City inspector probe merits Council scrutiny
Misconduct by rank-and-file city employees is far less conspicuous than misconduct by city leaders. But it can be every bit as destructive to public confidence. When it involves the enforcement of city codes, it can pose even greater dangers to public safety...City Council should monitor the investigation's progress closely. The taint of impropriety can't be allowed to mar city government. Enforcement of the city's building code shouldn't be up for sale.

Shifting Soil Threatens Homes’ Foundations
STEVEN DERSE, the owner of a corporate travel business in Nashville, cannot feel his house move, but he can hear it. “It’s an eerie creaking sound,” he said, and it echoes throughout his two-story Georgian-style house.It started two years ago when a severe drought contracted the soil beneath the foundation, which caused it to crack and sink, pulling the house down with it. The noise has continued intermittently, becoming more insistent last year when flooding pushed the already compromised foundation and house back upward.

Chinese drywall destroying homes and lives in Virginia
The list of defective products manufactured in other countries now includes chinese drywall.  And more than 100 families in eastern Virginia say they are living a chinese drywall homes nightmare because of it. "My child never had a bloody nose from the dawy we moved out of that house, and they had them constantly living in those houses."

Drywall victims confront Gov. Crist
The message from homeowners with defective drywall came through loud and clear Friday to Gov. Charlie Crist. A group of about 35 of them gathered outside his campaign fundraiser in Port Charlotte. "No help, no vote," they chanted, waving home-made protest signs, as Crist arrived at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County for a $150-per-plate dinner.  He walked to meet the group, who are from Cape Coral, Punta Gorda, North Port, Venice, Sun City Center and Tampa.  They wasted no time bombarding Crist with pleas for help. Their No. 1 demand is an emergency declaration from Crist so FEMA funds can be released to help the homeowners.

A message from Janet Ahmad: Pulte-Centex Dominates the News as Houses Teeter on Hillside

City code inspectors accused of taking bribes
When the retaining wall in the Rivermist subdivision collapsed last month, city inspectors admitted they didn't know the wall was even there.  Now, the news four WOAI trouble shooters uncovered new concerns that city inspectors aren’t doing enough to keep you safe inside your home.  When your house is under construction, city inspectors are supposed to inspect things like the plumbing and electrical wiring to make sure it's done right.  But we've uncovered some inspectors are the target of a criminal investigation for allegedly taking bribes from contractors in exchange for approving work they never checked.

Couple sues home builder for shoddy home
Mold, cracked walls, unlevel ground, leaking floors. Not exactly something you want to deal with after moving into your remodeled home.  It's a situation Robert Overby and his family faced. That was three years ago.  "To buy the home, to make repairs, to make engineers come out... we've spent over $300,000 dollars," says Robert.  Robert wants the builder to fix these problems soon. A state commission came out in 2007 and found there were significant defects to the home...The builder has offered to buy the Overby home, but the couple refused because it's less than the contract price. They are now suing the city, SAWS, CPS, and the builder for 1.2 million dollars.

Homeowners sue builder over mold
Dozens of South Jersey homeowners, claiming inferior workmanship may have triggered mold growth and created a health risk, have sued the Quaker Group, a residential and commercial developer in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The homeowners, who live in upscale developments in Cherry Hill, Marlton, and Voorhees, all have the same complaint: The company failed to caulk around windows and doors and neglected to install flashing, sheet metal strips that seal the edges. Water seeped into their homes and pooled between their walls, where mold can thrive, according to two complaints filed at different times in Camden County.  Some homes also lacked insulation or tar paper behind exterior walls, the complaints say. The complaints, filed by more than 40 homeowners, are pending in state Superior Court in Camden and follow a lawsuit that was filed by at least 20 others who bought Quaker homes in Gloucester County. Those cases have either been settled or been otherwise resolved.

AP Wire: Feds raid headquarters of Concord development firm
CONCORD, Calif.—Federal agents are reviewing documents seized in a raid of the headquarters of a Northern California-based development company.  A spokesman with the Federal Bureau of Investigation says about 30 federal agents served search warrants at the offices of Discovery Builders and the Albert D. Seeno Construction Co. in Concord Thursday. Spokesman Joseph Schadler said agents were looking for evidence of possible financial crimes. No arrests were made. The two companies are part of a giant development and home-building operation founded by the late Albert Seeno. The Seeno family also holds major stakes in companies that own Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno and a casino resort in Wendover, Nev. An attorney who represents Discovery Builders and other Seeno family enterprises said the companies are cooperating with the FBI.

No Help in Sight, More Homeowners Walk Away
“People like me are beginning to feel like suckers,” Mr. Koellmann said. “Why not let it go in default and rent a better place for less?”  After three years of plunging real estate values, after the bailouts of the bankers and the revival of their million-dollar bonuses, after the Obama administration’s loan modification plan raised the expectations of many but satisfied only a few, a large group of distressed homeowners is wondering the same thing.  New research suggests that when a home’s value falls below 75 percent of the amount owed on the mortgage, the owner starts to think hard about walking away, even if he or she has the money to keep paying.

Express-News Letter to the Editor: Needed wake-up call
Recently I participated in a hearing at the state Capitol in regards to mandatory binding arbitration. Filled with arbiters, trial lawyers, consumer groups and consumers, the hearings led to a tell-all of experiences with the homebuilding industry. As a victim of a homebuilder in Houston, I participated in earlier hearings asking our elected officials to enact laws protecting unsuspecting potential homebuyers if their homes are deemed defective, and making homebuilders responsible for all costs.  Aside from the abolishment of the Texas Residential Construction Commission, nothing changed and pleas remain unanswered. The San Antonio subdivision in which houses are literally sliding down a hill sends a wake-up call to legislators.  If you do nothing to hold the homebuilding industry accountable for mistakes, the next case could be catastrophic.  Marcia Kushner, Houston

Chance of rain sparks additional landslide evacuations
More residents of the Hills of Rivermist subdivision on the city's Northwest Wide were evacuated Wednesday. Police walked up and down Treewell Glen to issue the voluntary evacuation notice. Police say houses on that street located at the top of a hill behind the retaining wall are in danger of moving if significant rainfall moves in. This latest evacuation includes about 20 houses.The people who live in the neighborhood continues to want answers to the longer range problem.Karen Maxwell, who lives in the Hills of Rivermist, told us, "A lot of the homeowners feel they want Centex to buy back their homes because they feel like the value of their house has gone down so quickly and it's not any fault of theirs." Meanwhile, some of Rivermist homeowners testified Wednesday in Austin before a House committee that is looking to make changes in how disputes like this are handled. Charles Cervantes told the House Committee on Civil and Jurisprudence in Austin he's stuck because his home near the landslide is worthless. He urged lawmakers on Wednesday to make changes protecting new home buyers who are often forced to sign contracts agreeing to binding arbitration. The committee hopes to have recommendations for lawmakers to consider by the end of the year.  WOAI 4 News Report....

Rivermist residents to take complaints to state capitol
Residents in the Rivermist subdivision are now taking their gripes to the state capitol. The group will testify on the Forced Binding Arbitration law, which they say denies justice for homeowners. Residents also held a meeting Tuesday night to discuss establishing a united front. Previous meetings offered few answers with Pulte offering to meet with homeowners individually, but homeowners at the meeting believe forming a community voice will be more beneficial. “There are things we can do as whole community if we act as one person.” said homeowner Gil Morales, “We are pushing unity, first of all.” The meeting was so well attended, many homeowners were forced to listen from the hallway. Morales said many actions will be taken as a group although no definite plans for lawsuits or other legal action were confirmed.
See KENS TV News Report...

Rivermist homeowners find no comfort at capitol
It was another day of questions with no answers for residents of the Hills of Rivermist. About two dozen families remain evacuated in the northwest-side subdivision, where a landslide threatens to topple and crush homes. Some of those property owners took their concerns to the state capitol Wednesday. Martin Bartlett has their story. See Channel 5 News Report...