63,665 and other relief the court deems just and proper. They are represented by Edward J. Blake Jr. and Megan M. Gilbreth of Blake Behme Law Group PC in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-121