Former justices of the peace Patrick and Margaret Meece have been ordered to pay upwards of $220,000 by a Brazos County jury who found the couple breached a contract with a home builder.

Margaret Meece's mother, Margaret Hiebeler, also was ordered to pay more than $100,000 for a house she was having built on the same tract of land -- owned by her daughter and son-in-law -- in Brazos County.

The trio originally were sued in 2003 by Oakwood Custom Homes, a company they hired to build the two homes. The company accused the Meeces of failing to pay for work completed.

The Meeces, who previously served as attorneys for the company and at different times held the same elected JP office, counter-sued the following year, complaining that Oakwood did shoddy work, which led to leaking water and the growth of mold. The pair said their health suffered as a result -- Patrick Meece blamed, among other things, his raspy voice on the mold --and were seeking roughly $20 million in damages.

The civil trial began late last month, roughly five years after the first lawsuit was filed. Twenty-five witnesses testified during the 10-day trial and jurors deliberated for about eight hours before returning their verdict late Friday.

"The big picture was that this is a breach of contract case," said Davis Watson, a Bryan-based attorney representing OCC Construction Corporation, also known as Oakwood.

"I just think there were so many things that the jury saw. They saw through all of the Meece's claims -- from the alleged mold damages to Patrick's raspy voice. They just saw he wasn't credible. There is a contract and they didn't honor the contract. That's what they really focused on when they deliberated. They promised to pay and they didn't pay. OCC did the work."

College Station lawyer Randy Michel, who represented the Meeces, said he and his clients didn't yet know if they would appeal. They have 30 days after the final judgment is signed to do so.

Oakwood Owner Alton Ofczarzak first hired Patrick Meece to serve as his attorney in 1996, according to the lawsuit. He began working with the company in 1999 to develop plans for a house, but the two didn't sign a contract until 2001.

The Meeces agreed to pay nearly $250,000 for a home that was to be built by Oakwood, according to court documents. A new contract was signed a few months later when Patrick Meece decided he wanted to expand the size of his home. The second contract was signed for about $293,000. Also in 2001, the company signed a contract with Hiebeler to build a house that would cost nearly $160,000.

According to the lawsuit, company officials repeatedly had trouble collecting money from the Meeces. At times their collection attempts were met by threats of lawsuits, the documents state. Ofczarzak did get some money, but Meece told him he spent a large portion of the money that he borrowed from the bank to pay for his failed bid for Congress in early 2002, the suit states.

Ofczarzak filed suit on behalf of his company in 2003. The Meeces countered the following year, claiming that Oakwood made repeated concrete, construction, plumbing and electrical mistakes that led to lengthy project delays. The work was defective and often not up to code, the pair said in their counter suit.

Watson said that though the Meeces claimed to find leaks in 2003, they didn't do anything about them until 2005 -- and then their first call was to an expert witness in Houston. He also pointed to a flooring witness who said he laid carpet in the home and then returned to find farm animals had been allowed inside and had defecated on the new carpet.

"The sad thing is that OCC had to go through so much to get to this point just to recover what it was rightfully owed," Watson said.

In all, the Meeces were ordered to pay $223,226 in back payments and lawyer fees for Oakwood's attorneys, while Hiebeler was ordered to pay $106,653 for the same thing. Watson said the final judgment likely would include interest on the money that was owed and various court fees.

Oakwood also was awarded another $80,000 worth of attorneys fees in the event that the Meeces opt to appeal the decision to the appellate court and Texas Supreme Court.

Michel said the crux of his argument centered around the fact that the case was about more than just breach of contract. The home builder did a poor job and his shoddy craftsmanship caused water to seep behind the walls and in the ceilings, which resulted in mold growth and medical problems for the Meece's, Michel said.

"The jury didn't see it as that kind of situation. In my opinion, they saw it as a simple breach of contract case for both sides," Michel said, adding that the jury awarded the company less than they requested. "They didn't find that Patrick and Margaret were evil people or deceitful people or criminals or anything like that."

• Holly Huffman's e-mail address is holly.huffman@theeagle.com.

Comments

(Requires free registration.)

---

16 comment(s) found!

Posted by: On: Friday, September 19, 2008 6:23 AM

Comment Title: SHAME ON YOU!!!!
Wow, Patrick, I thought you were better than that! Seems like you haven't changed. Where are your morals?
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Friday, May 09, 2008 10:03 AM

Comment Title: SAYING GOES.....
"WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND"
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Thursday, May 08, 2008 3:48 PM

Comment Title: HA!
They are both unscrupulous people. They prey on others and are now going to pay for that.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:19 PM

Comment Title: Scary...
These same folks used to set bond amounts on criminals using their good judgment and sense of fair play. One has run for congress and district attorney. What a tangled web.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 7:52 PM

Comment Title: His voice
I find this very funny...he has always had a raspy voice...Thank you to the jury, you saw through the games.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: Follower of the News On: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 1:09 PM

Comment Title: An observation
And, Rick Davis is his friend. Two peas in a pod.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: another Brazos County resident On: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 8:57 AM

Comment Title: Funny-
How many different events and people is Meece going to blame his "raspy voice" on? This is not the first time I've heard this.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 12:43 AM

Comment Title: sounds corrupt
And people wonder why we have problems with our government, lawyers thats why.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 9:44 PM

Comment Title: Smells Fishey!!
Do you suppose the Meece's are using the "system" to live above the law and expect to get away with it?
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 8:39 PM

Comment Title: How Sad
Says alot about the character (or lack thereof) of the Meeces. What a shame.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 7:45 PM

Comment Title: Pardon me?
"They didn't find that Patrick and Margaret were evil people or deceitful people or criminals or anything like that." And the point of your statement was, Mr. Michel ?
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 7:31 PM

Comment Title: Hmmmm
I thought Patrick has always had that raspy voice....it goes along with his raggedy appearance.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 1:32 PM

Comment Title: bnb
Serves the Meeces Right
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: Alan On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 12:32 PM

Comment Title: Grammar!
Ms. Huffman: "Meece's" is the singular possessive form of the name "Meece." It is not the plural form (next-to-last paragraph), nor is it the plural possessive form (seventh paragraph). I am harping on a pet peeve; even so, it detracts from the impact and readability of an otherwise well-written piece.
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: BRAZOS COUNTY RESIDENT On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 10:52 AM

Comment Title: PAY UP !!!!
THAT'S GOOD THEY WERE ORDERED TO PAY BACK,THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH IT,IT WAS A CONTRACT,PAY UP,MONEY HUNGRY PEOPLE !!!!!
Report Abuse

---

Posted by: susan On: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 8:35 AM

Comment Title: Oops
Looks like Patrick was hit by another run-away trailer.
Report Abuse

---