Real estate company alleges developer broke deal, to share marketing, commissions on Chicago properties

A real estate business, allegedly sidetracked by another firm, has sued the builder it believes should have been sharing the wealth with them.

T.A.M. Real Estate filed suit May 1 in Cook County Circuit Court against Castleview Construction Inc., and unknown parties or agents of the company.

According to the complaint, for many years before August 2013, T.A.M. worked with Castleview to find and buy four parcels for development, at 2628 to 2630 N. Wayne Ave., Chicago. The defendant bought the parcels, and then entered into an agreement with the plaintiff to exclusively sell the property after it was constructed, the suit says.

Shortly after meeting with the plaintiff in February 2014 to talk about marketing and place a sign on the property with the plaintiff's information, the lawsuit states, Castleview "entered into a listing agreement with a third party, Mario Greco, in contradiction to the terms of the agreement."

Castleview then moved the sign with T.A.M.'s contact information so it wasn't visible to passers-by and, according to the lawsuit, "refused to cooperate with plaintiff in allowing the plaintiff to continue marketing the property and receive a commission upon the sale of the property," which T.A.M. says was the initial agreement.

The plaintiff cites civil counts of breach of contract, quantum meruit, unjust enrichment and fraud.

T.A.M. Real Estate seeks more than $500,000, plus costs. It is represented by attorney Adrian P. Zeno of Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number 15-L-4575.