What we know about a Charlotte-area business customers say pocketed tens of thousands
Dozens of customers across the country say they’re out tens of thousands of dollars following the abrupt closure of a Charlotte-area company in January.
The business, American Log Homes and Cabins, sold discounted log home kits to would-be homeowners, charging between $14,500 and more than $25,000 for the home shells.
Customers who paid for kits but haven’t received them have been told they will receive little, if any, of their money back, since the company has few assets.
Here’s what we know:
Payments accepted weeks before company’s closure
At least 50 former customers in 22 states say they paid for a log cabin kit and were left empty-handed by American Log Homes and Cabins, an investigation by The Charlotte Observer found.
Several of those customers paid the company within weeks of its sudden closure, financial records show. The business’ owner, Michele Wilson Szabo, accepted bank wires or cashed checks from customers through at least Dec. 23, according to bank records, text messages and customer invoices. The business was dissolved January 15.
Noell P. Tin, a Charlotte attorney representing Szabo, said she “fully intended” to continue the business.
“[She] believed she could do so until the very end. When she ultimately concluded that closure was the only option, she retained counsel to ensure the process was handled lawfully,” Tin said in a statement.
Business had long history in NC
American Log Homes and Cabins operated for more than 20 years “without any issues,” according to Tin.
Szabo and her father, James “Mike” Wilson, founded the company in the early 2000s, according to an archived version of its website. It went by a few names over the years, business filings show — first, The Great American Log Company, then Log Concepts LLC.
Szabo took over day-to-day operations at the company in 2016 when her father became ill, the website said. She would rebrand and become the company’s sole principal a few years after his death in 2018, according to business filings. Customers and contractors said she seemed to be the only direct employee.
All the customers who were left empty-handed reported purchasing “balance-owed” kits from the company — kits that the business said others had put down large, nonrefundable deposits on and walked away. That meant would-be owners could purchase the log home shells for a fraction of the cost.
Earlier online reviews showed satisfied customers all over the country, many complete with pictures of log cabins in progress. The company was accredited by the Better Business Bureau at one point — which more recent customers said encouraged them to move forward with the deals.
Company draws attention of regulators
So many former customers submitted complaints about American Log Homes, and Szabo, that two NC regulatory agencies opened inquiries.
The North Carolina Real Estate Commission launched a probe in January after receiving eight complaints from former American Log Homes customers about predatory practices. That led to Szabo’s voluntary, permanent surrender of her North Carolina real estate license on April 27th. The commission dropped its inquiry as part of the terms of the surrender.
North Carolina Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division also opened an investigation into the business in March after receiving dozens of complaints.
Generally, an investigation by the Consumer Protection Division of the attorney general’s office could lead to civil penalties, restitution or injunctions, press secretary Bailey Aldridge said in an email. But the investigative process can take months or years.
Customers may have little recourse
Former customers of American Log Homes & Cabins are skeptical they will ever see their money again.
Some have split the costs of consulting with an attorney. But they fear a civil suit would be fruitless, with the company pledging poverty.
“If a company goes out of business, you can only collect what there is,” said Kate Sablosky Elengold, associate law professor and director of the Economic Justice Clinic at UNC Chapel Hill.
There are legal avenues to go after the personal assets of a business owner, in some cases. But without many personal assets, there may still be little to collect.
Any disbursements directly from American Log Homes and its attorney — those “pennies on the dollar” — will be dispersed in June after the claims deadline.
In the meantime, ALH’s former customers wait.
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM.