Maryland attorney general sues Rockville home builder
The Consumer Protection Division of the office of Maryland’s attorney general has filed charges against Rockville homebuilder Mitchell & Best Homebuilders for allegedly entering into contracts with homebuyers that included provisions to improperly waive warranties as well as the customers’ rights to damages, and also for failing to register with the office’s Home Builder Registration Unit. The office announced the charges last week and said the homebuilder delivered defective homes that allowed water infiltration, which it failed to fix.
Attorney General Brian Frosh said in a statement the alleged improprieties violated The Home Builder Registration Act, the Maryland Express and Implied Warranties Act and the Consumer Protection Act. “The law in Maryland is clear: Home builders must be registered prior to entering into contracts with consumers and constructing their homes,” Frosh said.
The attorney general’s office is seeking restitution, damages and civil penalties against the homebuilder in the lawsuit.
Fenton Street Market to return with pop-up events this year
The former location of Fenton Street Market at Silver Spring's Veteran Plaza. Photo via Fenton Street Market's website.
Fenton Street Market, which left Silver Spring’s Veterans Plaza after five years at the location, will return this year under new ownership as a pop-up market. The market has been taken over by East Silver Spring residents Caroline Joyce, Mike Mowery, Elizabeth Baer and Daniel Eichner. The owners say they plan to continue to promote local artists and longtime vendors as well as test new concepts at different sites throughout the year. The first pop-up market will be from 1 to 5 p.m. May 15 at the international festival Taste the World in Fenton Village in downtown Silver Spring. For that event, 20 vendors will be selling items such as photography, art, jewelry, children’s books, vintage clothing and soaps. Other market locations will be announced later this year, according to a press release from the new owners.
Marriott spent $10 million closing Starwood deal
Sealing a deal to become the world’s largest hotel operator wasn’t cheap for Bethesda-based Marriott International. The company spent $10 million in the first quarter of 2016 to finalize the $12.6 billion deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings cited by the Washington Business Journal. The deal required back-and-forth negotiating on Marriott’s part after the Chinese firm Anbang Insurance Group countered Marriott’s offers for Starwood multiple times. Eventually Marriott was able to prevail, and Starwood and Marriott’s shareholders formally approved the deal April 8. Marriott has said the merger with Starwood, which operates big-name hotel companies such as Westin and Sheraton, is expected to save the combined company about $250 million annually.
