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Washington State Leads the Nation to Protect
Homebuyers with a "Homebuyers' Bill of Rights"
Watch for all the latest News: Washington - Latest News
Important Updates: 2008
Feb. 1 2008 Under the Doom QUOTED: "There is no one who benefits more from this bill than buyers of affordable housing. … They can't afford the tens of thousands of dollars when something does go wrong. They can't just write a check." — Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, speaking in favor of Senate Bill 6385, which passed on a 27-20 vote in the Senate on Friday. It creates a negligence standard for builders, letting consumers sue over shoddy construction.
Jan. 28. 2008 Senate Consumer Protection & Housing Commitee
This will be a hot issue to watch. Listen to the homebuilding industry whine and moan over bill to protect homebuyers. Chairman Senator Brian Weinstein has heated exchange. See Public Hearing...
Jan. 14, 2008 Washington State: Legislators attempt to regulate homebuilding - Support SB 6385
Tthis legislative session, Brian Weinstein, D-Mercer Island, and Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, are back with a bill that, if passed, would make it easier to sue home builders when the work is not done properly. Read more...
Send your opinion to your legislator The legislative hotline: (800) 562-6000
2007 Session: State Senator Brian Weinstein & Represenative Brendan Williams Serious about a "Homebuyers' Bill of Rights"
"Homebuyers in our state have little or no rights," says State Senator Brian Weinstein, D-Mercer Island. "If the home is defective, if there's structural problems, water damage, anything like that, they have no rights."
Senator Weinstein authored a bill (SB 5550) that would establish a homeowner's bill of rights. Representative Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, is the primary sponsor of a similar bill in the House (HB 1935).
Senate Bill Report SB 5550
House Bill Report HB 1935
The Bills would prevent builders from forcing buyers to waive implied warranties against negligence and defects in workmanship.
OUTSTANDING REPORT!
Washington State - The Battle to Regulate Builders Heats Up
Part I of Herb's Story - Your pricey home may not be backed by a warranty
"Homebuyers in our state have little or no rights," says State Senator Brian Weinstein, D-Mercer Island. "If the home is defective, if there's structural problems, water damage, anything like that, they have no rights." "What we're doing is ensuring that the American dream of owning a home doesn't become a nightmare," Rep. Williams says in a news release. If approved and signed into law, builders in Washington state would be required to provide a minimum warranty...Those who support the bills to give home buyers better protection insist there is a problem. They point to a report from Criterium Engineers. The company inspects homes in 35 states, including Washington. Their 2006 Quality Survey says 17 percent of new homes have significant problems. Watch the Problem Solver Report
Outstanding Warranty Report
Filled with Exclusions - In most cases
Builder Warranties Don’t Cover
Non-load-bearing walls
Plaster or Flooring or sub-flooring
Brick, stucco, stone, or veneer
Any type of exterior siding roof shingles
Heating, cooling or ventilation
Plumbing, electrical or electrical
Appliances or fixtures, doors & cabinets
Paint or stain.
RWC WARRANTY
“Failure to complete construction of the home or any portion of the home… is not considered a defect.†The homeowner agrees to arbitrate any dispute and to pay for that arbitration. You also agree to give up your right to sue the builder – that limits your options.
New homes have significant problems
- 23 percent have a roof problem
- 24 percent have inadequate framing
- 19 percent have siding problems
- 16 percent have faulty foundations
Another Report
Washington State Legislator want guarantees for new-home buyers - "Homeowner's Bill of Rights"
Washington Legislature: Buyer-rights battle builds
Weinstein, a sometimes-abrasive Mercer Island lawyer who specialized in asbestos litigation, is in a bitter public clash with the powerful home-building industry. And what a few weeks ago looked like go-nowhere, campaign-fodder legislation – a "Homeowner's Bill of Rights" – now looks like it actually has a chance of passing. More than half the state Senate, including Majority Leader Lisa Brown, has signed onto Weinstein's proposal to require transferable warranties of up to 10 years on new homes. Builders would be liable for all costs of repairing a defect. Read more...
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