GALVESTON — A couple is alleging fraud after they discovered one of the bedrooms of the home they purchased was not permitted.
Bryan C. Pape and Rachel R. Pape filed a complaint April 3 in Galveston County District Court against Benjamin T. Speer and Jennifer M. Speer alleging violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, fraud and other claims.
The Papes allege in their complaint that they purchased a new six-bedroom house on Keller Bay Court in Friendswood in June of 2022 for a sales price of $1,200,000. They claim that a few months after closing on the home, they discovered one of the bedrooms on the second floor over the garage was not permitted.
The Papes further claim the defendants failed to disclose the unpermitted room on the Seller Disclosure Notice and that the unpermitted bedroom has caused them to lose at least $153,000 of the fair market value for their home. The Papes also claim the defendants made false representations in order to induce them into entering a contract to purchase the home.
The Papers seek monetary relief between $250,000 and $1 million, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Sanford Dow of Dow Golub Remels & Gilbreath PLLC in Houston.
Galveston County District Court case number 23-CV-0530