Sheree Whitfield Sues Insurance Company Over Chateau Sheree

Sheree Whitfield

The legal battle between Sheree Whitfield and an Atlanta contractor continues. Last month, a contractor hit the Real Housewives of Atlanta regular with a lawsuit for $23,000 over her unfinished home, affectionately called Chateau Sheree.  And now Whitfield has answered with her own lawsuit. On January 11th, she filed a lawsuit against an insurance company for $279,940.56, according to AJC. [FYI: In 2011, Whitfield began working on the home, but was said to have financial difficulties in paying for the continued construction.] The site reports:

According to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court of Fulton County, Whitfield’s management company said an insurance company did not pay out enough money to fix a water leak that caused major damage to the home in early 2014 while it was under construction.

At the time, according to the lawsuit, the 15,000 square foot home was 85 percent complete. In early 2014, there was a major freeze in metro Atlanta that caused the water line to freeze and break. The home was unoccupied so water cascaded down and into the basement, seriously damaging at least half the home. A neighbor saw the water flowing over the balconies. The lawsuit does not say how long water was leaking before it was stopped.

Defendant Central Mutual Insurance Company provided insurance on the home under a builders risk policy. With guidance from the insurance company, Whitfield hired Guyco Plumbing & Home Improvements to repair the home. Standard Chemical Inc. dried out the home, which took three weeks.

Sheree Whitfield

Whitfield hired Russ Hart, a public insurance adjuster, on Feb. 18, who raised the issue of mold, the lawsuit stated. The defendant disputed the issue of mold and the two sides argued over how much it would cost to bring the home back to its original condition. Each side hired its own appraiser and a third-party “umpire,” who was supposed to help them reach an equitable and fair agreement.

But Whitfield said the “umpire” was not impartial, favoring the insurance company’s appraisal. She believes she is owed nearly $280,000. As a result of the flooding, several contractors (HVAC, electrical and framing were cited) would no longer warranty their work, resulting in a reduction of value of the home, the lawsuit said.

If you’ve watched this season of RHOA, you’ve witness Kenya Moore make a few jokes about Whitfield’s unfinished home. However, on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live!, Whitfield told Andy Cohen that Chateau Sheree is near completion:

I am almost done. It’s taking time. It’s my baby. Before I present it to everybody, it’s going to be perfect.

Here’s some alleged drive-by footage of the property.

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