My post content

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kenneth William Mayle | ken.mayle@gmail.com | 248-635-7455
Date: June 22, 2026

CHICAGO MAN ALLEGES LANDLORD CONCEALED BUILDING DEFECTS, COLLECTED $171,600 IN BITCOIN, THEN COUNTERSUED HIM AFTER BUILDING BURNED

CHICAGO — Kenneth William Mayle, a Chicago-based Pro Se litigant, has filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court alleging that GP Opportunity Fund, LLC and its manager Bryon Finke induced him to prepay $171,600 in rent via Bitcoin on a lease for a property that Mayle's complaint alleges had undisclosed defects — including a fire pump subject to an open city violation dating to 2016 — which he contends made the building uninsurable and rendered the lease's insurance requirements impossible to satisfy from the outset.

Mayle's suit seeks to void the lease and recover the funds he alleges were paid based on misrepresentations about the building's condition. Finke has countersued for $654,000 in lost rent and fire damages, a claim Mayle is contesting as part of the same litigation.

According to the complaint, Finke represented the building's fire protection system as operational despite the unresolved violation. The complaint further alleges that property insurance obtained shortly after the lease was signed was cancelled mid-term, with the insurer's underwriter stating in writing that she would not have continued coverage regardless of payment due to concerns about the building's condition. Mayle's filing alleges these conditions were not disclosed to him before he signed as personal guarantor. These allegations are contested by the defendants and have not been adjudicated by the court.

The building at 4700–4744 W. Lake Street burned on February 6–7, 2023. Chicago Fire Department records list the cause as "undetermined after investigation." Fire incident records indicate no operating automatic suppression or detection system at the time of the fire. Finke is now seeking $654,000 from Mayle as personal guarantor, a claim that depends on the lease being valid — validity Mayle disputes on the grounds described above.

"I allege Bryon Finke induced $171,600 from me for a lease on a building with fire protection issues he had no basis to represent as resolved. I sued to void that lease and recover what I could. Now he's countersuing me over the fire," said Mayle.

Mayle is a licensed Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience and has represented himself Pro Se in this matter since July 2025. A bench trial is scheduled for September 14–15, 2026 (10:30 AM CST) with pre trial set for August 29, 2026 at 12:00.

Zoom Link:

https://zoom.us/j/99980636139, 999-8063-6139 Passcode: 645477 Dial-in, (audio only): +1 312-626-6799

Court filings and supporting exhibits: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qkOfWgEieYnBrveU4cibqAHlcf6Skp0_

Media inquiries: ken.mayle@gmail.com | 248-635-7455