EDWARDSVILLE – A Granite City homeowner claims defects were concealed on the property she purchased, including termite damage and defective wiring.
Plaintiff Madelyn Flowers filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Paula Wise and Wise Choice Properties, Inc., citing breach of contract and fraud.
According to the lawsuit, Flowers entered into a contract to purchase a Granite City residential property from the defendants on May 11, 2020. Prior to the deal, the defendants presented the property as "like new" to the plaintiff and submitted an Illinois Realtors Residential Real Property Disclosure Report to the plaintiff. Flowers alleges that according to the disclosure, the defendants stated that they were not aware of any defects on the property.
On May 22, the property was inspected and the inspector disclosed several defects, which the plaintiff asked the defendants to address. Granite City issued an Occupancy Permit for the property on May 28, 2020, but the lawsuit alleges that the city would not have issued such a report had the city been aware of the defective knob and tube wiring present on the premises.
Flowers alleges that after she took possession of the property, she began to conduct basic repairs of the structure when she noted the knob and tube wiring remaining behind the wall. She also claims she discovered ongoing termite damage, which the defendants failed to mention at the time of the sale.
According to Flowers, the defendants made some repairs and replacements to the electrical wiring in the home to make the wiring appear to be updated. However, she alleges they only replaced the wiring necessary to pass the occupancy inspection while allowing the defective and dangerous wiring to remain hidden behind the walls and in the attic.
Flowers states that she has had to expend large amounts of money to conduct extensive repairs to the property before it can be sold. Since then, the defendants have refused to enter an arbitration and mediation process regarding the matter.
Flowers states that she entered into a contract to buy the property based on the disclosure provided by the defendants. She claims they breached that contract by failing to disclose important information about the property and fraudulently misrepresenting the true condition of the property to induce Flowers into purchasing the property.
The plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus court costs, attorney's fees and any other relief the court deems proper. She is represented in this case by attorney Anthony G. Swarringin of Blake, Behme, Links, Raney, P.C. in Belleville.
Madison County Circuit Court case number 2023LA000205