The Voice of Colorado’s Homeowners

Sullan², Sandgrund, Smith & Perczak, P.C.

Denver Construction Defect Lawyers

Sullan² Sandgrund, Smith & Perczak, P.C. (formerly known as Vanatta, Sullan, Sandgrund, Sullan and Smith, P.C.) has handled many of Colorado’s highest-profile construction defect lawsuits since 1990.  Its aggressive, but respectful, approach to resolving construction defect disputes has been praised.  While we are proud of the results described in these newspaper and magazine articles, no particular result can be guaranteed in any future case. (Please read the entire article from which a particular headline or quote appears so as to better understand its context.)

From the Media:

Denver newspaper editorial page: “I also found Sullan to be one of those truly ethical and fair-minded attorneys who bring honor to an often maligned profession."

Profiles from Denver newpapers: 

"Enemy" Role: Homeowners Love Lawyer Who Takes Builders to Court in Shifting Soils Cases.

Scott Sullan is a “nationally-prominent litigator who is the scourge of the homebuilding industry."

The Legal Bane of Homebuilders: Lawyer Scott Sullan.

Soil-Expansion Battle Shapes Attorney’s Career.

The Builders’ Lawyers’ Perspective:

Homebuilder Loses $475,000 in Lawsuit: “Ben Thompson, the Boulder defense attorney who represented the homebuilder . . . maintains his client was outgunned by the expert witnesses hired by the plaintiffs’ attorney team from the Denver law firm Vanatta, Sullan, Sandgrund & Sullan. ‘They are a very big firm and they are very good at what they do,’ Thompson said.”

“Some builders settled quickly after watching Sullan at work in 1996.” “During the trial, officials with Richmond Homes told Sullan they wanted to settle a separate class-action case he had filed on behalf of 12,300 Richmond homeowners. He tried Mission Viejo by day and negotiated with Richmond by night. In June 1996, Richmond agreed to pay Sullan’s firm $1.9 million and to spend tens of millions more to remedy problems.”

Soil and Slope Instability and Landslides:

Landslide Lawsuit: Owners of Home Sliding Into River Sue Developer, Builder and Engineers

Walls Come Tumbling Down

Falling Apart at the Seams: A Legal Battle Rages In Cedar Heights Over the Effects of Unstable Soils

Owners of Sliding Homes Sue: “Sullan specializes in cases involving damage to homes caused by geologic hazards. He won a settlement against Richmond Homes over damage from swelling soils two years ago. The victory required the state’s largest home builder to fix 12,300 homes."

Homeowner Associations:

Builder Okays $39 Million End to Suit: “largest settlement of construction defects lawsuit in Colorado history.”

Lawsuit Over Defects in Condos Resolved: “D.R. Horton, the Texas-based home-building titan, has paid a record $39.5 million settlement to resolve a defective-construction lawsuit brought by condo owners . . . .”

“Terraces Homeowner Association in Glenwood Springs settled a lawsuit against developer Jay Harkins, construction companies and engineers for $12 million out of court Tuesday.”

Developers on Trial Over Sinking Condos

“The attorneys, and the homeowners, in these cases said the developers built their homes extremely poorly, citing a litany of problems, including faulty roofs, decks, drainage and foundations."

Jury Verdict Report: $1.7 million verdict with resulting $2,809,623 judgment for homeowner's association

Individual Homeowners:

Soil Suit Sinks Builder: Jury Rules for 957 Disgruntled Homeowners, Finds Highlands Ranch Developer Negligent

Richmond to Repair 12,300 Homes

Jury Verdict Report: $6,178,613 verdict for four homes

Jury Verdict Report: $4,214,847 verdict for three homes

Jury Verdict Report: $1,000,000+ arbitration award for two homes

Jury Verdict Report: $475,000 verdict for one home

Material and Product Failures:

Leaks Prompt Civil Suit Against Windows Company

$32.5 Million to Settle Suit Over Windows

Artificial Stucco (EIFS) Failure: “Dream Home Nightmare -- When it Rains it Pours: Couple Grapples With Leaky Nightmare."

Taking on the Building Industry:

Richmond to Repair 12,300 Homes

Writer Homes, D.R. Horton, Falcon Homes, Richmond Homes, Ryland Homes, Collonade Homes, Village Homes, Merit Homes, Centex Homes

On Trial: In the Frenetic Rush to Meet Production Demands, Builders May be Sowing the Seeds of Their Own Destruction

Ground-Breaking Lawsuits:

Homeowners vs. Builder: Highlands Ranch Case Widely Viewed as Landmark

Fighting for Homeowner Rights in the Legislature:

“Scott Sullan, an attorney, helped create Amendment 34. He has won construction defect awards from homebuilders on behalf of more than 15,000 Coloradoans, and, in the mid-1990s, motivated Richmond homes to offer dozens of new warranties in Superior’s Rock Creek neighborhood over expansive soils."

“Scott Sullan, an attorney for homeowners, said that means all property owners’ rights have been limited, including farmers, ranchers and owners of shopping malls, apartment complexes and water ditches, . . . This is a frontal assault on their property rights."

“ 'There’s this misperception that they can all sit down and work this out,’ Sullan said, ‘But the builders just thumb their noses at the homeowners.'"

“ ‘By law, punitive damages may not be awarded in an arbitration, so builders are placing pro-arbitration clauses in the contracts with homeowners,’ said Ron Sandgrund, a lawyer with Vanatta, Sullan, Sandgrund and Sullan. . . . ‘By placing the cap on treble damages, they have completely destroyed the deterring effect of our consumer protection laws.'"

Here Comes #44: Owners’ Rights Initiative Seeks to Turn Back Building Defects Law

Failing Roadways and Infrastructure:

Falling Apart at the Seams: A Legal Battle Rages In Cedar Heights Over the Effects of Unstable Soils

Thanks From a Homeowners Association - "Attorney Scott Sullan was given a round of applause" for the law firm's "dedication and loyalty" (see "September Community Meeting" and "Editorial" articles) [PDF]