Sauce Gardner's Dream Home Nightmare: $1.4M Lawsuit Accuses Contractor of Deception and Abandonment

In a shocking turn of events, New York Jets' star cornerback Sauce Gardner has filed a lawsuit against a Michigan construction company for an alleged breach of trust and contract that left him out of pocket to the tune of $1.4 million. The All-Pro defensive back, represented by Ben Levine of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, alleges that he was lured into a disastrous real estate deal in Detroit based on false promises and misleading information. The controversy stems from an encounter with Nicholas Sanborn of Sanborn Construction, which took place on social media in March. According to court documents filed in Wayne County this week, the conversation soon turned to a historic apartment building for sale in Motor City. Intrigued by the opportunity, Gardner invested over $935K into the property purchase in May. Shortly after closing the deal, Gardner hired Sanborn as the general contractor for renovations, wiring over half a million dollars for the initial phase of work. The NFL standout was reportedly assured that the entire project would be completed within a few months. However, instead of progress reports and construction updates, he received radio silence. To add insult to injury, Gardner claims that Sanborn used his name to promote their company without permission by posting a YouTube video titled "COMPLETELY RESTORING An Abandoned 102 Year Old Historic Apartment Building With Sauce Gardner." By July, it seemed Gardner had finally had enough. He ordered Sanborn to halt all work and return his $500K deposit. However, the contractor is accused of continuing to spend funds, ultimately dropping an additional $160K on materials at Home Depot 16 days later. In the lawsuit, Gardner alleges breach of contract, unjust enrichment, fraudulent inducement, fraudulent concealment, and negligent misrepresentation. He is seeking to recover all his money back, plus damages incurred as a result of the failed deal. We have reached out to Sanborn Construction for comment but have yet to receive a response. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.