May 15, 2008 
A Franklin County Ohio judge awarded Roman and Jennifer Costner $3 M in a dispute with Maronda Homes. Another judge ruled Maronda Homes has to pay the family’s almost $700,000 legal bill.
Court documents show the south side of the house wasn’t attached to the foundation and the wrong sized windows were installed leading to leaks then mold. The Costner’s $219,000 Reynoldsburg OH home was determined to be unlivable.
In Ohio, legal disputes are encouraged to be settled out of court. If they’re not, treble damages can be awarded. So $1M turns into $3M, just like that.
Was I shocked by this? No, Maronda homes do not have the most sterling reputation. Their quest to cut costs leads them to purchase the cheapest of the cheap in building materials. Most suppliers have good, better or best quality in supplies. Maronda seems to always find something cheaper than good.
What did shock me the people missing in action:
- Maronda Construction supervisors/inspectors
- City/County building inspectors
- Buyers home inspectors
I’d hate to say buyer beware for a new home, but in this case..
Back in my agent days, I’d get calls from builders looking for GL coverage. Out would come a ten page application. Why so much information? To find out who the subcontractors are. A house is only as good as the subcontractors who work on it. I’m guessing Maronda’s quest for lowering construction costs led to cheap subs. Keep that in mind the next time your looking for a contractor standing around outside of Home Depot.
