Mold Costs One Builder $3 Million

A moldy house has been a headache for a central Ohio family and a $3 million liability for the home builder.

A Franklin County judge awarded Roman and Jennifer Costner $3 million for their three-year-saga. Another judge said construction firm Maronda Homes must pay the family’s almost $700,000 legal bill. Maronda Homes says the ruling is unfair and that the homeowners stopped them from fixing the house. The builder says they will consider an appeal.

The Costners say they bought their Reynoldsburg subdivision house for $219,000 but were forced out after toxic mold took over. Court documents show the south side of the house wasn’t attached to the foundation, the wrong windows led to leaks and waterproofing wasn’t done properly.