Statesman Watch update: Homebuilder obtaining occupancy certificates for East Austin homes
By Ricardo Gándara
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Girija Shanmugam now has a piece of paper called a certificate of occupancy that the city requires for her and her husband to legally live in their Woodland Hills home. Their builder, Centex Homes, had earlier failed to complete the city's permitting process that requires a home pass final inspection.
When Statesman Watch reported in early July that the couple had closed on their home in 2007 without the certificate, they questioned the legality of the transaction and were alarmed that their home was built over a former stock pond. They say the house has been plagued by faulty plumbing and poor drainage, with water sometimes collecting in their yard and driveway after it rains.
"As per their request, we took soil borings that measures moisture content and soil compaction," said Valerie Dolenga, spokeswoman for the Pulte Group. "We'll compare the results next week with tests we did when we planned the community, but we believe the home is structurally sound and there is no evidence to indicate there are foundation problems."
Centex, which merged with Pulte Homes last year, also paid $450 for the couple's private engineering report, Dolenga said.
Girija Shanmugam said Chris Werth, division president of Pulte Homes in Central Texas, has been to her house twice and is coming again next week.
"That's when we'll be able to talk about any concerns that we still have," she said.
Centex also learned that 39 of the other 170 homes in Woodland Hills also lacked certificates of occupancy. Centex has built 580 homes in the area east of U.S. 183 near FM 969.
Leon Barba, a City of Austin building official, said the company has completed the necessary paperwork for 25 of the homes and is working on the other 14. He said Centex paid a $75 "reactivation" fee for every home to complete the permitting process.
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