Panel fines 48 builders for registration failures
The Texas Residential Construction Commission has fined 48 Texas builders, including two in San Antonio, for failing to renew their state registrations on time. See related article and TRCC press release.
Panel fines 48 builders for registration failures
07/20/2006
Jennifer Hiller
Express-News Business Writer
The Texas Residential Construction Commission has fined 48 Texas builders, including two in San Antonio, for failing to renew their state registrations on time.
Liberty Builders, Inc. was fined $300 and Peter Stainken Contracting, L.L.C. was fined $150.
Both companies have since brought their registrations up to date after missing the Feb. 28 deadline, said commission spokesman Patrick Fortner.
Charles Farmer with Liberty Builders said he let his registration lapse because was working with another builder earlier this year.
His business has no affiliation with Liberty Builders of Texas, a San Antonio home remodeling and siding company.
Stainken said he mistakenly let his registration lapse because he thought he had paid for a two-year registration in 2005 instead of a one-year registration.
"It doesn't reflect on this builder's ability to do the job," Fortner said. "It just says that they failed in their responsibility to maintain their registration."
The commission registers industry members and home construction projects and acts as a resource for consumer complainants.
It has come under intense scrutiny following a state auditor's report that said 86 percent of home owners who used the commission's resolution process said builders failed to fix the problem.
"The whole thing is worthless," said Janet Ahmad, president of HomeOwners for Better Building. "Now they're trying to make their brownie points by these people being fined." |