HIGHLANDVILLE, Mo. — The family behind a multi-million dollar 72,000 square foot mansion is suing the company hired to make the home indestructible.
An attorney representing the owner of the Pensmore Mansion said these two construction crews tarnished the idea behind the mansion. Now, he wants it redone the right way.
What was suppose to be built as an indestructible mansion, it may not be that at all. That is why the owner wants it knocked down and rebuilt.
Steven Huff designed the manor and claims building crews cut him short of the key ingredient to making the home disaster proof. Huff explained the idea behind it to KOLR10 in 2014.
“Why not have your homes, nursing homes and so on tornado resistant to starting with?” said Huff.
In a complaint filed last year, a whistleblower and employee claim the crews left out more than 70,000 pounds of Helix. Its a steel fiber material combined with a concrete compound used in the walls and floors to make the mansion sturdy enough to withstand an EF5 tornado.
The lead attorney said the home was to serve as a model for other buildings since it was supposed to be created to withstand tornados, earthquakes and bomb blasts.
“Bugs won’t eat it, the fire won’t burn it, the wind won’t knock down. What is not to love about reinforced concrete?” Huff explained to KOLR10 in 2014.
The owner wants $63 million to have it torn down and built the way he designed it.
“One of my pet peeves. In the United States a lot of times we just build for 20 years and don’t think about life cycle costs. The idea here is to export technology to build a structure that would last for hundreds of years.”
An attorney representing the construction companies said the allegations are a scheme to short steel fibers and there is no evidence behind it.
The building crews’ attorney said they plan to defend their reputation against the allegations through a trial if necessary.
A jury trial date has been set for November 14, 2016.