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Thursday, 28 May 2009

EXCLUSIVE: "He Did a Piss Poor Job," Homeowner About Builder
Three homeowners she talked to thought they were getting good deals on their dream homes, but now a year and a half later they're paying tens of thousands of dollars to finish work on their houses. Money spent on work they say their builder should have finished. Chris Urbanski used a Marine Corps veteran, used a VA Loan to buy his first house built by Bookcliff Builders of Fruita. He bought a $284,000 home that a little more than a year later he says is falling apart. And Urbanski isn't the only one who says he's had problems with Bookcliff Builders.

EXCLUSIVE: "He Did a Piss Poor Job," Homeowner About Builder

 May 26, 2009
Reporter: Jesssica Zartler
Email Address: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
 

It's a story you'll see only on 11 News.

Spigots sticking out too far, carpet fraying and not glued down, pieces of brick pulling right out of the foyer.

These are some of the things Clifton homeowners say a local builder left them with after they paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their homes.

11 News Reporter Jessia Zartler has this exclusive story and information on how you can protect yourself.

Three homeowners she talked to thought they were getting good deals on their dream homes, but now a year and a half later they're paying tens of thousands of dollars to finish work on their houses.

Money spent on work they say their builder should have finished.

Chris Urbanski used a Marine Corps veteran, used a VA Loan to buy his first house built by Bookcliff Builders of Fruita.

He bought a $284,000 home that a little more than a year later he says is falling apart.

And Urbanski isn't the only one who says he's had problems with Bookcliff Builders.

Greg Lonergan says just months after he bought his home, the roof started leaking, he got a notice from the County about his driveway breaking code and says his wood floors have cracks.

Both are out of luck because he and Urbanski say they haven't been able to get a hold of the builder.

Neither could 11News. Jessica Zartler knocked on owner matt steckman's door and all the numbers listed for the company are out of service.

Better Business Bureau records for the company show a "D" grade with one unanswered complaint.

Something Lonergan and Urbanski admit they didn't check.

But it’s something Holly Miller with the BBB says may have helped.

She says it's important to be thorough before you sign anything, keep your paperwork, get inspections before and after the house is built and ask the right questions.

Colorado is one of the few states that doesn't require contractors to be licensed and why the BBB says our state sees more of these types of problems.

If you're wondering about the track record of a contractor you're thinking about using and want to do a little more research, click the link below.

Read Comments

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.
Posted by: Janet Location: San Antonio on May 27, 2009 at 07:21 PM
Checking out a homebuilder’s reputation can be misleading. The Court House does not have any lawsuits against homebuilders recorded because builders require homebuyer agreed to never sue but to submit all construction defects to the builders binding arbitration. The BBB's records are skewed as well because the BBB has gotten into the lucrative Binding Arbitration. If the complaining homeowner declines to go to the BBB’s binding arbitration process the complaint is closed. Checking with the TRCC is totally misleading, so misleading the state agency has just been abolished by the state legisalature. Janet Ahmad Home Owners for Better Building

Posted by: Cindy Location: usa on May 27, 2009 at 01:54 PM
Something that may be of use to the ones w/FHA or VA financing is that if they have a 3rd party home warranty policy they can retain their right to use the courts if the warranty co denies or lowballs their claim. Other buyers are usually trapped by warranty co's arbitration clauses which prevent suing and hide complaints in private industry records. I don't think the same federal regulation will help buyers who agreed in the builder's own contract to arbitrate, but for what it's worth, the regulation is in Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations. I'ts 24 CFR 203.204(g). I had to get a letter from HUD confirming the meaning before I could successfully enforce it so don't expect the warranty co to comply automatically. Also, don't count on BBB's to report complaints. Many people find out too late there were complaints filed but not reported when they did their research. And licensing is only as good as the people that run it. If they are builders it's not so good.

Posted by: Colleen Location: Rohnert Park on May 26, 2009 at 08:49 PM
Is anyone going to help these families? Doesn't the builders have any obligation to the home owners? What can they do?

http://www.nbc11news.com/localnews/headlines/46129747.html#comments

 
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