Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon has taken a construction firm to court over what she calls ‘extensive problems’ at a $2 million home she built in Vermont.
Sarandon, 76, claims there are 47 issues, including buckled siding, missing insulation, and an unfinished primary bedroom ceiling, at the home, caused by DeGrenier Contracting and Property Management’s negligence, the lawsuit claims.
She hired Chad DeGrenier, his wife Carin, and their construction company to build the environmentally sustainable, idyllic home on 45 acres of land.
After it was built, Chad was hired as a caretaker and given nearly $140,000 for his work. But according to the lawsuit, he did very little to deserve the money.
The legal document claimed: ‘Despite receiving nearly $140,000 pursuant to the Caretaker Agreement, Mr. DeGrenier has performed essentially no work pursuant to that agreement.
Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon has taken a construction firm to court over what she calls ‘extensive problems’ at a $2 million home she built in Vermont. Sarandon, 76, built the home in Stamford, Vermont, located near the Massachusetts border. She bought it in 2018 through the limited liability company The Right to Bear Farms, which filed the lawsuit
She hired Chad DeGrenier (right) his wife Carin (left) and their construction company to build the environmentally sustainable, idyllic home on 45 acres of land. They are now the defendants in the lawsuit
‘DeGrenier used roughly $91,000 of the money received pursuant to the Caretaker Agreement to purchase a snowblower and register it in his name.’
Sarandon, 76, built the home in Stamford, Vermont, located near the Massachusetts border. She bought it in 2018 through the limited liability company The Right to Bear Farms, which filed the lawsuit.
She had a ‘clear vision’ for a home that would be ‘entirely off-the-grid,’ with solar power, well water and geothermal energy, ‘in light of increasing global environmental instability.’
She wanted her family could grow their own food and enjoy holidays there – and even publicly said how much she was ‘looking forward’ to moving in.
Sarandon’s budget for construction of the Stamford Residence was $2million.
To finance that construction, Sarandon had to sell her New York City apartment, where she had lived for roughly twenty-five years and had raised her three children, the lawsuit stated.
She signed a contract with DeGrenier Contracting and Property Management LLC on October 16, 2018 – but they only became a limited liability company on December 4, weeks later.
As well as creating a slew of structural issues in the home, the lawsuit alleges: ‘Mr. and Mrs. DeGrenier were inconsistent in their invoicing, accounting, and record-keeping practices.’
The documents claim that DeGrenier once took paint and cypress wood paneling from the Stamford Residence for use at his and his mother’s house.
The plot of land and home where Sarandon, 76, claims there are 47 issues, including buckled siding, missing insulation, and an unfinished primary bedroom ceiling, at the home, allegedly caused by DeGrenier Contracting and Property Management’s negligence
After constructing the $2million home, DeGrenier took it upon himself to recommended he continue to work at the property as its caretaker.
Sarandon declined the Caretaker Agreement. But her team signed it anyway, acc.
DeGrenier was eventually paid $125,000 as an initial down payment for work, as well as $7,142.85 per month for two months of caretaking work at the property.
The caretaker also ‘frequently charged Ms. Sarandon $100 per visit, without explaining what work—if any—he performed during those visits,’ the lawsuit claims.
It wasn’t until Thanksgiving 2022, when the actor was spending time at the property with her family, that a array of structural issues became apparent.
In total there were 14 exterior problems, six in the primary bedroom, four in the great room, seven with the roof and installation, four in the tower, and 12 other miscellaneous issues with the home, an engineer consultant concluded.
As well as the physical problems, the lawsuit claims there were inconsistencies with money. In one instance in November 2022, Sarandon claims she sent sent Mr and Mrs DeGrenier an advance of $150,000 for the purpose of pond excavation.
The DeGreniers paid out $75,000 to Norm D. Excavating, leaving $75,000 remaining.
Sarandon’s budget for construction of the Stamford Residence was $2million. It wasn’t until Thanksgiving 2022, when the actor was spending time at the property with her family, that a array of structural issues became apparent
The lawsuit claims: ‘However, according to Norm D. Excavating, despite its requests to be paid for additional pond excavation work, Mr. and Mrs. DeGrenier claim that there are insufficient funds.
‘Moreover, in their invoices to Ms. Sarandon and her staff, it appears that Mr. and Mrs. DeGrenier have labelled the advance as being for just $100,000.’
She is suing after DeGrenier allegedly misrepresented his qualifications, inflated invoices, charged for construction he never did, and did essentially nothing to justify being paid nearly $140,000 to act as the property’s caretaker under an agreement struck after the house was built.
The firm’s owner declined to comment.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages based on claims of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and fraudulent misrepresentation.
Sarandon, who has a net worth estimated at around $60 million, won the best actress Oscar for the 1995 movie ‘Dead Man Walking.’ She stars as the main villain in the superhero film ‘Blue Beetle,’ which hit theaters on Friday.