Homeowners can sue KB Home |
Wednesday, 17 May 2006 |
Settlement allows homeowners to sue KB Home A Laredo judge finalized a court decision Tuesday that allows owners of homes made by KB Home to file lawsuits against the company...The settlement is a victory for consumers, said Janet Ahmad of San Antonio, president of home-builder watchdog group Homeowners for Better Building. Her group has often decried arbitration clauses in contracts as unfair to homeowners. "They are the only builder in the nation that cannot require binding arbitration," she said.
Settlement allows homeowners to sue KB Home
By ANDREA JARES STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITERA Laredo judge finalized a court decision Tuesday that allows owners of homes made by KB Home to file lawsuits against the company. The class-action suit led by Timothy Pruitt seals an arrangement announced in February. KB Home, like most builders, had required its buyers to take their conflicts to arbitration rather than file lawsuits. As part of the February agreement, it sent notices of the change to its buyers for the past 10 years, letting them know that they had the option of joining the lawsuit. KB Home said in a statement that it was pleased with the settlement's terms. Spokeswoman Cathy Teague declined to comment beyond the statement approved by both parties. The settlement is a victory for consumers, said Janet Ahmad of San Antonio, president of home-builder watchdog group Homeowners for Better Building. Her group has often decried arbitration clauses in contracts as unfair to homeowners. "They are the only builder in the nation that cannot require binding arbitration," she said. |