{"id":2060,"date":"2026-06-09T10:04:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T10:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2060"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:04:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T10:04:03","slug":"law-firm-drops-log-cabin-seller-after-observer-investigation-citing-millions-owed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2060","title":{"rendered":"Law firm drops log cabin seller after Observer investigation, citing \u2018millions\u2019 owed"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Charlotte law firm tasked with handling the \u201cwinding down\u201d of a North Carolina business that shut down in January and left customers out of tens of thousands each is no longer representing the company.<\/p>\n

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American Log Homes and Cabins, a Charlotte-area company that was the subject of a May investigation by The Charlotte Observer<\/a>, abruptly shuttered after accepting tens of thousands of dollars each from would-be homeowners nationwide for log cabin kits that were never delivered. The business\u2019s owner, Michele Wilson Szabo, hired law firm Grier, Wright and Martinez to liaise with American Log Homes\u2019 former customers.<\/p>\n

But the firm ended its involvement with the company after being inundated with claims the firm could not fulfill since American Log Homes claims to have few assets, an attorney for Grier, Wright and Martinez told the company\u2019s former customers in a June 5 letter.<\/p>\n

The law firm in January told customers that they could send in claim forms if they were owed money by American Log Homes. But the firm expected nearly $2 million in claims, and the business had just $49,000 in assets. Former customers would get pennies on the dollar, if anything, they were told.<\/p>\n

Now, they won\u2019t even get that \u2014 at least not through a claims process via Grier, Wright and Martinez.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, we have been overwhelmed by the number\u2026and magnitude of claims which total in the millions of dollars, with the time and expense of reviewing claims against bank records, and [with] responding to claimholders and other customers with questions about the company and the wind down process,\u201d the June 5 letter sent by attorney Anna S. Gorman to former customers reads. \u201cWe have concluded that, considering the number and total dollar amount of claims, and the ongoing costs of administering the claims process, it is not practical to make any distribution with the balance of funds on hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The law firm is withdrawing as counsel for American Log Homes and advising former customers to reach out to their own attorneys, the letter concluded.<\/p>\n

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Gorman declined to respond to questions from the Observer Monday.<\/p>\n

Many former customers of the North Carolina company, which peddled discounted \u201cbalance owed\u201d log cabin kits online and in classified ads across the country, have said they cannot afford legal representation. Especially after losing tens of thousands for what they hoped would become their future homes. Szabo, the business\u2019 owner, took payments from customers through late December, bank records reviewed by the Observer show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest thing for us to understand is how something like this can happen to so many people and yet nobody seems to be held accountable,\u201d Long Island, New York, resident Tara Swicicki said. She paid more than $21,000 for a kit five weeks before American Log Homes and Cabins filed dissolution papers with the state.<\/p>\n

American Log Homes and Cabins charged customers between $14,500 and more than $25,000 up front for the log home shells. Many said they were sure the company was legitimate thanks to a slew of positive online reviews and Better Business Bureau accreditation.<\/p>\n

Szabo\u2019s attorney, Noell Tin of Charlotte, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. Szabo planned to continue the business \u201cuntil the very end,\u201d Tin previously told the Observer in a statement.<\/p>\n

The North Carolina Attorney General\u2019s Consumer Protection Division opened an investigation into the business in March after receiving dozens of complaints. A representative of the AG\u2019s office confirmed Monday that the investigation remains ongoing.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM<\/span> with the headline “Law firm drops log cabin seller after Observer investigation, citing \u2018millions\u2019 owed.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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A Charlotte law firm cut ties with American Log Homes and Cabins, leaving former customers with little recourse as millions in claims exceed the company's assets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nLaw firm drops log cabin seller after Observer investigation, citing \u2018millions\u2019 owed - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2060\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Law firm drops log cabin seller after Observer investigation, citing \u2018millions\u2019 owed - 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