Former executive of Cedar Rapids apartment complex owner says he is owed $20.65 million

The former executive vice president of operations at Cunat Inc., owner of two Cedar Rapids apartment complexes, is suing his former employer and business partner, claiming he is owned millions.

Christopher Zock, 32, claims in a lawsuit filed Aug. 18 in Cook County (Ill.) Circuit Court that Brian Cunat, 53, and his development company owes Zock $18.8 million for his stakes in 11 ventures to build projects in three states. Zock, who was forced out of Cunat Inc. last year, also is seeking to recover $1.85 million in loans that he made in 2008 to various company affiliates.

Cunat Inc. of McHenry, Ill., owns and operates The Pointe and Windsor on the River apartment complexes in Cedar Rapids. Cunat invested more than $20 million in the purchase and substantial upgrading of the 46-year-old Spring Park complex in northeast Cedar Rapids before renaming it The Pointe.

Cunat, founded in 1976, controls 13 apartment communities in the Chicago area, primarily in the northwest suburbs. In addition to its Cedar Rapids properties, the company also has developed and manages properties in Nashville, Tenn.

Zock's lawsuit says Brian Cunat does not dispute the value of his ownership stakes, but claims Zock owes him more than $36 million. Zock's complaint states that Brian Cunat's claims are without merit.