A Tulsa homeowner's nightmare

A Tulsa couple thought they were building their dream home and now they're in the middle of a financial nightmare. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims says Michelle and Jimmy Garrett thought they

Wednesday, April 27th 2005, 12:52 pm

By: News On 6

A Tulsa couple thought they were building their dream home and now they're in the middle of a financial nightmare.

News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims says Michelle and Jimmy Garrett thought they did every thing right. They say they checked references, hired a reputable builder, and made their payments. Now they say they stand to lose everything.

At first glance, it looks like a dream home, but Jimmy and Michelle Garret says itâ€™s been anything but. Michelle Garrett: "This has been a nightmare building our home this was our dream home it has been a nightmare." Just after the Garrettâ€™s closed on their new home, they found out it had a 16-thousand dollar lien against it. A subcontractor who did the stucco work for the house says he had not been paid. Michelle: "we do stand to lose our home under foreclosure proceedings.â€ Jimmy: "I felt like someone stole from me, like someone broke into my home and stole from me."

The Garrettâ€™s say they paid the builder, but they say the builder did not pay the subcontractor. Under Oklahoma law, if a subcontractor is not paid, they can hold the homeowners liable.

The builder, Global Experts, tells a different story. The builders say the couple owes them $12,000 and that's why the subcontractor wasn't paid. So far, the court has awarded a $43,000 judgment to the Garrettâ€™s, but Global Experts says that's because their lawyer was not there and they're going to ask for it to be dismissed.

Meanwhile, the subcontractors are trying to get paid and they're continuing ahead with foreclosure until they do. Jimmy: â€œthe fights not over we will continue to fight I mean this is our home."

This has turned into a financial and legal mess for everyone involved. One attorney says there are a couple of things you can do to avoid this kind of problem if you're building your dream home. First, make sure you know who you're subcontractors are, then get a written notice from each of them that says all bills are paid in full, before you close on your home.