Texarkana Mobile Home Seller Sued Over Defective House
A De Queen couple alleges in a Sevier County lawsuit that defects in a mobile home purchased from a Texarkana retailer allowed water and mold to make the residence uninhabitable.
De QUEEN, Ark. – A De Queen, Ark., couple claims a mobile home they bought from a Texarkana retailer in 2022 was manufactured with defects that allowed water to seep in through improperly installed windows and roofing leaving them with a mold-infested residence that is inhabitable, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Sevier County.
Hobbs Manufactured Homes LLC, a Texarkana retailer, and Jessup Manufactured Housing LLC, a Waco, Texas, mobile home manufacturer, allegedly were aware the home was defective as early as 2023 but withheld that information from Logan and Gabrielle Blevins, according to the lawsuit, which accuses the companies of fraud.
The Blevinses moved out of the home in March because they believed mold growing in the home was making their two young children sick, the lawsuit said. Medical records for the couple’s youngest child are discussed in the lawsuit.
The couple claim the home began showing problems within a month of their move-in in July 2022. In August 2022, a water heater valve was leaking because of “a faulty factory part” and had to be replaced.
In February 2023, the couple contacted Hobbs because they discovered water damage in the primary bedroom and damage below a window in the primary bedroom Water was also leaking into the home around the front door, the lawsuit states.
After a contractor from Hobbs came to the home to make repairs in March 2023, the couple continued to observe “continuing water damage along the baseboard” in the primary bedroom and documented it with photographs, the lawsuit states. The water damage was so bad that work began in March and completed in April of 2023 included replacement of all damaged wallboards throughout the home and battens in the primary and guest bedrooms.
Also in the spring of 2023, the couple reported a leaking kitchen sink while leaks from the home’s windows remained an ongoing problem, the lawsuit states. In May of 2023, a Hobbs serviceman wrote in company notes the Blevins were not aware of until April this year: “window tape from factory behind siding installed wrong. Not on top edge of window and could possibly be where rain is entering.”
The Blevins say this documentation proves that Hobbs and Jessup knew the home left the Jessup factory in defective condition, which allowed water to penetrate the wall cavities of the home from the day it was delivered.
It was in July 2023, when visible mold began to appear in the home, the couple alleges. That month a worker with Hobbs documented mold spots on the ceiling in a bathroom with the cause being, “vents on roof not properly sealed” and “nail heads exposed in multiple areas.”
The couple says that rather than initiate mold remediation or opening up the ceiling cavity to inspect for hidden mold, Hobbs’ service staff simply scraped off the mold they could see and then covered it with Kilz paint to hide the stain.
In late 2024, water leaking from the front door reportedly damaged a hallway, flooring and walls. A year later, the couple videotaped the water “pouring in” at the front door when it rained.
In May 2025, the family began to notice a persistent smell of mildew and noticed mold again growing in the bathrooms and spreading through the wall into a closet.
In 2025, Hobbs allegedly told the family their one-year warranty had expired and they were no longer obliged to do anything about the water issues, the lawsuit states.
While the family lived in the home, water was allegedly continuously getting in through the defective windows, roof, shingles and fascia and front door, soaking the wall cavities, insulation and structure of the home. The Blevins said in their lawsuit that the house was “progressively rotting,” and that the unhealthy air they were breathing was sickening the children.
A doctor advised the couple to move out.
Early this year, the couple moved a dresser in their bedroom and discovered the wall behind was rotting, the lawsuit said. Having been told by Hobbs they were out of luck, they contacted their home insurance company.
Their insurance company denied coverage on the basis that the damage was caused by construction defects.
The couple again contacted Hobbs in January, after their insurer denied coverage. Hobbs allegedly sent copies of four work orders to Jessup, but did not send Jessup the April 2023 documents that clearly stated the home had been assembled improperly.
In March 2026, Jessup allegedly refused in writing to make any repairs to the home. They blamed the couple, saying they had left a window open and had failed to properly maintain it.
The Blevins are no longer living in the home, but they’re still making monthly mortgage payments, according to the complaint.
In April this year, Gabrielle Blevins requested copies of all work orders from Hobbs. That was the first time the couple learned of improperly installed windows and shingles, the lawsuit said.
In late April, the couple hired a licensed mold inspector to take a look at their home. He documented actual mold growth in the home and recommended a mold remediation specialist be engaged.
“The Home remains uninhabitable,” the complaint states. “The reasonable cost to remediate the mold, repair the water damage, and correct the defective windows, roof, siding, doors, and related systems is substantial and, on information and belief, may approach or exceed the value of the home.”
The couple have accused Hobbs and Jessup of knowing the home was in bad shape because of manufacturing defects and concealed that information from them.
“Their concealment was a positive act of fraud, furtively planned and secretly executed, that kept plaintiffs ignorant of their causes of action and of the true cause and extent of the damage to their home,” the complaint states.
The Blevins’ complaint accuses both companies of violating Arkansas law and breaching their warranties by failing to completely fix the residence in the first year when they knew of the defective manner in which the roof, windows and front door had been installed.
The Blevins state in their lawsuit that they have revoked acceptance of the home based on the knowledge of factory defects they say they learned about in April this year. They want a full refund of the down payment they made as well as the money they have been paying with interest on the loan to their bank for mortgage payments.
The Blevins allege Hobbs and Jessup have violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and are guilty of fraud and fraudulent concealment and negligence.
The couple is seeking to recoup all money that they have put in the home and have listed the bank holding their mortgage as a defendant in the suit. They want Hobbs and Jessup to pay compensatory damages for the damaged home, personal injury damages related to a child’s medical issues, attorney fees and punitive damages.
The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Tom Cooper.
The Blevins family is represented by Thomas P. Thrash and William T. Crowder of the Thrash Law Firm PA.
Hobbs and Jessup have not filed a response to the lawsuit. An attorney for the bank, Jeremy K. Ward of Franden Farris Quillin Goodnight Roberts + Ward.