Action 9

Action 9: Experts claim new home not properly built

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A Kissimmee woman claims a builder sold her a wreck of a new home. She said the company's warranty repairs have failed to fix the problems, so she contacted Action 9.
           
Consumer investigator Todd Ulrich had experts inspect her house. They uncovered many problems.

Diana Duran has a roof that never stopped leaking, stucco that’s cracked and peeling away and a toilet that’s connected to a hot water line.

“Ever since I moved in here, it's been like a nightmare,” said Duran.

She said that's just some of the defects hired experts uncovered in her brand-new home.

“This house is a total disaster to be honest,” said Duran. She paid Mattamy Homes $441,000 two years ago to buy the home.

According to Duran, she had big repair issues right away, but claims the builder's quick fixes didn't work. Months after moving in, she hired a home inspection company. It documented more than 100 significant problems from code violations to poor workmanship.

Duran said the builder patched the roof, but that didn't stop leaks. Water damaged the front bedroom.

She contacted Action 9. Ulrich asked mechanical engineer, Kerei Alexander, to check out the home during a thunderstorm.

“I can see the water coming in,” said Alexander. She observed water streaming into the attic through what the engineer called significant leaks.

“This homeowner definitely needs a new roof. This was not put on properly to begin with,” said Alexander, from KA Inspections.

A roof inspection company also said it should be replaced, not patched.

Experts also suggested some stucco was beyond repair and should be redone.

And then there was the hot water line supplying a master bath toilet. The water temperature read as high as 104 degrees. The homeowner is losing money every flush on wasted hot water.

“This is clearly poor workmanship throughout this house,” said Alexander.

Duran said Mattamy proposed checking 90 items for repairs, but didn't include roof or stucco replacement.
             
Responding to Action 9, the builder said its independent inspections found cosmetic issues only and its offered those repairs many times.
                          
"I just want a new house," said Duran.

Mattamy Homes said Duran won't allow workers access to make the repairs.
        
The company includes binding arbitration in new home contracts.
        
Mattamy Homes is rated C- at the Better Business Bureau, with five complaints about new home repairs not made.

Mattamy Homes statement:

“Members of the Mattamy Homes team have had numerous lengthy meetings with the homeowner to compile a list of issues, and we have agreed to address the majority of these. Our goal is to get into the home to complete these repairs, however the homeowner won’t allow us access to do so. With respect to the concerns about the roof and stucco, a third-party expert has inspected and, aside from several minor cosmetic repairs, the system appears to be installed correctly.  We have agreed to repair the cosmetic issues but again have had no response on this from the homeowner.”