COUNTING On star Joy-Anna Duggar’s husband, Austin Forsyth, is going to trial in May for his real estate fraud case, The Celeb Report can exclusively reveal.
Austin, who flips homes for a living, was sued in October 2019 for fraud and negligence after he was accused of not getting the proper permits for the septic system of a home he renovated and sold.
In court papers obtained by The Celeb Report, a jury trial has been set for May 25, 2021.
The trial is expected to last one day.
The parties have deadlines on when to submit expert witnesses and witnesses lists, discovery, which is evidence, and more prior to the trial date.
The two Plaintiffs suing Austin, 27, requested a trial by jury.
As The Celeb Report previously reported from court papers, shortly after moving into the $140,000 Arkansas home in June 2018, the buyers noticed “an unmistakable foul odor of human waste emanated from their yard.”
The buyers alleged the conditions were “constant and unbearable” and “unsanitary and downright disgusting.”
The buyers also alleged their dog “became ill” from drinking “water” in the yard.
The Plaintiffs learned the land was unsuitable for the septic system that was installed, they alleged.
With the current septic system “malfunctioning,” the correct one would be “extremely expensive.”
The court papers claimed Washington County requires that property sold with a septic system must receive a certificate or permit from the Washington County Health Department before the sale.
The documents alleged: “No such certificate or permit was obtained by [Austin], despite the fact that [Austin] guaranteed that all the work was done with proper permits.”
They claimed Austin “falsely stated that all the necessary permits were obtained for the work done on the home and that it was done according to code.”
They claimed a new septic tank will cost over $20,000.
In the Counting On star’s response to the lawsuit, he claimed he was “not required to obtain a permit” and denied their allegations against him regarding the “fraud and negligence.”
He requested the court dismiss the lawsuit.
Then in February 2020, the buyers of the home requested a partial summary judgment for fraud, which means to be given compensation for one of the claims.
Austin responded by asking the court to deny their request for him to pay up.
An Arkansas judge sided with Austin and denied the buyer’s request for a partial summary judgment on December 18.
But Austin isn’t completely off the hook, as he could be ordered to pay up at trial.
Joy-Anna’s husband buys, renovates and sells homes for a living, as he posts photos from his various flips on Instagram.
His construction career has also been featured on the family’s reality show, Counting On.
Austin and Joy-Anna, 23, are parents to Gideon, 2, and Evelyn, 6 months.
Austin isn’t the only family member who is involved in real estate, as The Celeb Report previously reported father-in-law Jim Bob Duggar has a $4.4 million empire with four homes, three commercial buildings and thirteen plots of land.
The TLC star works as a real estate agent in addition to appearing on reality TV.
Their son Justin, 18, also flips homes, as he listed a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home for $195,000 on January 18, 2021.
