New homes flawed, owners say

Marilyn Olinger can give you a tour of her house, but it won't be the kind from a beaming new-home owner.

Instead of bragging about the space or crown molding, Olinger sees only flaws: a peeling porch roof, flaking stucco, chipped doors, bowed walls.

The list is nearly 80 items long.

She has a pile of photographs, a $200 report from an independent building inspector and visits from Goodyear inspectors to prove it.

It's a list Olinger feels shouldn't exist, considering that she dropped more than $330,000 for a new Palm Valley home in Goodyear.

She contracted for a new home more than a year ago and has spent countless hours calling the builder, Richmond American Homes, to get workmanship problems fixed.

"I have been through hell and back for the last year," Olinger said.

Olinger used to work for Richmond but said she quit because of the headaches she had from her home and listening to others complain about the company.

She wants her home to meet the standards she expected when she paid for it.

Some problems have been repaired, but she said it was like pulling teeth to get Richmond to fix mistakes.

There's still a host of troubles that haven't been settled. And it appears she is not alone.

Olinger found other neighbors whose quest to build dream homes felt more like nightmares.

"A big piece of crown molding just fell on my head," said Eric Barna, who lives in the same development. "I was cooking and closing a cabinet and it just fell. That's pretty crazy."

Barna said he has called Richmond American's warranty office a few times a month since he closed on his home nearly a year ago.

The first night he moved in, he said, the plumbing was clogged up. Then there's a wavy fence he'd like fixed, walls that aren't level, scratches in appliances.

"This has been a long, ongoing thing," Barna said. "They've worked on some stuff. At this point, I don't think anything else is going to be done."

Barna said he hasn't completely given up, and neither have some of his neighbors.

Cheryl and Joey Gustafson are also fed up.

Crushed ductwork when they moved in resulted in enormous electric bills during the hot months. The tile floor in the master bedroom has cracked, and a bowed wall has Cheryl concerned about the foundation.

"We've spent no less than 100 hours of effort to repair and make phone calls," she said. "The stress was horrific. I told myself if I don't relax, I'm going to kill myself."

The Gustafsons have been reimbursed for repairs, but in the end, their complaints are similar to Olinger's and Barna's: Calls to the builder left them feeling like they got the runaround or their home was subpar.

The Gustafsons paid about $376,000, but "as far as I am concerned, these homes are worth substantially less than what we've all paid," Cheryl said.

Contacted for comment, the national builder e-mailed a statement: "Richmond American Homes is committed to product and service quality. While we do not comment in the media on individual situations, our representatives are working directly with these individuals to address their concerns."

The Gustafsons are debating whether to submit a complaint against the builder.

Filing a complaint as soon as problems arise is a homeowner's first line of defense, said Brian Livingston, with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

Livingston wasn't aware of specific problems in Palm Valley but said, "Historically, Richmond is a good contractor that does satisfy its complaints."

Homeowners have a two-year window from the time they contract the work to ask questions about workmanship or craftsmanship.

"Filing the complaint with us gets us started to protect their rights," Livingston said.

Olinger already has filed her complaint with a handwritten note, at the end summing up her frustrations: "I do not understand why I have to jump through such hoops when I'm only asking for what I paid for 15 months ago."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0305house0305.html