Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that his office filed a lawsuit in Hidalgo County against a Mission, Texas-based construction company, and that a court has granted a restraining order stopping the company and its administrators from allegedly targeting Hispanics in a home building scam.
According to the lawsuit, Briseno Construction claimed in ads targeted to Spanish-speaking consumers that it could complete a new home in five months with “no financing” and “no interest.” An investigation by Attorney General Paxton’s Consumer Protection Division, however, found that prospective home buyers were required to make deposits of up to 60 percent in order to start construction of their homes, but the company would often delay starting or neglect to complete. In addition, a number of consumers complained about facing local fines because their homes were built without proper permits.
Briseno Construction and its owners, Alejandra Melendez and Adelina Briseno, are charged in the lawsuit with repeat violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practice Act (DTPA). The attorney general’s office is seeking a permanent injunction against the defendants, restitution for affected home buyers, and civil penalties of up to $20,000 for each of the defendants’ violations of the DTPA.
Consumers who believe they have been deceived in the purchase of real estate should contact the Office of the Attorney General at (800) 252-8011 or file a complaint online at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.