Complaint Review: Richard Fuller Homes - Albuquerque NM, TX

UPDATE: Richard Fuller Homes, aka Fuller Homes Case Resolved! My husband and I wanted to update our complaint and let you know we satisfactorily resolved this complaint with all parties involved in June 2005. We got a lot of helpful information from HADD.com along the way, too. Thank you Rip off Report!

UPDATE: Richard Fuller Homes, aka Fuller Homes Case Resolved! My husband and I wanted to update our complaint and let you know we satisfactorily resolved this complaint with all parties involved in June 2005. We got a lot of helpful information from HADD.com along the way, too. Thank you Rip off Report!

Richard Fuller himself crashed his private plane and died about a year ago. Neither Fuller Homes company, which is still building, nor our warranty company, 2-10 HBW, have paid a dime to resolve this, and have continued to play games. HBW made an offer nearly 3 yrs ago but still has not paid it. The law is simply not enforced in Oklahoma and in many states. Bad builders know this and warranty companies continue to do business with bad builders because it is profitable when they rarely or never have to pay a claim. Oh...and the second lawyer we hired committed forgery and held up our case for a year and a half, during which time NONE of the parties would talk to us, period. Lawyers know there's no money in construction defect cases and have said so...and this is why they won't help homeowners no matter how valid their case. Our state laws don't allow recovery of anything beyond repair costs, (maybe), and legal fees, (if you're lucky), and that doesn't leave the huge awards lawyers want, and that builders CLAIM we are getting. My advice is do not buy any new home, in any state, until consumers have more control over this situation. A home purchase gone bad can cost you everything. I am now acquainted with several families who are losing everything while their incompetent an corrupt builders go on unscathed.

It has been nearly three years since we bought our Fuller Home, and this is still not resolved. This is what buyers of Fuller Homes houses can look forward to. Fuller seemed to have lost interest in settling in 2002 and I suspected the LDP from HUD, (one yr ban from involvement in FHA financed property), was not being enforced, and that this was why. I believe I am right, and that Fuller may have been selling to FHA buyers despite the LDP. I submitted my evidence to HUD and they have not appeared to do anything about it. We had consulted with over 20 attorneys since late 2000 or early 2001, most of whom claimed we could not recover legal fees or other costs if we went to court...this turned out to be false and it delayed our decision to sue. We are, to say the least, very angry that such incompetence and/or lying is permissible from the legal profession. It seems every family needs to send a member to law school, because a person can't rely on the ones you have to HIRE. We found one attorney who admitted we could recover these fees, unfortunately his new-found political career seems to have taken priority over his paying clients, even if it means blowing off their statute of limitations. He did not file our suit as he was supposed to do and is not returning calls. We will be filing complaints now with the OK state bar association because we've not only been shafted by our builder, warranty company, gov't agencies but now our own lawyer too. It's intersting to note that since hiring attorneys, our case has gone nowhere. So much for that over used cliche, "Get a lawyer." The last year has been entirely wasted waiting for lawyers to act, call back, etc, and essentially all they've done is waste the entire year, and a lot of our money. All accomplishments we have made in our case have been made by us, with info from REAL consumer organizations like hadd.com, hobb.org, and the Rip Off Report, etc. Lawyers have done nothing. Our builder is still building in TX and NM. He did not show up at a court-ordered asset hearing for another plaintiff's suit against him, but then, neither did the plaintiff's lawyer, (who happens to be our lawyer too). In my humble opinion, "something doesn't smell right." I encourage anyone with a complaint against this builder or any builder, to file their greivance at this site and www.hadd.com The only way consumers will know is if people speak up.

Fuller's LDP will expire in Dec of this year, meaning he can resume selling homes to FHA financed buyers from our understanding. (Remember that "FHA" is not inherently for low income or bad credit buyers, so this can be in virtually any development that you'd typically find.) He has NOT offered a resolution that would allow us to walk away without severe financial damage. Nor has the warranty co or Fuller's insurance company come up with enough of an offer to cover the costs of repairs, our expenses, and the loss of value of our house. (Would YOU buy a house with this history, for the price of a similar home that didn't have this problem?) Fuller still owns a great deal of land in Oklahoma; the question is, is he building here under another name(s)? If you are planning on buying in Stonebrooke at Coffee Creek in Edmond OK, better be sure you know who's building your house and watch them like a hawk, because that's where the bulk of his property is.

I have thankfully been an ex-employee for four months now and definetly do not work for them and never would again! I was not aware of the messages sent on my computer at my old office/model with my e-mail address until right before I left. It was one of the many reasons I left. I have tried to express opinions and truths about this company on this site and will continue to do so as I find them out.I hope Cindy and the others can accept this and realize that I don't work for them and am ashamed of what someone did in my e-mail name.

Since our house's foundation is built too low, and the grading is wrong, heavy rain is always a threat as far as coming in through the walls and floor. (This is a slab on grade foundation but is supposed to be several inches above the soil and it is not.) We have now had a heavy rain that did come in where the walls meet the foundation, and it has soaked our interior floors. We have had to move the furniture out of our living and dining rooms, pull the sodden carpet and padding back, and turn a fan on it to try and dry it out so it won't mold. The roof also leaked again. The roof leak moves around. This time it came in through the kitchen ceiling vent and in the garage, as it had been last year. In the months where the rain didn't come in those places, it was going somewhere, but we don't know where.

Fuller has, as I said before, been issued a Limited Denial of Participation by HUD/FHA, and he is not supposed to be involved in any homes sold to FHA buyers, nor--according to HUD's attorney's letters to him--is any company associated with him supposed to be involved. I wonder if this includes his, and his sister's mortgage co's rent to own deals? HUD's pressure caused Fuller to make an offer to "rescind" (essentially buy back) the home but his offer was fraught with deceptive wording and was far too low for us to be able to walk away from this without severe financial harm. WE didn't do anything wrong, so we are not about to accept an offer that would likely have bankruptcy as a result, with a gag order which Fuller wants us to agree to.

Also, we have discovered that one of the former (or current?) employees of Fuller IS the one that sent us obscene and threatening messages last year. This person is in TX and we are in OK, so the only way they could've know the details of us or our case are by getting it from Fuller Homes. This person is also masquerading as a buddy to the other Fuller victims now. He claims his Fuller Home is defective. If that's true, that one of these low-lifes is living in the very same kind of hell they created for the rest of us, then maybe there is a God.

Fuller Homes is not the only builder doing business this way. There are thousands of builders doing exactly the same things, using exactly the same excuses. They get away with it because the homebuilding industry constantly lobbies to reduce regulations on builders, and to errode homebuyer's rights.

Take a look at the website of the National Association of Home Builders www.nahb.com to see that they want less regulation, even the right for developers to build on "brownfields," contaminated ground without liability or disclosure.

This is political manuevering and pay-offs that are going on unknown to most of the public, until you're one of the "lucky" ones that is personally touched by a defective home case. Then you find out all the dirt on this industry. The website of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings is www.hadd.com Bad Builders are creating the need for organizations like HADD. If anyone thinks we do this for "fun," they should try it sometime.

As an ex-employee of this company I applaud your commitment to making the public aware of their practices. It is people like you willing to put forth the effort that will make a difference.

You should also be applauded for speaking out from the New Mexico Area. I knew their were similiar problems there as there are here in Texas and previously in Oklahoma.

Please continue your efforts and make as many people aware of their practices, problems, and deceit. It is by doing this that we all can make a difference!

I encourage everyone reading this to scroll through the pages and see all the complaints against Richard Fuller Homes a.k.a. Fuller Homes. It will be worth your time. Please check out HAD.com for more complaints as well. You will find similiar complaints from a wide variety of individuals! We can't let the lies and deceit continue!!

I am truly appauled at the tratment of these poor people. We too are victims of this all so common slimy way of business practice. Our report is under real estate , Silver City New Mexico. (see Coldwell Banker / Hacienda Realty) It is sickening that honest people in this country must fight to the death to get some justice.

We are now in our 5th month of trying to get some action. As of yet have got mostly the run around from everyone, so like these poor souls will probably loose our home, and end up in bankruptcy.

I guess in this country there is only as much justice as you can afford to buy. I will continue to fight these worms till I find a way to expose them all for what they are.

Meantime, I am producing several video productions for public access television and hopefully will be able to distribute them nation wide. People need to know the truth.!!

In December of 2001, HUD/FHA issued a "Limited Denial of Participation" (LDP) on Richard Fuller Homes, (a.k.a. Fuller Homes, etc), an inspector, and an employee of Fuller's, for construction defects, omitted materials, breach of warranty and falsified documents. This came after numerous experts such as engineers, contractors, and inspectors found that our home lacked roofing felt under our shingles, had roof leaks, had serious foundation failure, poor drainage, and was lacking reinforcement in at least part of our slab foundation. The omissions are code violations, as well as violations of HUD's minimum standards, and according to the specs these materials were to have been installed by Fuller's sub contractors. HUD/FHA finds such builders a poor risk and will ban them from selling to FHA customers rather than continue to back loans on their homes.

This seemed to get Fuller's attention and an offer has been made that is still insufficient, but that we hope to be able to negotiate so that we can walk away from this nightmare without serious financial damage to us. Most likely, the settlement, if one ever occurs, will prevent us from discussing details of this case.

I wish we had been able to find the others who were already complaining about this builder, before we bought. Don't rely on the Better Business Bureau to research any company's reliability. Take your time and research court, gov't and corporate records. Find owners of finished homes and ask them how the warranty service and overall quality is. As long as finding out about a builder's true reputation is made difficult by hidden complaints and silenced homeowners it will take some work on homebuyer's part to find the truth.

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4633.
It was sent by Vicki Hall at [email protected].

Richard Fuller Homes New House Falling Apart ..Better Business Bureau has refused to make our complaint available to anyone searching the BBB records *REBUTTAL *EDitor says REBUTTAL is a lie UPDATE (#4633)

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Vicki Hall
Their phone number: 817-795-0131
Their relationship to the company: Victim

Rebuttal:
Consumer Suggestion?? Don't get involved with Fuller Homes. They do have a beautiful floor plan which is open and unique but, they cannot deliver. We found this out way too late. We are taking them to court next week.

I am writing hoping that anyone who has information to help us out with this court case respond to this message ASAP. I already have many complaints from others who did or almost purchased a RF Home. They owe us almost $4,000 even after selling our house to a young couple. They told this couple that the reason we didn't want the house is because we were transferred out of the area due to a job. That is a total lie. We live in the same town.

Please help if you can. We cannot allow these people to continue getting away with robbing folks of their hard earned money. We believed them when they said they could build us a quality home. It would take forever for me to list the mistakes that were made and could not be corrected without starting over.

We do hope to hear from you.

Thanks in advance.

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: unhappy fuller customer

Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
Really amazed that these emails have gotten so personal. The home builder definitely is not living up to the warranty promises that are made. The latest contractor did not honor a year warranty on our air conditioner. He said the warranty had started when he put it in this house , not when we bought it.
I did not have the strength to argue with this richard fuller contractor. I will let our attorney handle this one.

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4633.
It was sent by k at [email protected].

Richard Fuller Homes New House Falling Apart ..Better Business Bureau has refused to make our complaint available to anyone searching the BBB records *REBUTTAL *EDitor says REBUTTAL is a lie UPDATE (#4633)

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: k

Their relationship to the company: Owner

Rebuttal:
Let me start off by saying, I have a Richard Fuller Home. I agree with everyone, the rebuttal from the original person was probably Richard himself or someone in his organization, not a homeowner. I think that we all agree building a new home is a trying and time consuming proposition regardless of what builder you use. My home was no exception. We went through 5 foreman and numerous unqualified subcontractors during our almost 8 month build time. We had issues and still do. We liked the floor
plan and design, but the quality of construction and warranty work are questionable at best. We share horrors stories with neighbors all the time. Each of us has a different one, but they all center around the two comments above. This builder, like any other, will cut corners when ever possible. At the time of our build, he had under qualified foreman running the construction site who made mistake after mistake. Now that we are in
our home we have had the a/c unit fixed numerous time, roof repaired twice and various other minor repairs. But, we still have a laundry list of repairs needed which seem to be ignored by Richard Fuller every time we request help. We have been plagued with a very poorly graded yard and are suffering through standing water, excess bugs and various other problems
that arise with a poorly graded yard. In short, Richard Fuller designs a nice home, lots of amenities, but the build is questionable and the warranty service is horrible. If building with Richard Fuller, I recommend staying on top things weekly if not daily and paying $300 or so for an independent inspection prior to closing. And the best advice that I can give..... don't close until the house is 100% the way you want it....
otherwise good luck.

UPDATE:

This is to update our complaint against Richard Fuller Homes and the warranty company, Home Buyers Warranty/National Home Insurance Company.

We discovered with help from the following two homebuyer advocacy sites, http://www.hobb.org and http://www.hadd.com , and HUD, that our builder and warranty company had violated some FHA rules regarding the builder warranty which is required. Apparently FHA also does not permit warranty companies to FORCE binding arbitration. This is important protection, and I am glad that this mortgage was not a conventional one like the past two were...we had no idea FHA had these rules. And certainly our warranty company and builder were not going to tell us the
rules, much less play by them.

Our house still isn't fixed but the warranty company changed their tune after a call from HUD, and now has put their promises in writing, and sent several engineers to do core samples, and a contractor to do a bid on the entire house's repairs. We have continued to hire OUR experts to make sure our interests are covered too. We have also filed complaints with the state Attorney General and HUD and will continue with those til we are satisfied.

It has certainly not paid to be nice in this battle. I strongly
encourage anyone with a builder or warranty company complaint to pursue it and not let them get away with this. While I understand the mathmatics of cutting one's losses if they are only a few hundred or a few thousand, it's from this that the problem got bigger. Now, people are having issues with builders where the houses aren't even salvagable. Please speak up and be heard and counted. You deserve the house you paid for, the one they promised, with the customer service and warranty you also got as part of the agreement. Demand it be honored!

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4633.
It was sent by [email protected]

Richard Fuller Homes New House Falling Apart ..Better Business Bureau has refused to make our complaint available to anyone searching the BBB records *REBUTTAL *EDitor says REBUTTAL is a lie (#4633)

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
Who ever wrote this rebuttal has to be more than a homeowner of Richard Fuller Homes. This rebuttal was a hate mail and the person that wrote this should be ashamed of themselves. They cannot even spell, let alone talk about someone the way they did.
No homeowner would be so hateful to another homeowners no matter what the situation is.

It is a proven fact that some houses turn out to be lemons
and in this case evidentlythe person who had these issues really had them or they would not have wasted their time and energy.
Shame on you rebuttal person. You have to be more than a Richard Fuller Home Owner to be so out and out hateful.

This site is not about trying to make rebuttals personal to that home owner. If your house is so wonderful....GREAT but that is all you should have said. You coward.

I believe this person almost has to be working for Richard Fuller or related in some way. The reason is that their letter revealed a detail that only someone personally acquainted with us and our case would know. Also, our state's attorney general, and HUD do not think we're overreacting, nor do the three engineers who've written reports on the home, nor do the repair companies who've said they don't want to touch this job because of how defective the house is.

Most people don't have time to devote to fighting a bad builder and deceptive warranty...that's why so many of them give up and go away, never to be counted in statistics or official complaints showing how often it happens. Even if you fight it, the warranty company may convince you to do binding arbitration, which almost always rules against the homeowner, and comes with a gag order.

I have met a woman in Ft. Worth TX, who also bought a Fuller Home, and it's also highly defective. I have in my possession documents from other official complaints against Fuller. Our house is a wreck--we could never sell it in this condition, and if mold grows from the moisture getting in where it's not supposed to due to Fuller's screw ups, we won't even be able to live in it ourselves. Take a look at http://www.hadd.com and http://www.hobb.org and read what certain types of molds do to families.

Anyone who thinks this is the result of someone "overreacting" or not having a life, or that it can't happen to them, needs to have this happen to them. I strongly suspect the person who wrote this rebuttal is connected with Richard Fuller Homes.

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4633.

Richard Fuller Homes New House Falling Apart ..Better Business Bureau has refused to make our complaint available to anyone searching the BBB records (#4633)

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their relationship to the company: Supporter

Rebuttal:
As the owner of a new Richard Fuller home, I do not share your fellings. Our home is in Ft. Worth Texas and has been a wonderful experience from the start. Our home was completed in five months and we were in communication with the builder during the entire process. I dont know your circumstances but Im sure you have blown it entirely out of proportion!

The fact that you said it consumes your life leads me to believe that you never had one to speak of. There comes a point where you have to move on and get on with your pittiful life. Surely you can afford to move or maybe your poor from spending all your time on the computer and not working!!!

Get a life you looser. My home is wonderful and I would reccomend RICHARD FULLER HOMES TO ANYONE THAT ASKS. I hope you find a way to get over your obsessive behavior. Our home is a beautiful addition to our life and we are forever grateful to Mr. Fuller.
::::end of REBUTTAL

EDitor's comments:::::

Maybe you did not get a lemon for a house, but these people did. How can you possibly think the victim who filed the Rip-off Report would have nothing else better to do with their time?

How did you know Richard Fuller Homes was on the Rip-off Report anyway? Nothing else to do with your time that you just so happen to locate Richard Full-of-it Homes on the Internet?

Most likely you work for the company. More than likely you did find this on the Internet when you were in the process of buying a home. ...You then brought the Rip-off Report to the attention of the builder. ...Once you did, they offered you a good deal, making sure they took care of everything for YOU. Meanwhile, everyone else out there has unfinished work and have been ripped off. Then you have the nerve to write your BS REBUTTAL on how wonderful they are? ..Your the one that's pitiful!

Consumers don't get on the Internet to tell about good experiences they had with a company. Victimized and frustrated consumers get on the Internet to seek help and to get their voice heard because organizations like the BBB do nothing for them. Attorney generals offices are over worked and understaffed, and lawyers end up taking more than what it is worth.

The person who filed this REBUTTAL should be ashamed of themselves. Your a dam liar. And that's my opinion.

[email protected]
badbusinessbureau.com
Don't let them get away with it.
Make sure they make the Rip-off Report!

We are not lawyers.
We are not a collection agency.

We are Mediators.
We are Consumer Advocates.
WE ARE Civil and Human Rights Activists

We are a Nationwide Consumer Reporting News Agency by consumers, for consumers