Rivermist homeowners discuss buybacks
A letter-writing campaign and media blitz to convince the firm to negotiate were proposed at the Brandeis High School gathering of about 200 residents from the subdivision located nearby on the city's Northwest Side. They were urged to stay energized and united during what may be a protracted battle to protect their investments in The Hills of Rivermist, where a soil shift Jan. 24 collapsed part of a hillside retaining wall and left several homes in immediate peril.“We must march together as an army to win,” resident Chuck Cervantes told those at the meeting.  Centex representatives weren't invited to the meeting, where City Councilman Reed Williams called for quick action to fix the problems that have forced about 30 families into hotels and affected many others.

Rivermist homeowners discuss buybacks
Zeke MacCormack - Express-News

Alarmed by shifting ground that forced the evacuation of 91 homes in a Rivermist subdivision last month, neighborhood residents convened Saturday to craft a strategy to get concessions, including buybacks, from the builder, Centex Homes.

A letter-writing campaign and media blitz to convince the firm to negotiate were proposed at the Brandeis High School gathering of about 200 residents from the subdivision located nearby on the city's Northwest Side.

They were urged to stay energized and united during what may be a protracted battle to protect their investments in The Hills of Rivermist, where a soil shift Jan. 24 collapsed part of a hillside retaining wall and left several homes in immediate peril.

“We must march together as an army to win,” resident Chuck Cervantes told those at the meeting. Roughly 100 people indicated they want Centex to buy back their home.

New cracks in walls and trim are now appearing in homes away from the hill, said resident Karen Maxwell.

“This isn't just a problem with people living on the top or bottom of the hill,” she told the crowd. “This is a problem for people blocks away.”

Centex representatives weren't invited to the meeting, where City Councilman Reed Williams called for quick action to fix the problems that have forced about 30 families into hotels and affected many others.

“I want solutions now,” Williams said.

Centex, which is footing the hotel bills and paying per-diems to displaced residents, predicts it will be four to six weeks before engineers isolate the cause of the slope failure and propose a solution to city officials.

“We're focusing on making sure the immediate needs of residents are met and on identifying the cause of the problem and fixing it,” said Valerie Dolenga, spokeswoman for Pulte Homes, the parent company of Centex.

City officials say it will take a major reconstruction of the wall, at a minimum, to remedy the problem.

But stabilizing the hillside won't satisfy residents such as Maria Cachola, who's among those calling the Drury Inn home.

“We want our houses bought back. That's the bottom line,” she said, urging fellow residents to demand it of Centex.

Janet Ahmad, of HomeOwners for Better Building, told Rivermist residents to be vocal and persistent.

“If you drop like flies, Pulte will just sit and wait,” she said, telling residents that hiring an attorney will only stall talks with Centex officials.

Dolenga said the firm is in communication with all of the affected residents, except those with lawyers.

“Those folks with attorneys have to go through our attorneys,” she said.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Rivermist_homeowners_discuss_buybacks.html