Friendswood residents sue after construction project at residence 'abandoned'

GALVESTON - Friendswood locals Nancy Ross and Timothy Benedicto have pursued legal action against Brandon O. Meyer, also of Friendswood, after the latter supposedly failed to complete a project at their residence, recent court documents say.

A lawsuit filed Aug. 7 in Galveston County District Court claims Meyer "abandoned" said project, stating he violated an agreement between him and the plaintiffs that goes back to late 2007.

Said agreement, dated Sept. 3, 2007, called for the defendant to add one 16-by-15-foot room, one 10-by-6-foot room and one 18-by-10-foot covered patio to the house, as well as obtain the soil report for the foundation.

The plaintiffs say they paid Meyer for the task, but in August 2011, they "began to observe cracking in the area of the extension along the foundation and walls."

"This problem worsened over time," the suit says.

It further explains that the respondent inspected the residence upon notification only to "not accept responsibility for the failing construction and related damages."

"The plaintiffs then learned, for the first time, that the defendant did not obtain any soils report," the suit says.

Meyer purportedly never attempted to address the problem so the complainants subsequently sought bids to repair the foundation and structural damage.

Consequently, the plaintiffs seek between $100,000 and $200,000 in damages.

They are represented by attorney Craig W. Saunders of Barlow Jones LLP in Houston.

The litigation has been assigned to Galveston County 10th District Court Judge Kerry L. Neves.

Case No. 13-CV-1026