[COMMENTS ADDED:. Even though we advocate abolishing the TRCC entirely and replacing it with Licensing as the strongest regulatory oversight option, we view the Sunset Commission discussion and vote as progress. It leaves many places where we can work to further strenghen homeowner protections.]

The Sunset Advisory Commission late Tuesday voted not to abolish the controversial state agency that polices homebuilders and investigates consumer complaints about shoddy construction, after years of complaints that the agency has become a tool of the industry it is supposed to regulate.

But commission members made it clear they want the Texas Residential Construction Commission to start doing a better job, recommending that complaints be resolved within 105 days and giving the agency more authority to revoke or suspend homebuilders' licenses. [Legislators keep using the term Licensing when referring to TRCC Registration. The press echos this misleading representations, so we must keep reminding them that Registration is NOT Regulation OR Licensing.]

A staff report made public months ago had recommended that the agency be abolished, arguing that it has been ineffective in policing the homebuilding industry amid consumer complaints that it is controlled by builders. The sunset commission recommendation will go to the Legislature for debate next month.

The Sunset Commissioners voted to recommend tougher oversight of builders and relaxed restrictions on homeowners, and they included many suggestions from the Blueprint we submitted.

Compiled from staff & wire reports, Austin American-Statesman
12/18/2008

Source: http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/other/12/18/1218bizbriefs.html

 ↑ Back to Top