Complaint Review: Martin Harris Construction

I purchased a newly constructed condominium in a complex right on the Las Vegas Strip at the beginning of this year. I have owned/purchased 2 previous homes and yet I have seen things in this condo that I have never seen before.

Most walls are wavy or uneven to various degrees. One ceiling is noticeably slanted, one closet frame is crooked with uneven hanging doors that leave gaps of up to 1 inch when closed. The front entrance doorway was slammed with something large after I did the initial walk through but before I moved in and after a poorly placed bondo patch, I was accused of causing the damage, but Martin Harris Construction. Also paint stains were left on the rug. When I pointed this out, I was advised by a Martin Harris rep, to use some soap and water, which worked but also bleached the color of the rug.

Initially I tried talking with Martin Harris reps. The first rep, Levi, stated that he would do his best to take care of these items if I signed the initial punch list. He seemed like a stand up, responsible guy and said not to worry, as any items that he didn't take care of would be addressed by the warranty department of Martin Harris Construction. This was in March of 2007 and the following week Levi was no longer with Martin Harris Construction and more than a month went by before I could get someone else from Martin Harris to address these issues. The next rep, "Steve," didn't return my calls and later claimed that he had left several messages on my cell phone, which he said could take up to "a week," to show on my phone, because of the coverage in Las Vegas.

This was only some of the rediculous comments and situations. I has stood up more than 8 times by various vendors/reps of Martin Harris Construction after appointments were made. These were on my days off work. I sat there waiting the whole day each time, as some of the reps would tell me that they were "on their way," and would be at my home momentarily, meanwhile never show up.

The work that was done on straightening some of the CURVY WALLS was very poor, as the repairs minimized the curves, didn't straighten them. Gaps left in the floor boards were stuffed/fillled with caulking, looking shotty at best. The slanted ceiling, crooked closet and damaged front entrance weren't repaired, with the excuse given that these were within, "industry standard."

The explosion of growth in Las Vegas has relaxed the level of quality that home owners can expect, however additionally companies like Martin Harris Construction lower the bar of quality even more.

I was patient and polite with Martin Harris reps for over 7 months, despite being given false promises of work they would do and later denied; being stood up numerous times; being told that I didn't return their calls (which were bold face lies) and being belittled and treated adversarilly by their customer service reps. I was even told to "use the other bathroom" in my condo, so I wouldn't have to see the uneven walls in my first bathroom, by one of their reps, "Steve."

I spent $363,000 dollars on my condo, which was billed to me as "Luxary Styled Living." I have spent half this price on full size homes that had much better quality and customer service. I am now trying to get some customer satisfaction out of the developer of my complex, which seems to be an uphill battle.

A note of advice to anyone dealing with Martin Harris Construction, BE CAREFUL! If you are stuck with them, get every interaction, statement and promise in writing. This might seem ridiculous, however if you don't, then you will be left holding the bag as I am now.

Steve t.
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.