Developers, mother accused of conspiring to defraud
The developers who converted 719 apartments to condos at the Woods at Countryside in Palatine aren't strangers to legal trouble - they've been taken to Cook County court more than 35 times combined in recent years.
But one lawsuit involving defendants Vince Manglardi, T.J. Wojtas and their company Renaissance Residential is quite different from the usual foreclosure complaint or breach of contract.
In April, an attorney for Lindsey Ganser of Chicago filed a lawsuit against the developers and her mother, Palatine Realtor Karin Ganser. It accuses them of conspiring to defraud her by buying three condo units in her name without her knowledge.
The suit states Karin Ganser prepared sales agreements in July and October 2007 identifying Lindsey Ganser as the purchaser for the units in the Woods complex for $155,400, $159,950 and $198,400.
The agreements were signed by either Manglardi or Wojtas and executed by Nunzio Greico on behalf of Renaissance. Records show Greico, a co-defendant, was disbarred as an attorney in 1999 for transferring $45,000 from an estate account for his personal use.
Ganser's initials and signature appear on several documents, but she says in court filings she never signed them or authorized anyone to sign.
All three units were then rented and for a period of time; Manglardi or Karin Ganser made mortgage payments. They assured Lindsey Ganser they'd remove her from the mortgages, but ultimately told her they couldn't and advised her to short-sell the properties, the suit states.
The mortgage payments have stopped, and now Lindsey Ganser is in a dispute with two banks.
She's asking the court to declare the loan agreements null and void and stop the banks from trying to collect from her or tarnish her credit. She's seeking more than $50,000 in damages from her mother and the developers.
Karin Ganser didn't return calls and Lindsey Ganser's attorney, Jay Berlin, declined to comment. Vince Manglardi and T.J. Wojtas didn't return phone calls.