Jacob Birenbaum has filed a lawsuit against Lance Zhou and Chong Qiu in the Harris County - County Civil Court at Law, with the case ID 1224540, dated March 13, 2024. The plaintiff accuses the defendants of selling him a property under false pretenses.
Birenbaum, represented by an unnamed attorney, alleges that Zhou and Qiu sold him a property located at 4226 Purdue Street, Unit #C, Houston, Texas under a contract subject to the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). He claims that despite issues identified with the HVAC system during an inspection phase prior to closing on April 4, 2023, the defendants assured him that all necessary repairs were made. However, another inspection revealed that the entire HVAC system needed replacement rather than repair.
The plaintiff further contends that Zhou and Qiu knowingly provided false information about the condition of the property on TREC's Seller’s Disclosure Form to induce him into signing the contract. As a result of these alleged misrepresentations, Birenbaum claims he sustained substantial damages amounting to $250,000 or less excluding interest and other costs.
In his suit, Birenbaum seeks monetary relief for his damages. He also reserves the right to amend this damage calculation as discovery progresses. His claim is being conducted under Level 1 discovery pursuant to Rule 1 of Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.