HomeLatest NewsFeatured HomebuildersHome Buyer ResourcesBinding ArbitrationResource LinksSubmit ComplaintsView ComplaintsTake Action 101!Report Mortgage FraudMortgage Fraud NewsForeclosure NewsConstruction DefectsHome DefectsPhoto GalleryFoundation ProblemsHomeowner Website LinksHOA Reform
Main Menu
Home
Latest News
Featured Homebuilders
Home Buyer Resources
Binding Arbitration
Resource Links
Submit Complaints
View Complaints
Take Action 101!
Report Mortgage Fraud
Mortgage Fraud News
Foreclosure News
Construction Defects
Home Defects
Photo Gallery
Foundation Problems
Homeowner Website Links
HOA Reform
Featured Topics
Builder Death Spiral
Report Mortgage Fraud
Foreclosure Special Report
Mold & New Home Guide
Special News Reports
Centex & Habitability
How Fast Can They Build Them?
TRCC Editorial
Texas TRCC Scandal
Texas Watch - Tell Lawmakers
TRCC Recommendations
Sandra Bullock
People's Lawyer
Prevent Nightmare Homes
Choice Homes
Smart Money
Weekly Update Message
News
Latest News
HOBB News
Editorials
New Jersey
New Jersey & Texas
Write Letters to the Editors
TRCC in the News
Texas TRCC Scandal
Survey
Fair Use Notice
HOBB Archives
About HOBB
Contact Us
Fair Use Notice
Legislative Work
Your House

 HOBB News Alerts
and Updates

Click Here to Subscribe

Support HOBB - Become a Sustaining Member
Who's Online
ABC Special Report
Investigation: New Home Heartbreak
Trump - NAHB Homebuilders Shoddy Construction and Forced Arbitration
A Growing Problem: Suit Happy Developers and Builders
Friday, 06 October 2006

South Texas development battles are heading to court more often
Wrob is part of a growing number of city officials and residents who spoke out against real estate projects by San Antonio developers — and were then sued by the developers when the deals soured... In another lawsuit filed Aug. 17 in Bexar County, developers Schaefer and Earl made similar allegations against more than two dozen residents and city officials, most of whom fought a proposal to provide tax incentives for a large development in Del Rio near Laughlin AFB...Homebuilders occasionally have sued customers who publicly complained about what they said was shoddy workmanship. And Schaefer hasn't hesitated to sue city officials whom he disagrees with — he's filed more than a dozen lawsuits against San Antonio over housing projects...“This guy is not only shooting himself in the foot,” McIlwain said, “he's also shooting himself in the knee and the left arm.”

Exress News
South Texas development battles are heading to court more often
10/04/2006

John Tedesco
Express-News Staff Writer

Del Rio City Councilman Mike Wrob had never been shy about criticizing a proposal by two San Antonio developers that would earn them millions in tax incentives.

But Wrob was shocked when the developers, John Schaefer and David Earl, sued him, his colleagues and several residents of Del Rio and accused them of a “conspiracy” to kill the deal.

“I think it's ludicrous,” Wrob said. “It's a bullying tactic.”

Wrob is part of a growing number of city officials and residents who spoke out against real estate projects by San Antonio developers — and were then sued by the developers when the deals soured.

Last week, Balous Miller, president of the Bill Miller barbecue restaurant chain, filed a lawsuit against members of the Helotes City Council and a citizens group that opposed the construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter on a 32-acre tract of land owned by Miller.

Miller alleged that city officials and residents conspired x and used “extensive negative publicity” that ultimately drove Wal-Mart away.

In another lawsuit filed Aug. 17 in Bexar County, developers Schaefer and Earl made similar allegations against more than two dozen residents and city officials, most of whom fought a proposal to provide tax incentives for a large development in Del Rio near Laughlin AFB.

The lawsuit claims the defendants conspired to “embark on a deliberate and calculated campaign to spread false statements” and force the Del Rio City Council to back out of a tax increment financing zone that could have raised up to $130 million in tax revenues for the developers.

Receptionists for Miller and Schaefer said they were out of town Wednesday. Messages left with Miller's lawyer and Earl, who is Schaefer's lawyer in addition to being a developer in the Del Rio land deal, weren't returned.

Homebuilders occasionally have sued customers who publicly complained about what they said was shoddy workmanship. And Schaefer hasn't hesitated to sue city officials whom he disagrees with — he's filed more than a dozen lawsuits against San Antonio over housing projects.

But the recent lawsuits by Miller, Schaefer and Earl also target everyday people who say their only crime is speaking up at public meetings and signing petitions.

Del Rio lawyer Jan London said her 82-year-old mother-in-law was named as a defendant.

“It's about quelling free speech, to get everybody to shut up,” London said.

John McIlwain, a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute, a research organization with 33,000 members who work in the real estate industry, said suing critics of development projects is a terrible idea.

“If it's one thing communities have, it's a right to speak out and express their views,” McIlwain said. “That's the American way, for heaven's sake.”

McIlwain acknowledged that a “not in my backyard” mentality pervades many communities. But many developers realize it's good business to try to work with residents.

McIlwain pointed out that Miller still owns the land in Helotes, which means if he wants to develop it, he'll have to deal with the very people he's suing.

“This guy is not only shooting himself in the foot,” McIlwain said, “he's also shooting himself in the knee and the left arm.”

The lawsuits put Earl in an unusual position. As a lobbyist, he represents Schaefer and other developers, and he's a business partner with Schaefer in the Del Rio project.

But Earl also works for Helotes as its city attorney. In a past interview, he said the Helotes council members did nothing wrong in opposing Miller and Wal-Mart. He did not offer his opinions of residents who were critical of the deal.

Resentment against critics who oppose controversial projects has simmered for many years among some members of the San Antonio real estate industry, according to interviews with developers and their lobbyists, and past newsletters published by trade groups.

“The democratic process allows any politician with an agenda, any organization with a big enough showing, even any bureaucrat with enough zeal to initiate legislation that impacts others more than themselves,” David McAllister, then president of the San Antonio Real Estate Council, complained in a January 2000 newsletter.

In 2003, developer Mark Granados filed a $25 million defamation lawsuit against environmentalist Richard Alles. The suit was dropped, Alles said, but the strategy worked.

“Yeah, it's effective,” Alles said. “When you get sued for $25 million, it not only takes up a lot of your time defending it, it's really discouraging for people like me and the Helotes Heritage Association who are doing all this stuff as volunteers.

“I'm a lot more careful about who I talk about and what I talk about,” Alles said.


This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA100506.southtxdevelopment.8e7a7e1.html

 
< Prev   Next >
Search HOBB.org

Reckless Endangerment
BY: GRETCHEN MORGENSON
and JOSHUA ROSNER

Outsized Ambition, Greed and
Corruption Led to
Economic Armageddon


Amazon
Barnes & Noble

 Feature
Rise and Fall of Predatory Lending and Housing

NY Times: Building Flawed American Dreams 
Read CATO Institute: 
HUD Scandals

Listen to NPR:
Reckless Endangerman
by
Gretchen Morgenson : How 'Reckless' Greed Contributed
to Financial Crisis - Fannie Mae

NPR Special Report
Part I Listen Now
Perry Home - No Warranty 
Part II Listen Now
Texas Favors Builders

Washington Post
The housing bubble, in four chapters
BusinessWeek Special Reports
Bonfire of the Builders
Homebuilders helped fuel the housing crisis
Housing: That Sinking Feeling

Texas Regulates Homebuyers
 
Texas Comptroller Condemns TRCC Builder Protection Agency
TRCC is the punishment phase of homeownership in Texas

HOBB Update Messages

Consumer Affairs Builder Complaints

IS YOUR STATE NEXT?
As Goes Texas So Goes the Nation
Knowledge and Financial Responsibility are still Optional for Texas Home Builders

OUTSTANDING FOX4 REPORT
TRCC from Bad to Worse
Case of the Crooked House

TRCC AN ARRESTING EXPERIENCE
The Pat and Bob Egert Building & TRCC Experience 

Builders Looking for Federal Handouts

Build it right the first time
An interview with Janet Ahmad

Bad Binding Arbitration Experience?
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 1-210-402-6800

Drum Major Institute
for Public Policy

Tort Deform
Report Your Arbitration Experience

Homebuilding Texas Style
And the walls came
tumblin' down

 Texas Homebuilder
Bob Perry Political Contributions

  The Agency Bob Perry Built
 TRCC Connection News
Tort Reform

NPR Interview - Perry's
Political influence movement.
Click to listen 

REWARD
MOST WANTED

ARIZONA REGISTRAR OF CONTRACTORS
Have you seen any of these individuals

 Feature: Mother Jones Magazine
Are you Next?
People Magazine - Jordan Fogal fights back
Because of construction defects Jordan’s Tremont Home is uninhabitable
http://www.tremonthomehorrors.com/
You could be the next victim
Interview with Award Winning Author Jordan Fogal

Special Money Report
Big Money and Shoddy Construction:Texas Home Buyers Left Out in the Cold
Read More
Read Report: Big Money…
Home Builder Money Source of Influence

Letters to the Editor
Write your letters to the Editor

Homeowner Websites

top of page

© 2024 HomeOwners for Better Building
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License.