Empire Ranch homes defective, lawsuit alleges
Owners of eight single-family homes in Folsomâs Empire Ranch Development have filed a construction defects lawsuit against mega-developer D.R. Horton. Represented by the Sacramento law firm of Anderson & Kriger, the suit was filed in El Dorado County Superior Court in late January. The homeownersâ complaints are numerous: extensive cracked stucco, leaky windows, leaky roofs, and negative drainage, among other things. Matthew Schoech, an attorney at Anderson & Kriger, said: âThe sheer number of stucco cracks in these homes shocked me.â
Empire Ranch homes defective, lawsuit alleges
Monday, February 12, 2007 / Bob Battenfield & Associates
(Press release)- Owners of eight single-family homes in Folsomâs Empire Ranch Development have filed a construction defects lawsuit against mega-developer D.R. Horton. Represented by the Sacramento law firm of Anderson & Kriger, the suit was filed in El Dorado County Superior Court in late January.
The homeownersâ complaints are numerous: extensive cracked stucco, leaky windows, leaky roofs, and negative drainage, among other things. Matthew Schoech, an attorney at Anderson & Kriger, said: âThe sheer number of stucco cracks in these homes shocked me.â
Built in 2001, the Empire Ranch Development homes are located south of Folsom Lake and east of Folsom, near the intersection of East Natomas Street and Golf Links Drive. Included in the case are homes on Auldearn Court, Swinton Way, Sandwick Way, Cornhill Way, Bearsden Court, and Leven Court.
No dollar amount has yet been established. Construction defect experts will be retained by the law firm to fully investigate the problems and estimate a cost to repair the defects found. In a construction defect lawsuit, the homeowner is entitled to the full amount required to repair the recoverable defects found in their home, Schoech explained.
D.R. Horton, which uses the marketing theme âAmericaâs Builder,â is a major developer of single family homes and condominiums in the Sacramento area and nationwide. The firm operates in 83 markets in 27 states and has been ranked as the largest homebuilder by units sold in the United States since 2003.
Before going to trial the parties will likely attempt resolve the case through mediation. âTo take the case all the way through trial would take two to three years,â he said, âbut with mediation, there is a chance the case will settle prior to trial.â
Homeowners have ten years from the time that their homes are built to file a lawsuit against the builder to enforce their rights and recover for construction defects.
For more information contact the offices of Anderson & Kriger at (916) 569-1940. The office is located at 3831 N. Freeway Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95834. Visit the website at http://www.a-k.com.
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