Property owner slaps insurance company with breach of contract complaint

A Cook County company is suing its insurer, claiming it failed to pay out for property and other damages under its business coverage policy.

55 N. Barron, of Northbrook, filed a lawsuit Feb. 17 in Cook County Circuit Court against The Travelers Indemnity Company of America.

According to the complaint, 55 N. Barron, owned by Michael Ziegler, entered into a lease agreement Oct. 1, 2011 for a lessee to open a Mexican restaurant, only for the lessee to abandon the premises on April 1, 2013 without notification or paying rent.

When Ziegler discovered the property had been both vacated and vandalized, the suit states he reported the incident to police and filed a claim with defendant Travelers under his business coverage policy, citing losses involving fixtures, machinery and appliances and lost business income.

55 N. Barron claims Travelers delayed and denied the claim for an extended period of time, leading Ziegler to retain counsel to assist in negotiations with the insurer.

The company seeks damages in excess of $50,000, plus attorney fees and costs, and is represented by attorney Laurence Landsman of Block & Landsman in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2015L001666.

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