BELLEVILLE - A legal dispute over the purchase of a hotel has prompted a lawsuit that includes a claim that one of those involved is owed close to $1 million.
Plaintiffs Shilpa Sheevam and various businesses, including the company that owns the Hotel Avyan in St. Louis, claim an individual she was involved with both personally and professionally fraudulently concealed and misrepresented information that led to her losing a total of $925,000.
The allegations center largely on the late 2013 purchase of the then Best Western Plus Hotel and Conference, now the Montcler Hotel, in Sandwich, Ill., a city a in DeKalb, Kendall, and LaSalle counties.
In the suit filed Nov. 22 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, the plaintiff names St. Louis businessman Deepak Kant Vyas and entities she claims were involved in the purchase and management of the hotel.
The Record, despite attempts to contact Vyas at various businesses he is linked to as owner or principal, was unable to do so prior to publication.
Sheevam claims she first became involved personally with Vyas in 2010 but that they soon began discussing business opportunities.
She alleges that she handed over $101,000 to Vyas for development of an independent hotel reservation system for use when she purchased hotels.
The pair then became involved in the purchase of the Best Western on Drew Avenue. She claims to have forwarded a total of $825,000 from her companies into the one used to buy the hotel.
She also claims to have signed a Commercial Promissory Note in the amount $2.8 million that helped purchase the hotel.
It is alleged that the defendant Vyas "wrongfully and without authority or notice" removed the plaintiff's name as a director and the majority owner of SDV Hospitality and Resorts Corporation, one of the companies also named as a defendant. This happened for the years 2014-2019, it is alleged.
"The plaintiffs have received nothing in exchange for $825,000," the complaint states.
The counts include fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraudulent concealment.
In total, the plaintiffs are seeking $925,000 plus damages linked to the promissory and a punitive award.
They are represented by Shane M. Moskop of Freeark, Harvey & Mendillo of Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 2019-L-820.