SAMANTHA: THE COUPLES I SPOKE WITH TELL ME THEY ARE APPALLED AND OUTRAGED. NOT ONLY DO THEY TELL ME THEY WERE LEFT SCRAMBLING TO FIND A NEW WEDDING VENUE, BUT THEY ALSO SAY THEY HAD TO PAY THOUSANDS MORE TO SECURE A NEW SPACE. IT'S A CASE THAT NOW HAS THE ATTENTION OF CHICAGO OFFICIALS AND THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL. PLANNING A WEDDING WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MEMORABLE MOMENT FOR LAUREN. >> YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT THE PERFECT DAY, THE PERFECT MOMENT. I WAS VERY EXCITED TO FINALLY GET MARRIED. SAMANTHA: AN OCTOBER CHICAGO WEDDING AT A NEW VENUE CALLED THE STOCK HOUSE IN THE SOUTH LOOP. LAUREN AND HER THEN-FIANCE DANIEL SEDIN MET WITH THE MANAGER AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE SPACE.
IN TOTAL, THEY SAY THEY PAID MORE THAN $9,000 TO SECURE THE SPACE. BUT JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE BIG DAY, THE COUPLE SAYS THEY RECEIVED A DISTURBING EMAIL FROM THEIR CATERER. >> THAT OUR VENUE WILL NO LONGER BE IN OPERATION. THAT IS HOW WE FOUND OUT. THROUGH OUR CATERING COMPANY. SAMANTHA: THEY EVENTUALLY GOT THIS EMAIL FROM THE STOCK HOUSE, SAYING IN PART, WE'RE WRITING TO INFORM YOU WE MUST CLOSE DOWN VENUE OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES THAT PREVENT US FROM MOVING FORWARD. WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN AND HAVE EVERY INTENT TO FULFILL YOUR CONTRACT. HOWEVER, CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL HAVE LED US TO CLOSE. >> DISGUSTED. THAT'S IT. SORRY. TIMES ARE TOUGH. THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE NO LONGER HAVE A LOCATION TO GET MARRIED. SAMANTHA: THE COUPLE SAYS THEY HAVE YET TO RECEIVE A CALL BACK OR A REFUND FROM THE STOCK HOUSE. AND THEY ARE NOT ALONE. >> WE LOST $8000 AND HAD TO SPEND $10,000 ADDITIONAL TO REPLAN THE WEDDING. SAMANTHA: STEPHANIE AND KEVIN SAID THEY ALSO BOOKED THEIR WEDDING AT THE STOCK HOUSE, BUT FOUND OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THE WEDDING VENUE HAD CLOSED. THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH THE MANAGER, JOSHUA YATES, OR THE OWNER TO GET THEIR MONEY BACK. >> HOW CAN YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMEBODY AT ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POINTS IN WHAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE MOST HAPPY AND SACRED POINTS IN THEIR LIFE? SAMANTHA: THE ABC 7 I-TEAM HAS HEARD FROM OTHER COUPLES FROM BOTH THE STOCK HOUSE AND THE ZEPHYR, ANOTHER WEDDING VENUE IN THE SOUTH LOOP.
BOTH BUSINESSES OPERATED UNDER THE SAME PARENT COMPANY, CHICAGO LOST VENUES. ACCORDING TO STATE RECORDS, CHICAGO LOST VENUES IS OWNED BY CHRIS MORAN. THE I-TEAM HAS TRIED CALLING, TEXTING, AND EMAILING CHRIS MORAN. WE EVEN STOPPED BY HIS HOME TO TRY AND GET ANSWERS ABOUT THE COUPLE'S REFUNDS. THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION SAID IT HAS RECEIVED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE STOCK HOUSE AND THE ZEPHYR. IN ADDITION, THE CITY SAYS IT IS ISSUED NOTICES OF VIOLATION, CITATION, AND A CEASE-AND-DESIST ORDER TO THE READING VENUES FOR OPERATING WITHOUT A BUSINESS LICENSE. THE STATE OF ILLINOIS IS ALSO INVESTIGATING. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE SAYS IT HAS RECEIVED 34 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE TWO VENUES, AND ARE WORKING TO GATHER INFORMATION TO ASSIST CONSUMERS. >> I WAS RAISED TO LET IT GO, LIFE GOES ON. BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU REALLY WANT CHRIS MORAN TO GET WHAT IS COMING TO HIM. I HOPE LEGALLY, SOMETHING DOES. SAMANTHA: THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S CONSUMER PROTECTION OFFICE IS URGING ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THESE WEDDING VENUES TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT.
WE HAVE A.
