Curbio Settles Lawsuit but Takes a Swing at the D.C. Attorney General

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Curbio, a Maryland-based real estate firm, settled a $7.5 million lawsuit with the D.C. Attorney General's Office over claims of deceptive practices. While denying wrongdoing, the company agreed to pay restitution and modify its business practices to avoid prolonged litigation. Plus, we highlight five innovative properties that are advancing decarbonization through geothermal systems, passive design, and renewable energy. And in Propmodo Technology this week, we are exploring tenant engagement.

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Curbio Settles Lawsuit but Takes a Swing at the D.C. Attorney General

Maryland-based real estate firm Curbio has settled a lawsuit for $7.5 million that the D.C. Attorney General’s Office brought against it last fall. The settlement includes restitution to homeowners who claim they were harmed by Curbio’s deceptive business practices, which the company vigorously denies.

Founded in 2017, Curbio partners with real estate agents and their selling clients to deliver home improvements designed to put move-in-ready listings on the market. The company’s website says it is trusted by over 800 brokerages nationwide.

Under the settlement terms, Curbio will pay $3.5 million in restitution and credits to more than 180 D.C. homeowners who filed complaints about alleged shoddy work and deceptive contracts. The company also agreed to pay $4 million to the District, stop making misleading marketing claims, and change its contract provisions. However, Curbio admits no wrongdoing in settling the suit and said it is “disappointed” in the “myriad baseless allegations” made against them.

“The decision to negotiate a settlement and forego our day in court was difficult,” Curbio said in a statement. “Ultimately, as the agreement states, we determined that the time and money we would spend over the next two years to clear our good name would be better spent doing what we do best: modernizing home improvement to make it more accessible, reliable, and successful for Realtors and home sellers.”

Curbio operates nationwide, and the settlement applies to its practices in the District and other markets where it does business. While the allegations against Curbio were troubling, the company believes the District’s complaint was “aggressive and inflammatory” from the outset. 

Curbio claims the settlement announcement from the D.C. Attorney General’s Office was “similarly bombastic” and doesn’t comport with what was agreed to, including the acknowledgment that Curbio denies any allegations and denies that it has violated any laws.

When the lawsuit was filed last year, Curbio asserted that the D.C. Attorney General’s Office had selectively highlighted a few isolated incidents to craft a misleading picture of its overall customer satisfaction.

The company said most of its D.C. projects have been completed without complaint. Curbio’s next step will be undoing the impact of the allegations after nearly a year of its name being dragged through the mud.

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