Water damage to Gery Chico's condo spurs State Farm to sue plumbing company for $67K-plus

An insurance company is suing over claims an improperly installed sink caused more than  $67,000 in water damage to a South Michigan Avenue condo owned by a Chicago lawyer who heads up a state board.

State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., as subrogee of Gery Chico, filed a lawsuit July 15 in the Cook County Circuit Court against D&D Plumbing Inc., doing business as Ewing-Doherty Mechanical Inc., alleging negligence.

Although the suit does not identify Chico as a partner with Chico & Nunes in Chicago, the address listed in the suit matches an address listed for Chico in a state document about his 2011 appointment to serve as chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education.

Chico previously served as chief of staff to former Mayor Richard M. Daley and board president of the Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago and Chicago Park District. He also ran for political office, including a 2011 mayoral bid he lost to Rahm Emanuel, and a 2004 primary run for the U.S. Senate seat Barack Obama won.

According to the complaint, Chico's insured unit at 31o S. Michigan Ave. sustained water damage on July 30, 2009 from a leak in a sink with plumbing that State Farm alleges the defendant improperly installed.

A July 10, 2014 article in the Chicago Tribune states Chico put his condo in the Metropolitan Tower, which is located at 310 S. Michigan Ave., on the market for $2.65 million. He told the newspaper he wanted to sell it and buy something else in the city.

In the suit it filed last month, State Farm is seeking to recoup the the $67,424 in damages it allegedly paid out to Chico to cover the cost of the water damage. It is being represented by Waukegan attorney Dennis A. Brebner.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L007405.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.