A Tarrant County jury has ordered a Fort Worth home builder to pay $21.6 million to the Weatherford family of Ronny and Mandy McCoy. The case centered on plumbing vents that jurors found had been directed into the home’s attic, where sewer gas could circulate. The McCoys say the house has been uninhabitable for years and that they have lived in an RV parked in front of it.
Jury Finds Builder Knowingly Violated Trade Practices Law
Jurors found that NAE Enterprises violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by improperly directing plumbing vents into the attic, allowing sewer gas to circulate inside the home, according to texaslawbook.net. The jury assigned 77 percent of the responsibility to NAE Enterprises and 10 percent each to Dauenhauer & Associates and Ricky Dauenhauer, according to a statement distributed via prnewswire.com.
The jury also found knowing and intentional DTPA violations, breach of implied warranty, negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, and gross negligence, the same release states. The award includes $10 million in exemplary damages against NAE Enterprises. The McCoys filed suit in 2025 in Tarrant County District Court against Ricky Dauenhauer, Dauenhauer and Associates, NAE Contracting and Prestige Plumbing and Construction, alleging negligence, gross negligence and deceptive trade practices, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
An Odor Reported Before Move-In
Court filings cited by the Star-Telegram say the McCoys reported a sewage odor before closing on the home, which NAE Contracting built in 2018. A project manager attributed the smell to other factors at the time, according to those filings. The paper reports that Ricky Dauenhauer owned NAE Contracting with his wife, Chantal Dauenhauer, who is listed as the company’s sole owner.
The lawsuit petition alleges that plumbing workers routed all of the home’s plumbing vents into the attic, where hydrogen sulfide, methane and other sewer gases could accumulate and spread through the house. It also alleges that an inadequately sealed foundation allowed moisture in and led to mold. The McCoys reported migraines, respiratory and skin problems, dizziness and other health concerns, according to the station’s report and the texaslawbook.net account.
What OSHA Says About Hydrogen Sulfide
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure depend on how much a person breathes and for how long. That general guidance does not establish what levels, if any, were present in the McCoys’ home, according to OSHA.
A Dispute Over Unfinished Vent Work
Michael Lansford, who owns Prestige Plumbing and Construction, told the Star-Telegram his company installed the home's plumbing system but that NAE Contracting asked him to delay extending the plumbing vents through the roof because of rain. Lansford said the builder never contacted him again to finish the vent work, and workers later covered the unfinished attic vents with foam insulation. He said a state investigation found no wrongdoing by him or his workers, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and maintained he was not liable for any part of the $21.6 million judgment.
Lansford also recalled inspecting the home's water heater in the attic after the McCoys called him about a bathtub leak following construction, saying he detected no foul odor at the time. It was another plumber who later discovered the vents were emitting gases into the attic, according to court filings. A 2025 inspection separately documented structural and foundation defects in the home, as reported by Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Family Says the Home Needs to Be Rebuilt
Sabine Wakim, the McCoys’ attorney at Just Well Law, told the Star-Telegram that the home will need to be razed and rebuilt. The family has lived in an RV parked in front of the property since the house became unlivable, she told the paper.
The Star-Telegram reported that NAE Contracting and Ricky Dauenhauer did not immediately respond to its requests for comment.
