Anna
Spring Hill,#2Consumer Suggestion
Mon, May 30, 2005
I am the one that posted the prior report against Jim Walter Homes. (Date Created: 7/27/2003 6:27:23 PM (Last Modified:7/28/2003 9:44:28 PM ) My house did finally start leaking shortly after I posted this report. Their was water pouring down my living room and kitchen walls. After some of the hurricane weather that blowed through, I began to have all kinds of trouble with my roof. Had the roof had felt under the shingles the damage could have been less severe. As of Thursday May 26-29,2005 my home was re-roofed by my husband. The was not one square inch of felt under those shingles. As for the leaning piers. A few months ago, my husband had to put steel cables under the floor front to back and use a "come-along" to pull the floor joice back in they where almost about to come off of the floor framing, this was because the piers were not on "poured pads", but just concrete block pads. I would never want another Jim Walter Homes, even if it was given to me. If you go to their web site and read their warranty information. It is worded in a way to cover their tails after a little bit of time has passed by. They rarely keep the same construction contractors for very long. This way they can say, "we are not responsiblie", etc. etc. If they wanted to make every customer happy, regardless of warranties, they would reimburse every customer for damage that was caused the first week, the house went up. This includes, roof problems. framing problems, second rate materials, and cheap construction crews they seek out. (This applies to all Jim Walter Franchises, not just the ones in some other areas.) I still wonder after 18-19 years who the heck inspected my home. Go figure! Do not buy a Jim Walter Home, because you believe you can avoid closing cost and down payments. You will pay for it in the future. Go the distance and get a good respected builder to build your home. Save up for your closing cost and downpayment. You will never regret it. Jim Walter Homes, Inc. are out to make $$$$$ , not to fulfill anyone's dreams.
Cindy
Edmond,#3Consumer Suggestion
Mon, July 28, 2003
I'm familiar with this type of complaint. Our builder also didn't put roofing felt down, and it not only voids the shingle warranty, but in most areas it's also code violation and voids the new home warranty such as those from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty corporation. People think they're getting a home that's built right and to code, and that's not necessarily so. They think the warranty will cover everything and that's not so either. My state's largest tract home builder is leaving off felt on many homes and told one savvy buyer that felt was just a courtesy "dust cover." The buyer is trying to get his city to enforce this code and so far the city is not enforcing it, at least not on chosen builders. Not one house in the developments within a mile of me, homes that range from medium to semi-luxury homes, has flashing around the windows, and many have no house wrap under the siding. The homes are shoddy, period. There is so much fraud and misrepresentation in the home building industry it's obscene. Then they have the gall to whine to our state legislators that they need new laws to take away our consumer protection on homes, and refer vaguely to "frivolous" lawsuits against builders. In reality, it is very hard and expensive to sue a builder and certainly not something a person could afford to do if the case was not valid. Good luck even finding a competent lawyer, when the state doesn't allow the kind of awards that attract lawyers. In most states the kind of awards builders claim we are getting are not even allowable under state law! I asked the home builders associations to give me the case numbers of these "frivolous" cases and not one could provide a real case. It's a pile of BULL.
Cindy
Edmond,#4Consumer Suggestion
Mon, July 28, 2003
I'm familiar with this type of complaint. Our builder also didn't put roofing felt down, and it not only voids the shingle warranty, but in most areas it's also code violation and voids the new home warranty such as those from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty corporation. People think they're getting a home that's built right and to code, and that's not necessarily so. They think the warranty will cover everything and that's not so either. My state's largest tract home builder is leaving off felt on many homes and told one savvy buyer that felt was just a courtesy "dust cover." The buyer is trying to get his city to enforce this code and so far the city is not enforcing it, at least not on chosen builders. Not one house in the developments within a mile of me, homes that range from medium to semi-luxury homes, has flashing around the windows, and many have no house wrap under the siding. The homes are shoddy, period. There is so much fraud and misrepresentation in the home building industry it's obscene. Then they have the gall to whine to our state legislators that they need new laws to take away our consumer protection on homes, and refer vaguely to "frivolous" lawsuits against builders. In reality, it is very hard and expensive to sue a builder and certainly not something a person could afford to do if the case was not valid. Good luck even finding a competent lawyer, when the state doesn't allow the kind of awards that attract lawyers. In most states the kind of awards builders claim we are getting are not even allowable under state law! I asked the home builders associations to give me the case numbers of these "frivolous" cases and not one could provide a real case. It's a pile of BULL.
Cindy
Edmond,#5Consumer Suggestion
Mon, July 28, 2003
I'm familiar with this type of complaint. Our builder also didn't put roofing felt down, and it not only voids the shingle warranty, but in most areas it's also code violation and voids the new home warranty such as those from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty corporation. People think they're getting a home that's built right and to code, and that's not necessarily so. They think the warranty will cover everything and that's not so either. My state's largest tract home builder is leaving off felt on many homes and told one savvy buyer that felt was just a courtesy "dust cover." The buyer is trying to get his city to enforce this code and so far the city is not enforcing it, at least not on chosen builders. Not one house in the developments within a mile of me, homes that range from medium to semi-luxury homes, has flashing around the windows, and many have no house wrap under the siding. The homes are shoddy, period. There is so much fraud and misrepresentation in the home building industry it's obscene. Then they have the gall to whine to our state legislators that they need new laws to take away our consumer protection on homes, and refer vaguely to "frivolous" lawsuits against builders. In reality, it is very hard and expensive to sue a builder and certainly not something a person could afford to do if the case was not valid. Good luck even finding a competent lawyer, when the state doesn't allow the kind of awards that attract lawyers. In most states the kind of awards builders claim we are getting are not even allowable under state law! I asked the home builders associations to give me the case numbers of these "frivolous" cases and not one could provide a real case. It's a pile of BULL.
Cindy
Edmond,#6Consumer Suggestion
Mon, July 28, 2003
I'm familiar with this type of complaint. Our builder also didn't put roofing felt down, and it not only voids the shingle warranty, but in most areas it's also code violation and voids the new home warranty such as those from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty corporation. People think they're getting a home that's built right and to code, and that's not necessarily so. They think the warranty will cover everything and that's not so either. My state's largest tract home builder is leaving off felt on many homes and told one savvy buyer that felt was just a courtesy "dust cover." The buyer is trying to get his city to enforce this code and so far the city is not enforcing it, at least not on chosen builders. Not one house in the developments within a mile of me, homes that range from medium to semi-luxury homes, has flashing around the windows, and many have no house wrap under the siding. The homes are shoddy, period. There is so much fraud and misrepresentation in the home building industry it's obscene. Then they have the gall to whine to our state legislators that they need new laws to take away our consumer protection on homes, and refer vaguely to "frivolous" lawsuits against builders. In reality, it is very hard and expensive to sue a builder and certainly not something a person could afford to do if the case was not valid. Good luck even finding a competent lawyer, when the state doesn't allow the kind of awards that attract lawyers. In most states the kind of awards builders claim we are getting are not even allowable under state law! I asked the home builders associations to give me the case numbers of these "frivolous" cases and not one could provide a real case. It's a pile of BULL.