A legal firestorm that began over an unfinished log home in Linton has officially reached the upper tiers of Indiana’s court system — again. In a ruling issued earlier today, June 26th, 2025, the Indiana Court of Appeals reinstated an approximately $414,000 default judgment against FLH Mill, LLC and its principal Jeremy Ferree, siding decisively with local homeowner Paul Oliver in a years-long legal battle.
The dispute, first filed in Greene Superior Court, centered on a contract where Oliver agreed to pay approximately $323,000 to Ferree for the construction of a log home. Oliver alleged that he paid over $313,681 of that amount, but the structure was never completed—and that the funds were diverted elsewhere. The case spiraled into complex procedural entanglements, default judgments, amended complaints, and multiple appeals.
The recent appellate opinion was clear. “Repeated lack of conformity with the Indiana Trial Rules… is not irrelevant,” wrote Judge Paul Mathias, chastising Ferree and his company for what the court described as persistent failure to follow proper legal procedures. The court concluded that their third attempt to set aside the judgment lacked any justification: “There is nothing in the third motion to set aside the default judgment that established legally sufficient grounds… to support setting aside the default judgment either in whole or in part.”
In restoring Oliver’s full judgment—including treble damages related to criminal conversion—the court also took aim at a trial court order that limited Ferree’s repayment obligation to just $100 per week. Citing Ferree’s $1,200 weekly income, the appellate panel wrote: “A payment of $100 per week… does not meaningfully contribute toward satisfaction of that judgment. Indeed, interest alone on the judgment is approximately $2,800 per month.”
The ruling sends the case back to Greene Superior Court with instructions to reinstate the full judgment and adjust Ferree’s repayment plan within the bounds of Indiana’s garnishment laws.
“A Weapon for Enforcing Compliance”
The court further emphasized the importance of default judgments in ensuring justice is not indefinitely delayed by procedural gamesmanship: “A default judgment… is a weapon for enforcing compliance with the rules of procedure and for facilitating speedy determinations of disputes.”
In a stinging rebuke of Ferree’s repeated delay tactics, the Court underscored that “neither Jeremy nor FLH presented a viable defense against Oliver’s accusation of conversion,” and found that their arguments had already been litigated and failed in earlier proceedings.
Why It Matters Locally
While it’s not uncommon for lawsuits to be filed in local courtrooms, it’s rare for such cases to travel twice to the Court of Appeals. This ruling doesn’t just settle one man’s construction nightmare—it serves as a cautionary tale to local builders, homeowners, and legal counsel alike. Contractual clarity, timely legal responses, and procedural diligence all matter—and if ignored, can land a small-town dispute squarely in the sights of the state’s top legal minds.
For Greene County, it’s a high-profile example that yes—sometimes, Linton’s legal drama reaches Indianapolis.