HOBB Press Release
A 65-year-old grandmother and long-time consumer advocate for better home construction practices goes on trial here Monday, January 7, on charges that she falsely called 911 and reported to police that a bomb was located in an Arlington, Texas KB Home residential development, previously used as a military practice bombing range in the 1940s and 1950s.  The charges were leveled against Janet Ahmad, president of HomeOwners for Better Building , a national consumer advocacy group dedicated to helping people with defectively built homes and well known critic of KB Home, and its long history of poor building practices.  KB Home build on a bombing range? YES!: 20/20 Report

Hutto’s City Council Looking Into Expansive Soil, Builders Cutting Corners, and little Homeowners Recourse
The homebuilding business has been booming throughout Texas especially Hutto, and after Thursday night’s City Council meeting some are saying the commonality of expansive soils problems and defective trusses are a major concern.  As the magnitude of builder mistakes start to come to light and property values decline, cities like Hutto will be faced with tough decisions. Unfortunately, according to some experts, things will only get worse before it gets better. However, for residents of Hutto and some other small communities it appears officials are taking the issues of shoddy building very seriously and headed toward finding solutions. Read more...

US Senator Russ Feingold, Congressman Hank Johnson and consumer groups announced the filing of The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007
The comprehensive legislation would ensure Americans are not forced into mandatory arbitration agreements to resolve employment, consumer, franchise or civil rights disputes. “Arbitration can be a fair and efficient way to handle disputes, but only when it is entered into knowingly and voluntarily by both parties,” Feingold announced. The bill establishes that agreements will not be enforceable if they are entered before the actual dispute arises. See photos and remarks

Sixty Texas Representatives Support a Home Lemon Law to Reform the TRCC, Homebuilder Agency
In an unprecedented, history-making event State Representative Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, introduced a Home Lemon Law Amendment sparking a spirited debate on the Texas House floor, in which legislators defended Texas homeowners who have been sold defective homes by shoddy builders. The amendment was tabled by a vote of 83 to 60.  However, 60 lawmakers, including 10 Republicans, had voted in support of a Home Lemon Law, the first ever to be considered or debated by any State Legislature in the nation.

Texas Lawmakers Debate HB1038 to Reform the TRCC, Home Builder Agency
After a scathing State Comptrollers’ Report on TRCC, years of criticism, scandals that included a $1,052 lunch, $573,000 public relations spending and more – lawmakers recognize the need to reform the agency and to regulate the homebuilding industry. A number of other bills have been filed to strengthen TRCC’s enforcement powers over builders, and to make it more consumer friendly through a process that is voluntary, free, and effectively enforced.

Press Release - State Affairs Committee to hold Hearing on the Texas Home Lemon Law HB 2721 and 11 other bills which would hold New Homebuilders accountable
After years of failed attempts to rein in the growing stream of complaints regarding shoddy homebuilding, lawmakers have responded with 12 bills to overhaul the greatly criticized Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC), to abolish it, or pass a Home Lemon Law to better regulate the industry.

Press Release - Bills Would Protect Homeowners from Shoddy Construction
AUSTIN – Representatives Jessica Farrar and David Liebowitz have filed the first two bills intended to amend the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) in the upcoming 2007 Legislative Session.  Since its creation in 2003, the TRCC has repeatedly come under fire for its inability to successfully assist homeowners in resolving home construction defects, and for the lack of enforcement powers to make builders comply with the conclusions of the commission.

Recipe for enormous profits, defective homes and foreclosure disaster
Shoddy or not, for the past ten years homebuilding has remained the chief indicator holding up the economy, and from the President to Congress no one wanted to disrupt the money flow.  The result is the homebuilding industry grew more powerful and confident in building defective homes without consequences.

The myths of watering foundation and under designed slabs
Too much rain, lack of rain, trees and other “Acts of God” exposed as a fairy tale
It has been well established that foundation failures are widespread.  Critics claim that in most cases foundation failures are the result of an unregulated industry, unskilled labor and builders cutting corners for the sake of higher profits...We have it on good authority that the excuse for foundation failures caused by too much rain, lack of rain or trees is a fairy tale, and that “Acts of God” are acts of man in order to increase builder profits.

Closing arguments in the Hirata vs. Sitterle case
The Hirata case has gained attention because it is the first case to go to trial since the creation of the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC), an agency that has come under fire because of its failure to resolve disputes and its lack of authority to force builders to comply with its conclusions.