CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION CHARGES ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY BUILDER

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that his Consumer Protection Division has issued a cease and desist order against an unregistered home builder who it alleges took money from a customer to build a custom home in violation of Maryland law and never began construction. The Division’s ex parte cease and desist order immediately bars Seisman and Leedom, Inc. from acting or offering to act as a home builder in the State of Maryland and requires them to refund the consumer’s deposit.

According to the administrative Statement of Charges filed by the Division, John Seisman and Leedom, Inc. t/a MODULARHOMEXPRESS.COM of Annapolis, Maryland, agreed to construct a modular home in Beltsville, Maryland. Seisman accepted $13,723 in partial payment from the consumer for the $137,230 house and promised to begin construction. To date, Seisman and Leedom, Inc. have not begun construction of the home.

“Under Maryland law, home builders must be registered before they can enter into contracts to build homes for consumers, and they must protect a customer’s deposit until the house is completed or they refund the deposit,” said Attorney General Curran.

The Division alleges that Seisman and Leedom, Inc. violated the Maryland Custom Home Protection Act by failing to place the $13,723 into an escrow account or having a surety bond to cover the deposit. The Division further alleges that Seisman and Leedom, Inc. violated the Home Builder Registration Act by acting as a home builder without being registered with the Home Builder Registration Unit of the Consumer Protection Division, and that they violated the Consumer Protection Act by failing to build the house as promised. Seisman’s previous application to register Anchor Development Corporation as a home builder in the State of Maryland was denied by the Division.

The Division is seeking civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation against Seisman and Leedom, Inc. and an order requiring them to pay restitution to any other consumers who have been harmed by unlawful practices. Seisman and Leedom may also request a hearing on the Division’s ex parte order.

A public hearing on the charges will be held at the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings, 11101 Gilroy Road, Hunt Valley, Md on May 18, 2004. Consumers who may have had problems with John Seisman and Leedom, Inc. are encouraged to call the Home Builder Registration Unit immediately at (410) 576-6573 or toll-free 1-877-259-4525.

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