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Kelly Silversmith
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posted 8 January 2007 17:27 CET
Kansas City Homebuyers should be aware that McCray Lumber Company readily places Mechanic's Liens on homeowners instead of the homebuilder. The outstanding debt due McCray Lumber Company was not disclosed at closing and 6 mos later (the legal time limit)they place Mechanic's Lien on your property. It seems to me that they must be in cahoots with the homebuilder, since I'm the second in this neighborhood to have this happen. |
Robert Wilson
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posted 7 January 2007 18:55 CET
I would not recommend anyone purchasing from DR Horton. Below is a letter I wrote to the BBB regarding a drainage problem in my backyard. !
It is interesting that Mr. Hughes states that I caused this problem by installing a garden in the back half of my property. The garden was located on the other side of the swale, which would not hinder drainage. The letter from Mr. Hughes was the first anyone from D. R. Horton has told me that my garden was causing the problem. In fact, Mitchell from D.R. Horton told me in August that there was a drainage problem. He told me that he did not know what was causing the problem but that he was going to install a French drain, which would resolve my problem. When he arrived to do the work he said he decided not to install the French drain and that he would have his workers correct the poorly grated area and install some new sod. The area of new sod was very small, not the entire yard as stated by Mr. Hughes. When this did not work Randy, the property manager, told me he did not know what the problem was, his boss did not know, and the irrigation company did not know. He said he would research and get back to me. That was in October and I have still not heard back from him. When I spoke to the Superintendent, Dennis Powell, he also said he did not know what the problem was. So, the only answer I have received from D.R. Horton is that “I do not Know”, which is a contradiction to Mr. Hughes’ statement that they have tried to convey the message to me but with no success. The only logical solution I have received from D.R. Horton was from Mitchell who was going to install a French drain, which never occurred.
To show good faith and to show that I will stop at nothing to have this issue resolved, I removed my garden the day I received your letter. Again, this was the first I have been told that my garden could be the reason for the problem. I did not think that the removal of the garden would work since the garden was located on the other side of the swale and that Randy Masson, D.R. Horton Property Manager, and Dennis Powell, D.R. Superintendent, have both been to look at my yard and never indicated the garden was the problem. Again, the only answer from them was “I don’t know”.
Enclosed you will find additional pictures to support my claim. Since removing the garden, there has been no improvement. For most of the week, the weather has been sunny and dry. There was 1 day of rain, which was not significant. I took several pictures on several different days to see if there was any improvement, which there was not. The last set of pictures, taken on December 23, 2006, was taken 24 hours after rain, which again was not a significant amount of rain. You can see standing water in my yard and muddy areas. The pictures taken by Mr. Hughes focused on the garden, not the problem itself. The pictures I have enclosed show the removal of the garden as well as the problem I am experiencing.
Mr. Hughes states my grass “is very green”. The one spot of grass he took the pictures of is green. The entire yard does not need to be replaced. I am asking that they correct the grating problem, install a French drain, and re-sod the impacted areas as shown in my pictures, which is mainly around the patio area. Mitchell from D.R. Horton told me the yard was not properly grated and that I needed a French drain. D.R. Horton is responsible for making sure my yard is properly grated and if an employee of D.R. states I need a French drain, then they need to follow through.
In addition, I find it odd that each of my neighbors in the building have a sprinkler head in a uniform location outside their patio, except me. One of my neighbors has a sprinkler head but it is not in the same location as the others. This only makes me wonder if there is an underlying irrigation problem that could also be contributing to the dampness of my yard.
Mr. Hughes stated in his letter that he could not find approval for my fence. Please find the enclosed approval letter I received from May Management prior to having the fence installed.
Mr. Hughes also insinuated that I do not cut my grass. My grass is kept at the same level of my neighbors. I maintained my yard weekly prior to this problem. There is no longer a need to cut my yard weekly as most of the grass is gone and it’s difficult to cut the grass while standing in puddles of water. But again, I do keep my grass at the same level as my neighbors.
I have been in contact with the May Management and with the Landscaping company and they have acknowledged their negligence and will be replacing some of the sod around the perimeter of my fence that they killed when they sprayed herbicide.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your time with this matter. It’s unfortunate that D.R. Horton did not respond to my calls, e-mails, and letter. I had to ask for help through a third party to have them respond. It is because of this that I was not surprised when D.R. Horton tried to put the blame on me, the customer. Some of the statements by Mr. Hughes were completely false and I hope my response will help to show a clear, overall picture of my problem. All I’m asking is that the problem is resolved and the impacted sod replaced. I do not feel this is too much to ask from D.R. Horton as their employee, Mitchell, has already admitted negligence. |
jonathan
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posted 6 January 2007 18:47 CET
I just purchased a home from Portrait Homes in the Mid-Atlantic area. With all these complaints and nasty things being said about other builders, it was refreshing to see that nothing on this site or any other site I could find had anything bad to say about Portrait Homes or Pasquinelli. After purchasing my new home and achieving the mortgage I needed, I see why. What a great experience and I would urge anyone to take a close look at this builder. Just thought a nice comment was worhtwhile after a wonderful experience. Thank you!! |
Unhappy with Drees
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posted 6 January 2007 16:50 CET
Hello Everyone. Just wanted to give a quick warning to anyone considering building with Drees Homes. We had Drees Homes build us a home and moved in during November of 2005. The quality of our home left much to be desired. We have had constant water issues surrounding our home. Our basement has had cracks in the walls that were letting water in, therefore if we ever go to sell our home, we will have to disclose this to any prospective buyers which will either deter them from purchasing or causing a much lower bid - therefore we have lost money. We have had cracks in concrete. They messed up our basement floor and had to dig it up to correct their mistake which in turn caused a weak spot in our floor that continually cracks and needs patched. The quality of workmanship in our home was beyond bad. Drywall job horrible. Some of our walls were not even painted before we moved in. Trim work uneven. Defective cabinets that they refused to replace but insisted they would fix them properly in which they did another amateur job where corners are not flush with one another and were never sanded so rough edges are exposed. I could go on and on. The main problem with Drees aside from hiring the most inexpensive contractors to do work in their homes, is the fact that anytime there is a problem of any kind, you have to FIGHT to get things done. They always try to find "loopholes" to not have to fix the things being asked for. Warranty issues take forever and all requests do not get taken care of or fixed the correct way, but rather rigged in a sense. We are extremely unhappy with Drees and plan to do everything we can to tell everyone we know what they are in store for if they choose Drees Homes as their builder  Dont Do Drees |
amber
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posted 3 January 2007 16:02 CET
I feel stuck in a hole in the state of Texas regarding any disputes with Woodhaven Homes. It is not fair to the homeowner, the law is on the builders side.
In 2004 I purchased a beautiful home in Providence Village, Texas my first home. I was disappointed the very same month. I have been experiencing HVAC Design problems since then. I have had their contractor Capital Air come out to my house over 9 times in the two years I have lived here only to be disappointed time after time that there is nothing more they can do. I filed a complaint with the Texas Licensing. In August of 2006 against Capital Air, who had complaints already against them. In June of 2006
I hired a Company to come out and do a load calculation, their finding were home needs System redesigned. I sent a email to my warranty department again, they tried to bandage the system again, then again I hired another company to come out in September and load calculate and audit my home, their finding the same. My HVAC system is to small, its a 5 ton Trane XB12. I need to have two units, one down and one up. My house is almost 2700 hundred sq. ft. Woodhaven homes still choose to do nothing, they legally don't have to. My meeting with them was more of a bribe, (take back my complaint against Capital Air, which will then provide me with a 10 year warranty and then sign another document stating that whatever their company says that they hire, (GWSSI) then that will be the end of it. I did not sign and choose to hire an attorney since my 2 year warranty was coming to an end. Well it looks like they don't have to disclose any of that information to me or my attorney of the finding from GWSSI. Their attorney is a personal injury attorney that now is working for them, more like a used car sales man. The Energy Audit per Ken Lackey which is from GWSSI, told me prior to his leaving my house that it was the HVAC design When I called him today he said he could not disclose anymore information nor provide me with a copy of the work performed since they initially hired them. GWSSI Corporate office could not either since they work for the builder. I know I am just a disgruntled homeowner and there are others in my same position that have no recourse of action. Please help change the laws. Please.. I need help. Amber Kihlberg . |
J
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posted 2 January 2007 13:15 CET
I am in the process of buying a home from Richmond American in the Phoenix area. They were trying to close 50 homes by the end of the year. We were told on December 12th to bring our private inspector for the "Final" walk through by the sales representative. When I arrived for the "final" walk through the plumb trim was not installed (no toliets/sinks), no running water, air conditioner was in a box, roof was not done, electricity hooked up with a generator , heating cooling systems could not be checked, appliances were not in, the city had not inspected the community yet. I asked the contruction supervisor when the house would be done, he said he did not know and could not give me any kind of time line but they are trying to finish by the end of the year. I received a call from the construction supervisor stating that house would be ready for final inspection on December 28th, he said all the major systems will be able to be checked. My wife went out with our private inspector for the "Final" walk through. The roof was not done, the water main to the house had a leak, plumbing could not be checked, the heat pump was not hooked up, the heating/cooling system could not be checked. The contruction supervisor said he was unaware that the heat pump was not hooked up and did not know why the roof was not done. He reported that the water leak was just found on that day and couldn't get any one out to fix it. Now the construction supervisor cannot give me a time line when the house is going to be done and is vague about when things will be fixed. My lease runs out in a couple weeks and it is very difficult to make plans. |
Jane Duan
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posted 27 December 2006 12:03 CET
To Whom It May Concern:
We purchased a new construction from Good Star Homes in May of 2006.
The address is:
4219 Drake St., Unit C
Houston, TX 77005
We had kept had water problems here and there since we lived here. After struggled with builder many times the leaks were stopped finally. But the repairs after the water problem were not completed till today. We had waited more than 4 month!
The stairway were damaged by water leak from the wall. The builder claimed that I have to wait up to 4 month if we like to use the same material to match the existing. Otherwise they have to use the different one. We rather wait than use a different pattern star in the middle of stairway.
Finally, 4 month passed with walked on the damaged stair, builder then saying they can not find the match one. Then they came to put the different color, different pattern, and man cut edging floor pieces on our stair way.
We can not accept this kind of warranty work. We like to file a complain the Good Star Homes, and seeking advise for how to enforce them doing proper warranty work for us.
Please do not hesitate call me at (832)618-2561 if you have any questions.
Builder’s Name:
Good Star Homes, LLC
Builder# 1078
Registered Agent(s): John Goode
Business Phone: 281-797-3294
Thank you,
Sincerely,
Jane Duan |
Kericia E. Smith
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posted 11 December 2006 16:55 CET
I am a Disabled Veteran and I used my VA Benefits to buy my first brand new home. I bought my KB Home in September 2003 which is defective, broken down and falling apart. I called my VA Office was told they could not help me because I signed away all of my VA Rights when I purchased my new home. Further, I am on a fixed income and I nearly lost my home because I was not told about all the taxes to be paid therefore, I had to refinance to save my home from foreclosure.
From the time I purchased my new KB Home the following problems have been on going. My computer monitor loses power, the washer is not receiving proper water pressure and/or electric, light switches pop when lights are turned on and light bulbs corrode and explode. Whenever the AC or heat unit comes on lights flutter. The AC and heating unit has never worked correctly (extremely high electric bills) and is not working on the first floor at this time. The zone control panel was replaced 3 times and the AC and heating unit is noticeably not adequate for my 2 story home.
The City of Fort Worth did not inspect my home but allowed KB Home to hire Graham Marcus, a 3rd Party Independent Inspector who allegedly inspected and passed my new home despite the serious defects that exist. This is a grossly irresponsible process that the City of Fort Worth allows which jeopardizes families when buying a new home.
To make matters worse, because of the process that Fort Worth allows, public records of inspections of my home no longer exist. There is no record even of the name of the Engineer who designed the foundation of my home. Graham Marcus has made it clear that they do not have to provide that information to me.
I am sorry I ever used my VA Benefits to purchase this home and KB just needs to buy it back. The City of Fort Worth has failed me and they need to understand that they are not protecting homeowners.
I am at a lost of words because my home buying dream has turned into a nightmare. I have taken the time to send out letters to elected officials including my local, state and federal governments asking for assistance and guidance on this uncertain home buying matter.
It is sad when the Veterans return home and use their VA Benefits only to be faced with a different war on the home front. How could this have happened in America (for men and women who serve and protect our beautiful country) to suffer after making a purchase that is suppose to last a lifetime?
Kericia E. Smith
Association of Veteran Women, Inc.
Founder, CEO, National Executive Director |
Joe Lovrek
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posted 7 December 2006 09:56 CET
I purchased a home from J. Patrick Homes for $240,000, put $1500 earnest money down and opted to add tile to the living room. I then had to give them an extra $2200 to cover the cost. Two days before closing, the sales person called me and said I had to sign a new contract so the loan amount will increase $2200 to cover the difference in tile. The problem is getting re approved at the new loan amount before closing will take weeks, so we will not meet the Christmas deadline and my family's holiday is in the air because we did not get ready due to the move... Then I explained to the builder that if I go in and up the loan amount at this point, I will not get approved. He said, well it looks like we will be keeping the deposit on the tile and the earnest money... Please, whoever can help, I need it now... I will complain everywhere on the internet... |
Mary J. Finn
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posted 6 December 2006 12:53 CET
Description of Complaint
This is just the tip of the iceberg for this Ray Murphy Home.
What we are listing here is just the structural aspects of the poor workmanship:
1. The brick overhang is twice the allowable. Brian D. Murphy, builder, advocated mulch to hide the defective construction.
2. Mr. Murphy's Professional Engineer admitted " The foundation walls as poured are not truly squared diagonally."
3. The home was not built according the contracted purchased plan. Many of the rooms have been shorted.
4. Roof leak in bedroom #4 which necessitated removal of ceiling drywall and insulation requiring replacement of both and enhancing the entrance of mold, mildew and bacteria.
5. Ceiling leak in the family room due to a leak in the bathroom shower or whirlpool tub. We never received the same story twice on this defect.
6. The drywall is concave and convex on the same wall on many of the walls within the home.
7. Weight bearing boards can be seen within the registers which are twisted, split and not vertical. Lumber used still has the bark on it and is curved hidden by a pillar which is not square to the floor.
The home is tilted forward according to the Ray Murphy Home Site Manager via the framing, kitchen cabinets are held onto the wall with one screw, structural security is severely lacking, the workers did not follow the plan on many aspects, they installed a gas line for an electric cooktop which could also be a safety issue since the confidence in this builder and crew is questionable, a pantry light which could catch the contents of the paper in the pantry on fire another safety issue which we did not request, cracks already in the garage and driveway, holes in the ceilings of the bedrooms and we were never told why they were there, doors off of closets, no pad installed under the carpet on the stairs, gaps in the basement stairs, hole in the basement where the rough in is for the bathtub covered over by plastic.
The untruths that have been told by this builder and his associates as well as their behavior would truly make one sick. This is suppose to be our last dream home since we are an elderly couple both in our 80's and it has turned out to be the worst nightmare ever. We have spent over $55,000 so far as well as in good faith we put our lights, dimmers, etc. in that home upon the continued persistance of the builder which is an additional $2,800. He has tried every which way to get us to close on this home since August 2006 and the home wouldn't even be close to completion until October 2006. Our daughter had read information on this website which said basically if you close on the house you don't have much recourse. We refused to close and he is still even up to November 12th 2006 demanding that we close on that home. He has now put the house up for sale and going after us for "damages".
If we can save just one person from going through the same tragedy that we have, we would like to do so. |
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