A co-host of HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous is being sued by a couple who claims the house they purchased from his company was incomplete and riddled with defects.
Dave Marrs owns several business and stars alongside his wife Jenny on renovation shows around their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas.
Benton County couple Matthew and Sarah McGrath filed a lawsuit against Marrs and his companies for breach of contract claiming the house built for them was filled with defects that have not been fixed.
Court filings viewed by DailyMail.com revealed a structural investigation found 21 code violations and dozens of structural issues on the property at 6 Itetbury Lane.
‘Please understand, these reports do not completely detail the remedial work that needs to be performed to rectify the many failures in workmanship but only represent my clients’ current understanding of the nature and scope of repairs,’ the McGraths’ attorney said in a January 2023 letter to Marrs.
Dave Marrs (left), who co-hosts HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous with wife Jenny (right) is being sued by a couple who claims the house they purchased from his company is faulty
Matthew and Sarah McGrath purchased the property at 6 Itetbury Lane (pictured) from Marrs company Jupiter Rentals for $559,000 in 2022
The lawsuit said the McGraths’ entered into a contract with Marrs company Jupiter Rentals to purchase the property in May 2022.
The couple purchased the property for $559,000 and made an initial down-payment of $15,000.
As part of the contract, the McGraths’ requested specific upgrades to be made by Jupiter and Marrs Construction.
In an agreement for additional work to be done on the house, the purchase price was increased by $10,125 according to the lawsuit.
The McGraths’ performed an inspection of the property prior to closing an submitted a list of repairs to Jupiter.
The McGraths said Marrs agreed to perform numerous repairs on the property but failed to do so and found even more in subsequent inspections
A report of the structural investigation found faults with the floor framing in the kitchen (pictured), dining room and entry area
Defects with the beams and columns, footings, cracked exterior slabs, the deck, patio, retaining walls and site grading were also found
Jupiter agreed make several repairs in the home subsequent to the McGraths’ purchase to be completed in 30 days, with the exception of installation of replacement windows, which would be completed 90 days from closing, according to the lawsuit.
The couple officially purchased the home on July 28, 2022 and said by August 28 that same year, none of the agreed upon repairs had been completed.
A report of the structural investigation dated November 12, 2022 found faults with window flashing, roof framing, exterior walls, exterior stairways, floor framing in the kitchen, dining room and entry area.
There were also defects with the beams and columns, footings, cracked exterior slabs, the deck, patio, retaining walls and site grading.
The inspection report said, ‘The problems, which we observed, will continue and worsen until they are corrected.’
‘It is our judgment that the home requires repairs for the roof framing, main floor framing deflections, exterior wall framing and bracing, reinstallation of the windows, vinyl siding, window and door flashing, and brick veneer.
Marrs (right) owns several business and stars alongside his wife Jenny (left) on several renovation shows around their hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas
‘Repair and redesign of the back deck to eliminate the water infiltration and foundation issues. Additionally, grading and drainage modifications need to be made plus possible structural improvements to the retaining walls,’ the report said.
An estimate from the inspector said it would cost $38,740 to repair the drive and walkways, as well as $47,862 for landscaping and grading, including the installation of French drain.
According to a letter sent by the McGraths’ lawyer the estimates did not include nearly $1,900 spent by the couple ‘in attempts to discovery the extent of the flaws in the construction of the home.’
The McGraths are seeking all costs of the repairs to their home be paid for by Marrs companies and damages to be determined at trial.
A five-day jury trial has been scheduled to begin on September 23.
