HomeLatest NewsFeatured HomebuildersHome Buyer ResourcesBinding ArbitrationResource LinksSubmit ComplaintsView ComplaintsTake Action 101!Report Mortgage FraudMortgage Fraud NewsForeclosure NewsConstruction DefectsHome DefectsPhoto GalleryFoundation ProblemsHomeowner Website LinksHOA Reform
Main Menu
Home
Latest News
Featured Homebuilders
Home Buyer Resources
Binding Arbitration
Resource Links
Submit Complaints
View Complaints
Take Action 101!
Report Mortgage Fraud
Mortgage Fraud News
Foreclosure News
Construction Defects
Home Defects
Photo Gallery
Foundation Problems
Homeowner Website Links
HOA Reform
Featured Topics
Builder Death Spiral
Report Mortgage Fraud
Foreclosure Special Report
Mold & New Home Guide
Special News Reports
Centex & Habitability
How Fast Can They Build Them?
TRCC Editorial
Texas TRCC Scandal
Texas Watch - Tell Lawmakers
TRCC Recommendations
Sandra Bullock
People's Lawyer
Prevent Nightmare Homes
Choice Homes
Smart Money
Weekly Update Message
HOBB Archives
About HOBB
Contact Us
Fair Use Notice
Legislative Work
Your House

 HOBB News Alerts
and Updates

Click Here to Subscribe

Support HOBB - Become a Sustaining Member
Who's Online
We have 1 guest online
ABC Special Report
Investigation: New Home Heartbreak
Trump - NAHB Homebuilders Shoddy Construction and Forced Arbitration
The Times-Tribune Feature: Pennsylvania Homebuilder Scott Binsack
Tuesday, 24 July 2007

Detractors, growing debt dog local builder
Scott Binsack makes his trade as a home builder, but his best tools are his mastery of marketing and his magnetic charisma. Ken Jacoby, a local excavator who has dealt with Mr. Binsack, phrased it best in saying he could “talk a hound off a meat truck.” But a growing group of detractors now say the marketing and charisma that helped Mr. Binsack craft a high-end home-building company from scratch in four years serves as a thin veil concealing a pattern of deception and unpaid debt.

How to resolve a contractor problem

Preventative measures

A sliver of prevention is better than a 2-by-4 of cure. Consumers can avoid many potential problems by doing their homework before hiring a contractor.

The first step is contacting references and visiting completed projects. Checking with the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general’s office for complaints could also provide information.

When preparing a contract, the agreement should be as detailed as possible, including types of materials and a timeline.

“Reputable contractors may be busy and they may not be the most pleasant individuals, but they will want to show off their past work and don’t shy away from detailed contracts and timelines,” said Nils Frederickson, of the state attorney general’s office. “Conversely, con artists have always been slick, personable and had the best pitch. For them, it’s all about the pitch.”

Frequent communication

Visiting the work site often and giving contractors feedback often stops problems before they become problems. When Scott Elliott, of the Pennsylvania Builders Association, had his bathroom remodeled, he sent daily e-mails to contractors, praising them about the work and sometimes questioning it.

“In a few cases, we undid stuff when it was easy to do so,” he said. “Consumers shouldn’t be passive.”

Dispute resolution

Builders or customers may request an arbitration clause in the contract to help resolve disputes. Local builder associations or the Better Business Bureau also offer mediation services to settle disputes to keep the parties out of court.

Going to court

Hiring an attorney is costly and often deepens the bitterness between builders and customers. When all else fails, however, it can be the only recourse available.

Making a complaint

General complaints may be made to the Better Business Bureau. Issues involving deception or non-performance may be made to the Consumer Protection Hotline of the state Attorney General’s office at 800-441-2555.

For more information, contact the Pennsylvania Builders Association at 800-692-7339 or www.pabuilders.org; the state attorney general at www.attorneygeneral.gov; or the Better Business Bureau of Northeastern Pennsylvania at 614-4222 or www.nepa.bbb.org.

SOURCES: BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE, PENNSYLVANIA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18512090&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

 
< Prev   Next >
Search HOBB.org

Reckless Endangerment
BY: GRETCHEN MORGENSON
and JOSHUA ROSNER

Outsized Ambition, Greed and
Corruption Led to
Economic Armageddon


Amazon
Barnes & Noble

NPR Special Report
Part I Listen Now
Perry Home - No Warranty 
Part II Listen Now
Texas Favors Builders

Washington Post
The housing bubble, in four chapters
BusinessWeek Special Reports
Bonfire of the Builders
Homebuilders helped fuel the housing crisis
Housing: That Sinking Feeling

Consumer Affairs Builder Complaints

IS YOUR STATE NEXT?
As Goes Texas So Goes the Nation
Knowledge and Financial Responsibility are still Optional for Texas Home Builders

OUTSTANDING FOX4 REPORT
TRCC from Bad to Worse
Case of the Crooked House

TRCC AN ARRESTING EXPERIENCE
The Pat and Bob Egert Building & TRCC Experience 

Build it right the first time
An interview with Janet Ahmad

Bad Binding Arbitration Experience?
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 1-210-402-6800

top of page

© 2024 HomeOwners for Better Building
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License.