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Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) Abolished
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Star-Telegram Watchdog Reporter - TRCC |
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Friday, 03 February 2006 |
Homeowners get ally in the House
State Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, says he had heard enough complaints about a new state agency that is supposed to help homeowners who have problems with builders. So, he wrote a letter in August to Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, asking her to look into the operations of the Texas Residential Construction Commission...Last week, Strayhorn issued a blistering report. She disclosed that most of the initial 102 homeowners surveyed by her office say their builders did not make required repairs even after their complaints about defects were confirmed as part of a new required state inspection and resolution process. In a news conference, Strayhorn blasted the TRCC as a “builder protection agency.†|
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Houston Chronicle Editorial - Bureaucratic Deadwood |
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Monday, 30 January 2006 |
Editorial
Bureaucratic deadwood
A state commission to curb homebuilder abuses proves to be a deck stacked in favor of the industry it is supposed to regulate.
When Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn issued a report last week criticizing the Texas Residential Construction Commission as a shield for politically-connected homebuilders, she could have been reading from a column the Chronicle's Clay Robison wrote last March. Headlined "No place like home for this cuddly Austin lapdog," Robison's piece characterized the creation of the TRCC as a boon for homebuilders who had contributed millions of dollars to state lawmakers. In return, the law creating the commission required aggrieved homeowners to go through a costly, time-consuming arbitration before they could take legal action against contractors. It also limited damages that plaintiffs could receive. |
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Insurance Journal - Texas Comptroller Report |
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Friday, 27 January 2006 |
Texas Comptroller Says Construction Commission Favors Builders
The Texas Residential Construction Commission is acting as a "builder protection agency'' and has no power to force homebuilders to repair construction defects in new houses, according to state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. The agency, formed by legislators in 2003, also is shifting most of the money it collects back to the state budget rather than spending it carrying out its mission, she said. |
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The Houston Lawyer - Debate Continues |
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 |
Pitfalls and Successes at the Residential Construction Commission
Many consumer advocates, such as Janet Ahmad of Home Owners for Better Building, believe the TRCC’s State-Sponsored Inspection and Dis-pute Resolution Process (SIRP) is essentially a sham crafted by industry-friendly legislators...addressing the passage of House Bill 730, Ms. Ahmad remarked, “Home builders got the best bill they could buy.â€
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Austin-Statesman Editorial on Builder TRCC Agency |
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 |
The state is looking out for home builders, not buyers
The builders' primary goal was to protect themselves from lawsuits filed by unhappy home buyers. Thanks to the strong political influence of such home builders as Bob Perry and Dick Weekley, both of Houston, and to the $5 million in political contributions ($3.1 million from Bob Perry alone) to state candidates, parties and political action committees in the 2002 election cycle, the builders got the commission they wanted. The agency can force a home buyer to jump through more bureaucratic hoops before going to court, but it has little effective power to make an errant builder correct defects...But the fundamental problem with the commission is that it was designed to be weak...By the way, there aren't many frivolous complaints; the commission reported that 93 percent of its inspections found at least one construction defect. |
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Realty Times - TRCC a Paper Tiger |
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 |
Texas' Residential Construction Commission Deemed A Paper Tiger
The vast majority of complaints to a state agency created to give Texan home owners redress for new home defects may as well be fed into a paper shredder, according to findings in a study by the Lone Star State's comptroller... "My research found no evidence that the Texas Residential Construction Commission has had a favorable impact on the homeowner," Strayhorn said. Strayhorn found that of 257 filed SIRPs, some 86 percent had third-party verified construction defects the builder didn't fix. The findings were based on responses from 102 of the 257 consumers who filed. |
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Statement: Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller - News Conference |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
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Statement from Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller Texas Residential Construction Commission News Conference, January 23, 2006.
Read the full comments of the News Conference. "This agency imposes costly and bureaucratic roadblocks for homeowners left out in the cold by shabby construction and a commission dominated by builders," Strayhorn said... "It is clear that the Texas Residential Construction Commission functions as a builder protection agency." ..."if it were up to me personally, I would blast this Texas Residential Construction Commission builder-protection agency off the bureaucratic books."
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Austin-Statesman - Report: Construction agency doesn't help consumers |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Comptroller says commission a roadblock instead of a resource
A state agency that is supposed to help homeowners and builders resolve disputes is a toothless, time-consuming barrier for consumers and should be shut down, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said Monday. In a report requested by a legislator, Strayhorn said the Texas Residential Construction Commission does not resolve conflicts between the two parties because it cannot force builders to make repairs... "This agency imposes costly and bureaucratic roadblocks for homeowners left out in the cold by shabby construction and a commission dominated by builders," Strayhorn said. |
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Dallas Morning News - Strayhorn criticizes homebuyer agency |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Strayhorn criticizes homebuyer agency
The state agency set up to help homebuyers settle disputes with builders does nothing to make sure defective homes are fixed, a report released Monday by Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn found. In response to a survey, 88 of 102 homeowners said their builders did not fix problems after they went through the complaint process required by the Texas Residential Construction Commission... "The bottom line is that the Texas Residential Construction Commission clearly functions as a builder protection agency. I found no evidence that they've had a favorable impact on the homeowner," said Mrs. Strayhorn, who is running for governor as an independent. "If it were up to me, personally I would just blast this agency off the bureaucratic books." |
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Home defect panel is called no help |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Home defect panel is called no help
An agency designed to protect homeowners from construction defects actually shields builders from responsibility, according to an audit released by the Texas Comptroller's Office on Monday. "My research found no evidence the Texas Residential Construction Commission has had a favorable impact on the homeowner," Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said in a statement. "It is clear that the Texas Residential Construction Commission functions as a builder protection agency." |
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ASSOCIATED PRESS - Comptroller blasts building agency |
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Comptroller blasts building agency
The Texas Residential Construction Commission is acting as a "builder protection agency" and has no power to force home builders to repair construction defects in new houses, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said Monday... "For these reasons, if it were up to me personally, I would blast this Texas Residential Construction Commission off the bureaucratic books," Strayhorn said...Home builders praise the law for establishing standards and warranties for home construction and creating a dispute-resolution process. Consumer advocates say it makes home buyers pay fees to file a complaint and limits their legal recourse. |
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