Complaint Review: Palm Harbor Homes

In 1998, my husband and I purchased a manufactured home from Palm Harbor. When we did the final inspection prior to moving in, we noticed that the mini blinds in the living room were damaged. We were told they would be replaced before we moved in. We also had discovered that the island in the kitchen was not nailed down on one side. They promised that would also be taken care of.

At the end of November, I found a crack in the toilet tank that ran from top to bottom. I called PH to schedule a repair, but for three weeks they dodged my calls. Finally, I threatened the Better Business Bureau and I got a toilet tank. I still didn't have new blinds. The repair techs stated they would order them and have them installed within the next couple of days. Didn't happen.

In April 1999, I finally went to the dealership and demanded new blinds. They arrived the next day, but I had to install them myself. The kitchen island had never been repaired either. It was around this time, that we began to notice a mound developing in our dining room. There was not rhyme or reason for it, it was just there.

By early summer of 1999, the plaster on one wall began falling off and because we had a newborn baby, I was cleaning the floors every other day to keep her from putting it in her mouth. We also began to notice fine cracks crawling up our support wall in the kitchen. The middle of the wall had lifted so much you could slide a thick card under it, while the two ends remained firmly attached to the floor.

When we had a security system installed the technician reported that he found absolutely no insulation in the exterior walls. We were constantly enduring bloody knees from the carpet nail that had not been trimmed in front of our bathtub. Our closet light fixture was attached with rubber bands. Our cabinets were pulling away from the walls, our water heaters heating element went out after only 18 months, the cabinets were hung wrong, the screens were installed wrong, there were sunflower seeds scattered throughout the house left by the workers, and they still hadn't fixed the kitchen island.

The real problem came in February 2000 when a three dimensional crack was discovered in a corner connecting the support wall and the outer end wall of the house. I considered this an emergency repair and began calling PH frequently. No one found it necessary to return my calls.

Finally in March 2000, I filed a complaint with the Dept. of Community, Trade and Economic Development in WA. It was June before PH decided to reply. They sent Jeremy Crissman to inspect the home. He wrote off most of the complaints and graciously decided to fix some of the others, even though he didn't have to. Three complaints were labled as Non-Compliant to HUD standards. In this report, Mr. Crissman stated he would have all repairs done by June 30.

We never heard from him again. He claims that he attempted to contact us several times, finally sending a crew out on July 11, to find the home vacant and a "for sale" sign in the yard. However, we resided in the home until July 4, we turned off the phone there on July 5, we had voice messaging, but no message, he was aware that we had to relocate by July 10 and that he could contact me at our new number, but he had to first call my neighbor and she would put him in touch with me.

Between 2000 and 2002, I have been in contact with the President of Palm Harbor homes and the Division President, Forrest Barnes. The President, Larry Keener, was apologetic. Forrest Barnes, was a jerk. In a letter from Forrest dated April 25, 2002, he claims that the window "screens" were installed on Feb. 23, 1999. They were blinds and that is an absolute lie. See, Feb. 23 was exactly one week after my daughter was born via and emergency c-section. My mom was staying at the house, and PH never installed anything during her stay (something she is willing to testify to).

Forrest contends that we are to blame for the defects not being repaired, as we would not allow technicians access to the home. That became impossible after Sept. 2000 when it was turned over to the bank. We were unable to sell the house because nobody wanted to pay $75,000 for a house that was falling apart, knowing the warranty wasn't being honored and they may be forced to pay thousands of dollars in repairs.

After receiving this letter from Forrest, I called him to discuss some of the discrepencies and was told, "Palm Harbor does not now, nor has it ever, owed you anything". That would be inconsistent with the 5 year factory warranty that specifically address structural and non-compliance issues.

I have seen many beautiful manufactured homes and have know people who have been very happy with theirs. I will tell anyone living in the Skagit Valley in WA, do not buy from Palm Harbor! They are over priced, poorly made, when you need them, nobody is there, and a contract doesn't mean much to them. We feared for our safety and the safety of our daughter in that home. We got out after feeling we had been left with no other alternative and now we have a negative mark on our credit report.

It was only after we moved that we began to discover that the issues listed were not imminent dangers, but would be given time. How much time should have to pass before your walls cave in, your roof collapses, your child swallows plaster, a light fixture falls and shatters, etc.?

I'm no construction expert, but I knew enough to know that something wasn't right and that PH's attitude of "oh well" wasn't cutting the mustard. Their letterhead has the Energmiser logo on it. As I'm typing this I finally realized the irony of that word. PH is cheap on the energy it puts in to building and setting up their homes. The phrase Caveat Emptor is certainly applicable (for those who don't speak Latin, it's better known as Buyer Beware) when looking at Palm Harbor for your next house.

Michelle
Olymia, Washington
U.S.A.

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