‘Your forever home and this happens’: Another family sues builder Action 9′s been investigating

CLOVER, S.C. — Kevin and Shawna Lewis say they hired Constructing Up to build their forever house in Clover.

They say the company was supposed to finish the house last September, but that it never even broke ground.

The couple told Action 9 they’re out more than $88,000. Now, they’re suing.

“The dream of your forever home and this happens. And then I felt like there was no recourse,” Kevin Lewis said. “Oh man, you learn the hard way.”

Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke recently reported on three other families who sued Constructing Up as well. Two won their lawsuits.

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• ‘My stomach just dropped’: Family claims builder promised them home on land it doesn’t own
• Action 9: Another family files lawsuit against builder
• ‘It’s terrible’: Another family sues builder Action 9 has been investigating

The Lewises and others have asked how Constructing Up can still have valid licenses in both Carolinas, so Stoogenke talked to the licensing boards in both states.

The North Carolina licensing board said it investigated the company and has decided to move forward with a hearing. No date is set yet, so at least for now, the license remains active.

South Carolina’s board said that legally it’s not allowed to say whether it’s investigating a certain builder.

Stoogenke reached out to Constructing Up’s owner, Christian Novellino, and his last known lawyer to see if they have anything to say about the Lewises’ case. He did not hear back in time for this report.

That said, Stoogenke still wanted to get their side of the story, so he read their court filings. They denied most allegations which is common in cases like this.

Remember, both states’ licensing boards investigate based on complaints, so if you have one, report it.

Click here to report a complaint in North Carolina.

To report a complaint in South Carolina, click here.

Also, for North Carolina homebuyers specifically, Action 9′s mentioned before that if all else fails, the state’s Homeowners Recovery Fund may be able to get a lot of your money back for you.

North Carolina Homeowners Recovery Fund:

- The project must involve your home, not a commercial building.

- It can be your primary residence or a second home, as long as you don’t rent that home out.

- The project must be attached to your home, so not a pool or detached garage, for example.

- The contractor has to be a licensed one or one pretending to be licensed.

- You have to exhaust all your other legal remedies first — that means you have to sue the contractor and win a judgment, and the contractor still doesn’t pay.

- Where does the fund get its money? $9 of every permit pulled in the state goes into the fund.

- The maximum you can get is 10% of the total. However, the board has to maintain $250,000 in the fund at all times.

- The board has hearings twice each year.

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