Drees ordered to pay $4.75M in ‘sick house’ case
The jurors decided that Fort Mitchell-based Drees had been negligent and violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. It accepted the Mengs’ claim that faulty construction had promoted the growth of toxic mold.

Don't Trust Drees.com
Drees Homes ruined our lives! Drees Home built us a house we cannot live in due to severe mold contamination - the worst part is they knew about it and covered it up. http://www.donttrustdrees.com/
The Washington Post: Sick House, Suffering Family Read more... Costly Mold: Loudoun couple awarded $4.75M for mold injuries Read more...

Sick House, Suffering Family
Shoddy construction and unmended leaks had let moisture in, allowing toxin-producing mold to grow and spread through the three-story house, the Mengs said. A Loudoun jury recently awarded the family $4.75 million, among the largest awards in a mold case in Virginia...  "We kept on hoping that Drees was going to do the right thing," Wendy Meng said. "All we asked them to do was put us up somewhere while they got the house completely cleaned . . . and they wouldn't do it." ... The Mengs said problems with the house have cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses, legal fees, discarded furniture and other expenses. But they can be replaced.  "If you don't have your health," Wendy Meng said, "it doesn't matter what you have."

Costly Mold: Loudoun couple awarded $4.75M for mold injuries
A Loudoun County Circuit Court jury has returned verdicts totaling $4.75 million for a couple who contended that mold in their $900,000 home sickened them and rendered their house unlivable...The trial before Judge Thomas D. Horne began on Dec. 15, and the jury returned its verdicts early on the afternoon of Dec. 23 after beginning its deliberations late the previous afternoon. It awarded Wendy Meng $2.276 million and Paul Meng $500,000 for negligence and awarded the couple $1.474 million for constructive fraud and $500,000 for violation of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

Drees Homes Buys Back Defective Houses
Are you having problems with your Drees Home?  Be persistant Drees will do the right thing.

State Finishes Investigation on Builder and Homes With Major Flaws
There's a back wall hanging over its slab by more than two inches. Threaded rods that should be hidden in the foundation are exposed.  When concrete from the slab was tested, it failed two of the three pressure tests.... The builder, by law, is allowed to hire private inspectors. That is what Drees Homes did. City inspectors now say the flaws should have been caught. The state's department of Business and Professional Regulations has been investigating the situation at least since January of 2007. Last week, the DBPR said its investigation was complete...The DBPR says that's not the case. In a letter to Norman, the department says,"....the evidence is not sufficient to support a disciplinary action...(under)Florida construction industry regulatory statutes." "....this decision in no way indicates that your complaint is not valid....." The letter also says, "Building code violations are not within the jurisdiction of the department...(and it should be)addressed by the local building department." "It shows me there are very few consumer protections for homeowners in the state of Florida," says Norman.   Original Story: Owner Says New Home Passed Inspection With Major Flaws. - Related Article: 3rd Party Inspectors Great for Builders but not so good for Homebuyers    Related: See photos of Drees Homes defects in other states,

Major Flaws Found in Home Now Part of State Investigation
A First Coast News Investigation, last week, showed how a number of homes in a Westside neighborhood are under inspection to see if the houses meet state requirements. More than 50 homes make up the Morse Glen subdivison. First Coast News has learned that inspectors hired by a local law firm are re-inspecting 34 of those homes for structural problems. Our investigation found walls that hang over foundations by several inches. We found threaded rods, that should be embedded in the foundation, are visible. See Related Article

Owner Says New Home Passed Inspection With Major Flaws
"I think the mentality was get her done, paint it and it will be fine, nobody will know. I didn't know at first," says Norman...He says inspections are being done on 34 of the more than 50 homes in the neighborhood and a number of problems have been found...State Legislators changed the law regarding building inspections. Where city inspectors used to do site inspections, the job has now been turned over to private inspectors that are hired by the property owner.

Frustrated home buyers find spot to vent online
The Montville Township mortgage broker had been waging a one-man campaign against his home builder, Drees Homes of Fort Mitchell, Ky., on the Internet since early this year. He criticized the builder's workmanship in the Ridgewood Falls subdivision and Drees' follow-up on complaints. After two years of dealing with Drees, he decided to make his complaints public with the Web site www.DontDoDrees.com. The message helped Hixenbaugh reach a settlement with Drees Homes. He said he planned to take his Web site down this week.

Drees Homes "Warning" Website featured on Fox 8 News in Cleveland, Ohio
One couple in Medina, OH who are fed up with leaks, cracks, and poor workmanship have launched their own website against their builder, Drees Homes, that is getting noticed by people all across the United States. Rob and Laura Hixenbaugh say they have "had enough," and set up the site to show and tell potential buyers of Drees Homes the poor quality they feel they received and the customer service that they say "does nothing but fight you down the line."