Complaint Review: SELECT CUSTOM HOMES - Homosassa florida

CAVEAT EMPTOR (BUYER BEWARE)

We contracted to purchase a modular home from Select Custom Homes of Homosassa in Feb. of 2001. We gave a $2,000 as a good faith deposit. Select homes initially tried to get us loan approval but failed. When unsuccessful, we attempted, and succeeded in getting a pre approval contingent upon particular debts being paid off. When unable to meet the contingencies needed for the loan we were denied. Select Homes then went through several other lending institutions, pulling our credit report without our knowledge or consent. All attempts failed to procure a loan for us. Unable to obtain approval, and to stop further damage to our credit, we signed to terminate the deal in April.

During our problems with loan approval, select homes continued work on the property not yet owned by us by having a permit pulled. A permit was pulled without our knowledge, being told by the Permit Company (S&D Permits) there were other papers that had to be signed before they could pull them giving us the assumption none could be pulled. Even after telling Select Homes we had to terminate the deal a land clearing company working for them contacted us.

We told the land clearing company we could not get approval for the loan and did not want clearing done on the land because we did not own it. The land clearing company stated, Just meet us out there and if the deal goes belly up we will deal with it then I did not meet them. When we signed to terminate the deal we were told by Jeff Harvey owner of Select Custom Homes our refund would be returned to us in two weeks. After the two weeks had passed we began to frequently telephone Select Homes to find out the status of our return. Each time we called Mr. Harvey was busy or gone.

After numerous telephone calls were ignored we went to Select Homes and were told by Mr. Harvey it was finally worked out and to look for the check on Tuesday May 15th. Mr. Harvey stated he was fighting to get our full refund back, that the company that pulled the permit (S&D Permits) told him the county would not refund the money for the permit pulled.

After leaving Select and thinking under the misunderstanding we had needed to sign more forms for permits to be pulled we tried to contact Mr. Harvey everyday that week so he could explain this but he was always unavailable and never returned our calls. We never received the check on Tuesday May 15th and still could not reach him. On that Friday May 18th we telephoned again and was told Mr. Harvey was unavailable. We left the message that we were going to contact the police about the issue.

The next night Sat May 19th Mr. Harvey called us at home yelling at us stating we had no right to threaten him, and that he had been fighting for us. He stated he got the full refund back from the county for the permit that was pulled which was $240. Mr. Harvey stated since we threatened him he was not going to give us the refund for the permit that S&D Permits was going to get everything they had coming to them. We told Mr. Harvey we did not think permits were pulled and wanted receipts. He said he would have the receipts and would call us to come in on Mon. May 21st to get our deposit. We contacted the county and got confirmation there was a refund of $115 to S&D Permits which had been used on Apr. 30th.

We contacted and spoke to Sam of S&D Permits about the refund they received. When first speaking I told him who I was and asked if he was familiar with the dispute in which he stated yes. I then asked if I could ask a few questions he stated yes. I told him Select had been telling me S&D Permits could not get a refund on the permit that was pulled. Sam from S&D said that was correct. I said "you never got any refund back from the county? He stated that is correct I then stated I went to the county and was given confirmation S&D received a partial refund and had used it on Apr. 30th. Sam from S&D then stated you will have to talk to John. When speaking with John from S&D he stated he did get a partial refund.

When trying to ask other questions he stated to me Select hired me, and paid me, not you, if you want to know anything else you will have to contact them. I told him it was my money they are holding and trying to take from me to pay him so I had a right to ask any question I wanted. He stated Select hired me, I sent them the bill and they paid it, so I work for them I told him Select homes stated S&D Permits told them there was no refund for the permit that was pulled and was trying to charge for it. He then Stated Well you know who you are dealing with I am trying to tell you something without saying it He refused to talk further.

When calling Select homes on June 1st Gary Johnson of Select Homes told me that Mr. Harvey said we could get the check on Mon. June 4th. We called and they were unavailable. It is now Tuesday June 5th and Mr. Harvey still can not be reached nor have we received one penny of our money.