Altieri Homes faces charges from state
Builder accused of accepting payments for homes not built
By Derek Simmonsen
dsimmonsen@patuxent.com
Posted 6/05/09
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office filed charges Friday against Columbia-based home builder Altieri Homes, accusing the company of taking money from customers and then not building or finishing houses.
The state claims Altieri accepted payments from customers in Howard and Harford counties and then failed to build homes, pay subcontractors or refund payments when asked by customers.
“The law in Maryland requires new home builders to honor their commitments to home buyers and properly use their deposits and payments,” Attorney General Douglas Gansler said in a statement. “My office will seek severe sanctions against builders who operate without being registered or fail to properly handle consumer deposits.”
The state Home Builder Registration Unit filed the charges against the company and its related entities under various state home building and consumer protection laws. The attorney general’s office is seeking restitution, damages and civil penalties against the company.
The charges are similar to ones filed in March by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Pennsylvania authorities filed a civil lawsuit against Altieri, claiming they failed to complete construction on homes, did work in a shoddy manner, did not honor warranties and failed to pay sub-contractors.
That case is still pending, court records show.
The Web site for the builder is a white page with the words: “Sorry, Altieri Homes is having difficulties.” Numbers for the company’s offices and listed numbers for its owners have been disconnected.
A message sent to an e-mail address listed on the Web site did not receive an immediate response. A lawyer representing the company on the Pennsylvania charges did not immediately return a call for comment.
Since January 2008, Altieri has been sued more than two dozen times in Maryland and accumulated liens and judgments of more than $5 million. The largest is roughly $3.8 million owed to Wachovia Bank, court records show.
Altieri’s business charter was revoked in October after the company failed to file a property tax return for the previous year, and the attorney who acted as the company’s registered agent officially resigned in December, according to state documents.
The company was most recently behind the Hebron Manor senior housing development in Ellicott City, but another builder purchased the development and is moving forward under a different name.
The company, started in 1991 and operating in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania, failed to inform the state’s Home Builder Registration Unit of the lawsuits against it and had its registration suspended as part of the investigation, according to the attorney general’s office.
Anyone who has had a problem with homes built by Altieri Homes, Athlone, Altieri Homes at Castle in the Woods, R & L Livezey, Milltown or other builders can contact the Home Builder Registration Unit at 410-576-6573 or toll free at 877-259-4525. They can also e-mail complaints to homebuilder@oag.state.md.us.
The state claims Altieri accepted payments from customers in Howard and Harford counties and then failed to build homes, pay subcontractors or refund payments when asked by customers.
“The law in Maryland requires new home builders to honor their commitments to home buyers and properly use their deposits and payments,” Attorney General Douglas Gansler said in a statement. “My office will seek severe sanctions against builders who operate without being registered or fail to properly handle consumer deposits.”
The state Home Builder Registration Unit filed the charges against the company and its related entities under various state home building and consumer protection laws. The attorney general’s office is seeking restitution, damages and civil penalties against the company.
The charges are similar to ones filed in March by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Pennsylvania authorities filed a civil lawsuit against Altieri, claiming they failed to complete construction on homes, did work in a shoddy manner, did not honor warranties and failed to pay sub-contractors.
That case is still pending, court records show.
The Web site for the builder is a white page with the words: “Sorry, Altieri Homes is having difficulties.” Numbers for the company’s offices and listed numbers for its owners have been disconnected.
A message sent to an e-mail address listed on the Web site did not receive an immediate response. A lawyer representing the company on the Pennsylvania charges did not immediately return a call for comment.
Since January 2008, Altieri has been sued more than two dozen times in Maryland and accumulated liens and judgments of more than $5 million. The largest is roughly $3.8 million owed to Wachovia Bank, court records show.
Altieri’s business charter was revoked in October after the company failed to file a property tax return for the previous year, and the attorney who acted as the company’s registered agent officially resigned in December, according to state documents.
The company was most recently behind the Hebron Manor senior housing development in Ellicott City, but another builder purchased the development and is moving forward under a different name.
The company, started in 1991 and operating in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania, failed to inform the state’s Home Builder Registration Unit of the lawsuits against it and had its registration suspended as part of the investigation, according to the attorney general’s office.
Anyone who has had a problem with homes built by Altieri Homes, Athlone, Altieri Homes at Castle in the Woods, R & L Livezey, Milltown or other builders can contact the Home Builder Registration Unit at 410-576-6573 or toll free at 877-259-4525. They can also e-mail complaints to homebuilder@oag.state.md.us.
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