Myrtle Beach Dreams Turned to Nightmares for Local Couple

Chuck and Dee Maples, waiting for their dream home to be completed.

Myrtle Beach Dreams Turned to Nightmares for Local Couple

In the scenic area of Carolina Forest, a couple’s dream of retiring in a beautiful home has morphed into an ongoing struggle that no one should have to endure. Chuck, 86, and Dee, 78, Maples are now living out of a camper in a Myrtle Beach campground, along with their two Maltese dogs, while they wait for a custom-built home that has been nearly three years in the making. Their tale unveils the darker side of home construction—one that is filled with frustration, lost time, and unfulfilled dreams.

A Dream House to Call Home

The Maples, who once called Maine and Texas home, locked in a contract worth $715,000 with Brighton Construction in January 2021, excited to finally settle in a house designed just for them. The home is nestled beside a tranquil lake and meant to cater to their needs as they grow older. But the reality is starkly different; a construction ladder inside the unfinished house has become a spider-filled relic of progress that never happened, while a smoke detector’s low battery chirps regularly, reminding the couple just how long this project has dragged on.

Friendly Neighbors Turned Foes

Chuck and Dee thought they were doing business with a friend when they chose Brighton’s owner, Tom Bridgeman, as their contractor. “We met him 10 years ago and thought he was the cat’s meow,” Dee reminisced, still shaking her head at the unfortunate turn of events. However, the harmony has faded; expected completion dates have come and gone, leaving the Maples racking up expenses such as campsite fees, HOA fines, and storage costs that they never planned for.

Claim and Counterclaim

Bridgeman, on his part, argued that it was the couple’s indecisiveness and communication issues that have caused the setbacks. “I’ve never had a home construction project take this long,” he admitted, emphasizing that the couple’s choices—like hiring their own granite supplier and selecting cabinets from Home Depot—have led to significant delays.

Yet, Dee remains firm in her belief that it’s not their fault. “We haven’t requested any change orders,” she declared, pointing to the lengthy wait times for materials and budget discussions as the real culprits behind the standstill.

Unraveled Relationships

Conversations between the Maples and Brighton’s foreman had once been frequent, reportedly lasting hours. But even those interactions dwindled because of what the foreman described as unmanageable decision-making on the Maples’ part. Beyond frustrations with delays in electrical work and landscaping, the foreman observed that the Maples kept altering plans that had already been set in motion.

There were claims from the landscaper who insisted payments were the core issue behind the delay, yet documents shared by the Maples highlight a different story—one of relentless waiting and communication breakdowns.

A Stopping Point

The situation reached a boiling point when Horry County Code Enforcement slapped a bright yellow “Stop Work Order” on their unfinished home. This action stemmed from Brighton’s contractor license expiring, creating an already precarious situation into an additional crisis.

Looking Towards the Future

After years of enduring endless waiting, the Maples have found a glimmer of hope with a new contractor who is eager to take over the project. He has assured them that their home could be ready to move into within the next two months. With all the paperwork Dee has kept to document their journey—emails, texts, contracts—she is finally hoping to see some closure to this lengthy nightmare.

As Dee sits in the unfinished kitchen, her dreams of sharing beautiful views and making memories with family and friends hang precariously in the balance. “We just want to enjoy it while we still can,” she concluded with a sigh, longing for the day they can truly call their new house a home.