North Shore Contractor 'Created A Nightmare' For Small Business Owner, Lawsuit Alleges

EVANSTON, IL — An Evanston business owner is accusing a local landscape design company of ruining the building's terrace and walking away from the job, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Andrea Liss, owner and operator of 800 Greenwood LLC in Evanston, contracted Craig Bergmann Landscape Design in January 2024 to clean and maintain her bluestone terrace, according to the suit. Liss said the contractor power-washed the terrace, thus permanently and irreparably damaging the stone.

“Instead of creating a vision for this client, the defendant created a nightmare,” said Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices.

The lawsuit alleges the contractor caused damage so significant that it delayed Liss' ability to showcase and utilize the space for business-related events. Despite assurances that the damage would be corrected, Liss claims no further efforts were made to rectify the situation.

Craig Bergmann Landscape Design, based in Lake Forest, is also accused of failing to maintain the property damage insurance necessary to conduct business in Evanston. To obtain registration to do business in Evanston, a contractor is required to submit an original certificate of insurance or policy declaration verifying the mandated coverage.

“This is a clear case of David versus Goliath,” Clifford said. “Our firm will not tolerate when ‘the little guy’ is taken advantage of by companies who think they can collect full payment for a job that is not done according to the contract and as promised. This small property owner deserves to get what she paid for and we will stand up for her rights in court to see that she does so.”

Craig Bergmann Landscape Design did not immediately respond to a request for a statement about the lawsuit on Tuesday.