[highlights & comments added]

[KHOU TV: Lennar homeowners in Spring, Texas are seeing shifting foundations and sagging roofs that makes them unsafe and hazardous.]

SPRING, Texas -- For many, living the American dream means owning a home, but what happens when the home you buy is suddenly worth half of what you paid? That’s what some consumers in a Lennar homes subdivision say has happened to them. They are complaining of faulty home foundations that are shifting their homes and causing all sorts of problems.

“It’s sad, I mean, this is a brand new home and it fell apart,” said Jeryl Bennett. She paid $134,000 for her home in Spring and she says it was appraised at $77,000. “I want them to buy back this piece of junk that they sold me.” 

She says the problems started showing up four years ago. Her roof began sagging and her foundation began cracking. She said that her attic beams shift and make noise at night and that an engineer she hired warned her about the problems.   

“He said it’s dangerous and its hazardous,” said Bennett. That engineer reportedly documented that the major structural problem in the home was in the roof. His documentation also noted significant foundation motion.  

Bennett said the report showed that her foundation levels were way off and that there were slopes. “He said the foundation underneath here is cracked. Lennar states that it’s not cracked and they’ve been out here 18 times repairing this floor alone,” said Bennett.

[This is an example of how many builders drag out repairs just to wear you down. The worst of them get belligerent and threaten court action if homeowners protest publicly.] 

With cracks all over her floor and the walls, Bennett went to Lennar Homes for help, but Lennar says the home only has minor defects.  They reportedly told her that there are only cosmetic concerns with the roof and that it’s currently functioning as it was originally intended.  

As for her front door, Bennett says it opens on its own all the time and that it also happens to the neighbor across the street. “We’ve tightened it before and it just keeps doing it,” said Bennett.  

This Spring resident says that the door won’t shut, and outside, her foundation, has cracks and broken bricks. “It’s very frustrating. They failed me as a builder,” she said.  

Bennett says Lennar cosmetically repaired her foundation, but she and other neighbors in the cul-de-sac are beginning to worry that perhaps there’s more to the problems.  

Lennar plans to find out. Someone with the company said it’ll begin testing Bennett’s soil and foundation to determine if her home really does sit on shaky ground.

Allison Triarsi, KHOU Channel 11 News
10/10/2008

Source: http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou081010_jj_lennar-homes-consumers.fcd9751d.html

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