KSAT 12:Homebuilder Indicted On Fraud Charges
Greg Mikesell Faces Maximum Of Life In Prison If Convicted
SAN ANTONIO -- A homebuilder accused of fraud by multiple victims has now been indicted on elderly fraud charges, according to the Bexar County District Attorney's office. Greg Mikesell, indicted on charges of elderly fraud, allegedly scammed hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple victims, said the DA's office. Mikesell was the subject of a KSAT 12 Defenders investigation in March of this year. "He's going to be held accountable on elder fraud for taking $100,000 from a World War II veteran," said District Attorney Susan Reed. "It hurts my heart when I see that happen, so by golly, if I can do something about it. I am and I'm the lady who can." If successfully prosecuted, Mikesell could face five to 99 years in prison or receive a life sentence. Attempts to reach Mikesell as well as his attorney have been unsuccessful. See KSAT Report

Roof falls in on a promising builder
Three homeowners sued Mikesell, claiming shoddy construction, unfinished homes and theft of construction funds. Creditors — including his painting, concrete, tile, framing, roofing and plumbing subcontractors — claim they are owed several hundred thousand dollars in unpaid bills. Altogether, judgments of about $700,000 are on file in Bexar County. ...they use words like con man, cheat and a man without a conscience. “He built my house and cost me a half-million,” said Michael Alisanski, who sued Mikesell last year over numerous problems with an $800,000 house in The Dominion.“He put the wrong roof on my house, we had extensive water damage, my mahogany wood floors were ruined, my drainage is screwed up and I never got a warranty on the house,” Alisanski said. Read comments

ExpressNews: TRCC reveals its plan to close down
The agency that oversees home building in Texas will be dismantled over the next 14 months ... l Aug. 31... the agency starts a yearlong wind down of its operations. The Sunset Advisory Commission staff last year recommended abolishing the agency, in part because of the inability of the agency to force builders to repair shoddy construction work. Homeowners were forced to go through the agency before going to court, but didn't trust it, the staff report said. “No other regulatory agency has a program with such a potentially devastating effect on consumers' ability to seek their own remedies,” it said.In September, Texas reverts to the pre-TRCC law, the Residential Construction Liability Act, which limited damages homeowners could seek and gave builders the right to repair poor construction.

End mapped out for Texas construction agency
The agency that oversees home building in Texas will be dismantled over the next 14 months under a plan announced Friday. But it will be business as usual for builders and homeowners dealing with the Texas Residential Construction Commission until Aug. 31. After that, the agency starts a one-year wind down of its operations. The TRCC is outlining its demise after lawmakers did not act to save the beleaguered agency from the state’s “sunset” process.

Water Restrictions, what's the Impact on Homeowners?
How does this happen? How can we put a man on the moon in 1969, essentially eradicate smallpox, build millions of homes that don't have foundation deficiencies and failures, yet let so many engineers and homebuilders continually plague homeowners with substandard foundations? The answer is simple. Money. Let's follow the money.