Regency Homebuilders Exposed

In response to a January 2022 Demand letter from our attorney to Regency, to comply with the warranty provisions in the contract and correct a number of Warranty issues- Regency sued ME in April 2022 for talking truthfully about the lemon of a house they built us.

Instead of fixing the issues they created- the sued me to try and scare me into silence.

Under the Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA), enacted in 2019, citizens like me are protected from exactly this kind of retaliation. The TPPA ensures that Tennesseans have swift, fair, and inexpensive access to justice when sued for exercising their constitutional right to free speech on matters of public concern. It exists to dismiss meritless lawsuits early, prevent abuse of the court system, and protect individuals who speak out about wrongdoing or deception. 

Unfortunately, Regency has found a way to sidestep the very protections the Tennessee Legislature intended to give homeowners. By forcing mandatory, binding arbitration into their sales contracts, Regency now argues that the Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA), which guarantees swift and inexpensive dismissal of retaliatory lawsuits, does not apply in arbitration.

This loophole allows powerful, wealthy companies like Regency to silence consumers without ever stepping foot in a courtroom. It undermines the TPPA’s core purpose: to protect Tennesseans from abusive legal tactics designed to punish people for speaking out. What should have been a fast, fair process to dismiss a meritless claim has instead become an expensive, drawn-out battle, all because a builder used arbitration as a shield against accountability and free speech.