After five years in limbo, Sheree Whitfield’s unfinished mansion, Chateau Sheree, has become almost as famous as its owner for its troubles. And although Whitfield has recently claimed that the mansion will be finished soon, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star recently hit another road block in getting it completed when she filed a massive lawsuit against an insurance company over the home.
According to media reports, Whitfield filed a lawsuit in Superior Court of Fulton County on Jan. 11 against Central Mutual Insurance Company for $279,940.56.
In the lawsuit, Whitfield’s management is claiming that the insurance company failed to pay out enough money to repair a water leak that occurred in early 2014 and caused major damage to Chateau Sheree. At the time of the leak, the home was reportedly 85 percent done, but much of the progress was lost when a major freeze hit metro Atlanta and a water line in the house burst and sent water rushing down into the basement, damaging more than half of the home.
Since the home was unoccupied at the time, there’s no telling how long the leak was active before it was stopped, but luckily a neighbor spotted water cascading from the balconies and alerted Whitfield to the leak.
The insurance company, which provided Whitfield with builders risk coverage, suggested that she hire Guyco Plumbing & Home Improvements to repair the home and Standard Chemical Inc. to dry out the home. When Whitfield hired a public insurance adjuster, Russ Hart, to asses the home, he brought up the issue of mold. However, Central Mutual disputed the claims that there was a mold issue and the two parties had to go into arbitration with their own appraisers and a third-party umpire to settle the dispute over the payout.
Unfortunately for Whitfield, the umpire sided with the insurance company. However, Whitfield claims in the lawsuit that the umpire was biased toward the insurance company. She claims that Central Mutual now owes her $280K because many contractors for the home will no longer provide her a warranty due to the damage to home. She also claims that the value of the property has now been brought down due to the damage and the loss of the warranties.
With so much still going on with Chateau Sheree, we’re still wondering if Whitfield will ever get to complete her long-awaited mansion.
