Broken Homes, Broken System
Some patio homes in the Maple Shade gated community in southeast Wichita are falling apart, their foundations cracking and shifting atop poorly drained soil. Wichita building codes lack provisions to test soil before building and also don't give city stormwater officials the authority to settle drainage disputes. 

Read series of reports

Minority Homeowners Charge the City of Yonkers and Others With Housing Discrimination and Construction of Defective and Substandard Homes
The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiffs, minority home owners, purchased what they were led to believe were new well constructed, safe and affordable homes. However, after the plaintiffs moved into their homes, they discovered that the weed-filled and barren land that made up their backyards and common grounds were filled with buried waste, including garbage, automobile tires, automobile batteries, pipes, glass and construction and demolition debris. Additionally, the siding on the buildings, the window frames and doors were installed improperly, resulting in severe water damage to the homes. The homes were also poorly insulated and the heating systems were inadequate and inefficient, which led to increased heating costs and poorly heated rooms. Despite their complaints about these and other conditions, little was done to correct the numerous defects.

Jury Convicts Tom DeLay for Money Laundering
Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, once one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress, was convicted Wednesday on charges he illegally funneled corporate money to Texas candidates in 2002. Jurors deliberated for 19 hours before returning guilty verdicts against DeLay on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to life in prison on the money laundering charge.

Feds used wire to find buried loot from Bill Erpenbeck case
Federal agents began focusing on Skidmore as they searched for the assets of Bill Erpenbeck, who was ordered to forfeit $34 million as part of his 2003 conviction for stealing millions of dollars from banks and home buyers. Skidmore told FBI agents as early as July 2002 and again in March 2003 that he didn't know where any of the money was hidden. Skidmore then appears to have dropped off agents' radar until the summer 2009. See: ERPENBECK ENQUIRER STORY ARCHIVE

NYC Uses 'Sting' House to Nab Unlicensed Home Contractors
Today the city of New York is announcing the results of an undercover sting operation that targeted illegal contractors. The majority of states require home improvement contractors to be properly licensed, but there are still plenty of rogue companies operating. That's why authorities in New York and elsewhere are getting tough with illegal, unlicensed contractors...inspectors eventually nab a dozen companies and issue $65,000 in fines...Even more powerful, they impound their vehicles. Because you can't do any deals if you don't have wheels.

The Case Against Homeownership
Homeownership has let us down. For generations, Americans believed that owning a home was an axiomatic good. Our political leaders hammered home the point. Herbert Hoover argued that homeownership could "change the very physical, mental and moral fiber of one's own children." Franklin Roosevelt held that a country of homeowners was "unconquerable." Homeownership could even, in the words of George H.W. Bush's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Jack Kemp, "save babies, save children, save families and save America." A house with a front lawn and a picket fence wasn't just a nice place to live or a risk-free investment; it was a way to transform a nation.

Dream home turns into nightmare for one local couple
Our homes, for the most part, are by far the biggest investment we will ever make. Builders give warranties with most new homes. But what would you do if you thought your builder wasn’t standing behind that guarantee? One couple called Barry Davis and Eyewitness Wants to Know...The Weisses settled on Broadway 5 Custom Homes. Almost $500,000 later, they have a show place, complete with an outdoor kitchen on a balcony. There is just one problem that returns when it rains. “[It] it continually leaks, every time it rains and it’s been a nightmare,” said Marc Weiss. The Weisses say they called Marshall, who agreed to come out and fix the problem... “In September, when we had the big rains, the garage ceiling bowed and it was collapsing," Marc Weiss added. So was their confidence in Peter Marshall. The Weisses say he wouldn’t even return their calls, but their attorney did come through.

Texans for Public Justice Report: Perry Reaps $17 Million from his Political Appointees
Governor Rick Perry has received $17 million in campaign contributions from his political appointees and their spouses, according to a new report by Texans for Public Justice.   One out of every $5 raised by Governor Perry since 2001 has come from appointees or their spouses. Read the new report at Texans for Public Justice.

Lanham man accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in payment for homes that were never built 
The Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division has ordered Lanham-based homebuilder, Derek A. McDaniels, and his Lanham-based company, McDaniels Homes, to pay more than $500,000 in restitution to consumers and penalties to the state, Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler said in a press release. McDaniels must pay $448,830 back within 45 days to the 10 families who originally filed complaints with the Attorney General's office, according to the order. The Druitts are not on that list because they filed their complaint at a later date, but McDaniels was also ordered to pay back any family who can prove they paid him or his company for a home that was never built.