A couple who put up a sign outside their new $685,000 home warning buyers against buying the house next door has been hit by a potentially ruinous $2.4million lawsuit.
Wonda and Claude LeBrun purchased the newly built home in Richmond, Virginia, but claim they discovered it was structurally unsound – rendering it unlivable – just days after moving in.
To the couple’s dismay, they found floors were sinking, countertops were pulling away from the walls, and cracks had formed in the showers.
So they put a sign in front of their four-bedroom home telling potential buyers not to purchase the house next door – built by the same company, N&H General Constructions.
‘Floors are shaking and sagging,’ the sign said.
‘Showers can’t be used because (of) missing/broken grout. Crawl space is full of mold.
‘The builder built the house next door. Before you buy, come and look at this house.’
Now, the homebuilder is suing the couple for defamation claiming a whopping $2.4million.
Wonda and Claude LeBrun bought a newly built home in Richmond, Virginia, but claim they discovered it was structurally unsound just days after moving
After discovering all the errors allegedly made by the builders, they put a sign up to warn potential buyers against buying the home next door that was built by the same company
The LeBrun’s home they bought for $685,000 with their retirement savings that they claim is ‘structurally unstable’
The construction firm denies the allegations, claiming the couple’s home is structurally sound, passed inspections, gained certification and says workers would be happy to inspect and do any possible repairs – but says the LeBruns denied access.
And it says the sign is ‘defamatory’ and is damaging the company’s reputation, and preventing a sale.
In reply, the LeBruns say they don’t trust the homebuilders to do the repairs – and want the firm to buy back the house, or pay a third party to do repairs.
Wonda, 63, a retired medical assistant, said: ‘As soon as our furniture arrived, the floors dropped. We only had two bedroom sets, and when we put them in, every room in the house started collapsing.
‘Every shower, all the granite – it’s all cracked up and separating. We can’t even take a shower because all the water goes straight down into the crawlspace.
‘That’s in every bathroom.’
The couple who were moving from Lake Dallas, Texas, asked the realtor and county to tell them whether the house was of high quality before buying the house, they claim.
‘We had the inspector look at it, he said, ‘You need to have a structural engineer take a look at it. Something’s not right in the crawl space,’ Wonda said.
N&H General Constructions is now suing the couple for defamation and says the LeBruns’ home was built ‘in accordance with all applicable building codes’ and ‘exceeded the standards’
The company also said the couple put up the sign when they were out of the country to ‘prejudice and dissuade potential buyers of a house’ they had constructed and refused to take it down when asked
The total the company is asking for is around $2.4million in compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney fees
The LeBruns hired two structural engineers who they said confirmed there were ‘structural issues’. This photo provided by the couple shows cement allegedly poured on top of a pier to line up with the wood girder
Concerned, the LeBruns hired two structural engineers, both of whom confirmed structural issues, they claim.
They took their findings to the builder – and the county, which said the certificate of occupancy remained in place.
‘We kept asking, «Why is that true?»‘ said Wonda.
They bought the house, closing on December 3, after they claimed the builder assured them the repairs would be made.
The LeBruns said they don’t trust the homebuilders to do the repairs and want the firm to buy back the house, or pay a third party to do repairs
The couple stated they received a letter stating all necessary repairs had been completed and the house was up to code, they said.
But within two days of moving in, they say they noticed flaws and called the home-building firm in to look at the home.
‘When we showed him the interior damage, the floor shaking, the gaps between the floors and the door frames, and the walls cracking, he said, ‘Oh, that’s normal. All houses do this.’
‘We showed him how the counters were leaning off the wall and not even level.
‘The kitchen counter next to the stove is falling away from the wall. Every counter in my bathroom, kitchen – everything made of granite – is falling apart,’ Wonda explained.
‘I have three walls in the house that are literally falling away from the ceiling.
The couple said there were multiple gaps between the floor and the wood framing in the doorways around the house
The couple said these photos showed more girders not centered on the various piers holding up the structure of the house in the crawl space
The floor is also allegedly uneven and even sinking in some parents, the LeBruns said. They said this resulted in the visible gap between the floor and the fireplace
‘He came in and said there’s nothing wrong inside the house,’ Wonda said. ‘Even though all the cabinets are separating from the walls and the walls are literally falling down.’
Claude, 65, added: ‘We feel like we’re out of several hundred thousand dollars. We have no trust in this builder to fix anything correctly.’
The builder served a statement of claim to sue for defamation about a week ago. They claimed that they arrived to do the inspection when the LeBruns reached out, but weren’t given ‘reasonable access’ by them to carry out the inspection.
The construction company also stated in their complaint that they informed the LeBruns they would be out of the country and unable to perform the work until January 27.
They alleged that it was while they were abroad that the couple erected the ‘defamatory and derogatory sign’ on their property about the house next door.
Wonda said she was willing to allow the homebuilder to ‘buy the house back and walk away’.
‘Or he could pay for a third-party contractor to fix everything up to code, and I would take the house,’ she added.
‘I love the house — I love the way it’s made, the beautiful backyard. I’m an organic farmer, and I wanted to continue doing that.
An open vent that shows the crawl space underneath the house
The back door’s frame doesn’t meet the floor and looks chipped where it should be a smooth finish. The couple said they poured their retirement savings into this home and are now unable to live in it
‘But because of this, our retirement dreams are just screwed up.’
The 2,677 sq. ft. house next door is described as ‘stunning’ by the real estate agent, who noted its ‘grand open-concept layout’.
‘This home is a true showcase of modern design, energy efficiency, and elegant finishes. A rare find that offers luxury, comfort, and thoughtful details in every corner—perfect for your discerning clients!’ the listing added.
But the LeBruns say they are stuck in limbo and say they are unable to live in the home they poured their savings into.
‘I was going to sell my other house and pay off this one,’ Wonda said. ‘That was the plan. But now I can’t afford to have two houses.
‘Everything I own is in that house up there, and I’m back in an empty house, trying to figure out what to do next.’
N&H General Constructions, disputed the claims made by the couple in a statement, saying: ‘The house they purchased is not structurally unsound.
‘The house was constructed in accordance with the applicable building code and had multiple inspections by County Building inspectors including a final inspection before the certificate of occupancy was issued.
‘Nonetheless, N&H said it would be happy to inspect and repair as necessary,’ the statement read.
‘The LeBruns however refused to provide them access to the crawlspace to perform the inspection and possible repair.
‘Instead, they erected a defamatory sign on the house to damage the reputation of N&H and prevent the sale of an adjacent house N&H has listed.
‘N&H continued its efforts to work with the LeBruns, but they refused.
‘The LeBruns’ actions are precisely the type the Virginia statute cited in the complaint filed against the LeBruns was meant to address.’
