Indianapolis Colts star Sauce Gardner has filed a lawsuit against a Michigan construction company—claiming that the business failed to carry out renovations to a $935,000 abandoned apartment building in Detroit, despite receiving a $500,000 deposit to secure its services.
The NFL athlete—whose real name is Ahmad Gardner—claims that he was lured into buying the property under false pretenses, and is asking that the Michigan-based Sanborn Construction company be forced to return his deposit and pay him additional damages.
In the lawsuit, which was first reported by TMZ, the 24-year-old cornerback states that he first met the company’s CEO, Nicholas Sanborn, on social media, where they struck up a conversation about real estate, which led to a discussion about a disused apartment building in the New Center neighborhood of Motor City.
Gardner, who was born in Detroit, says he became particularly interested in the property after Sanborn told him that an adjacent building was also on the market—a detail that the NFL star claims he later discovered was untrue. He adds that he agreed to invest in the multifamily property under the assumption that Sanborn Construction would handle the renovation of the abandoned structure.
Records show that the athlete closed on the property, which was previously known as Bonita Apartments and features 44 vacant units, on May 11, with the final sale price listed as $935,000. Prior to Gardner’s purchase, the building had been listed for just under $1.2 million.
He then contracted Sanborn Construction to carry out a significant overhaul of the building, which was described in its listing as offering “a rare opportunity” to investors.
“This offering is ideal for investors seeking a value-add opportunity in one of Detroit’s most active and established growth markets,” the property description added.
Realtor.com® has contacted Sanborn Construction for comment.
Gardner stated that he initially wired the company $500,000 as a deposit that was meant to cover the first phase of work, including the completion of windows, roofing, doors, and framing. He claimed that he was told those details would be finished within a matter of months.
However, after forking over the half-million dollars, Gardner claimed that Sanborn went quiet and did not send any progress photos or even begin work on the property.
To add insult to injury, just five days after the NFL player closed on the property, a YouTube video was posted by the Sanborn Construction Group account with the title: “COMPLETELY RESTORING An Abandoned 102 Year Old Historic Apartment Building With Sauce Gardner.”
“Sanborn is back to the heart of Detroit!” the description reads. “We come at you today with a video looking at a recent property an investor has picked up. But it’s not just any investor … Sauce Gardner of the Indianapolis Colts has bought a 45 unit apartment building and we are doing the remodel for him!
“Come watch us as we tour the building getting our own first looks, followed by Sauce taking a look around the building himself!”
The 30-minute clip showed Gardner visiting the building, where he met with Sanborn and his colleagues, who explained the more complicated elements of the renovation, including the struggle to find parking for the crews required for such a complex job.
At one point in the video, a rendering of what the completed building would look like is flashed up, indicating that Gardner was planning to rename the structure “The One.”
“The owner is also talking about doing a rooftop bar, not a bar, but a rooftop hangout area,” one of the workers states.
“He’s been talking about that but we haven’t locked it in yet, so we’ll see.”
Gardner is then seen arriving at the property in a large SUV, accompanied by several friends, before heading in for a tour of the structure.
The NFL star discusses various elements of the design with the Sanborn Construction team, including the replacement of the windows, with a staff member telling him that the existing frames were “cheap” and will not measure up to the style that they will use.
They are also seen chatting about the number of units that will be on offer when the structure is completed, as well as the potential addition of a movie theater in the basement.
The video appears to have been filmed before the deal was fully closed. At the end of the clip, Gardner discusses the potential purchase of an adjacent lot, on which the Sanborn Construction worker notes he could build another commercial building or turn it into a parking lot.
It’s unclear whether this adjacent lot is the property Gardner claims was not actually available for sale.
“This is amazing, I’m looking forward to it. I wouldn’t want anyone else doing it but you,” Gardner tells the team at the end of the video. A worker notes that the company plans to document the entire renovation, adding that it was meant to take anywhere between 12 and 18 months.
The lawsuit states that the video was posted without Gardner’s permission, suggesting that the company was attempting to use his name to grow its own profile.
Gardner further claims in his lawsuit that no real work ever began on the property, and by July, he had grown frustrated with the lack of progress and demanded that Sanborn Construction cease all work at and return his deposit in full.
According to the Colts player, the company did not comply with that request, instead continuing to spend more money on the project, even spending $160,000 on new materials from Home Depot.
Gardner is suing for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, fraudulent inducement, fraudulent concealment, and negligent misrepresentation.
