BALTIMORE (Dec. 2, 2007) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced on Friday that his Consumer Protection Division's Home Builder Registration Unit has entered into settlement agreements with 14 home builders who have agreed to pay penalties to settle allegations that they violated Maryland's building laws, including operating without being registered or failing to make required disclosures to the Home Builder Registration Unit in their registration applications.
Two of the fourteen builders are in Calvert County. They are Mitchell W. Zajac Custom Home Builder, Inc. of Owings and Ridge Valley Construction Company of Sunderland.
Other builders named in the settlement include:
-- Carol Lynn Construction, LLC (Somerset County)
-- The Home Show - Morgantown, Inc. (Morgantown, WV)
-- Engle/Gilligan, LLC (Hollywood, FL)
-- Emerge Home, Inc. (Prince George's County)
-- Extraordinary Custom Homes, Inc. (Prince George's County)
-- Classic Group, LLC (Montgomery County)
-- Gregory D. Mortimer Properties, Inc., t/a Gregory Mortimer Builders (Garrett County)
-- Improvement General Contractors, LLC (Montgomery County)
-- Russell Dadds, t/a Eastern Custom Homes (Caroline County)
-- E&J Contractors, Inc. (Washington County)
-- George Albert Bowersox t/a G&T Builders (Allegany County)
-- Margroff Construction, LLC (Garrett County)
The settlements prohibit the companies from acting as home builders in Maryland unless they first register with the Home Builder Registration Unit and they comply with additional State laws governing home builders. The builders also agreed to submit to arbitration to resolve consumer complaints that cannot be resolved through mediation.
Consumers can check whether their builder is registered by contacting the Division's Home Builder Registration Unit at (410) 576-6573 or toll-free at (877) 259-4525, or by visiting the Attorney General's website at http://www.oag.state.md.us/homebuilder/ .