Life in Huttoparke began for me on August 25, 2005. I was originally going to buy a pre-owned home, but my son convinced me that investing in a new home would be less problematic for a 60 year old woman with disabilities. He meant well, but little did he know! Some of the problems I had encountered by the end of the first year are:

• There was no working electricity in any of the master bedroom outlets. (HUD form 92584-VC signed by the builder stated all outlets were working.)
• There was no working electricity on the front porch.
• The phone jack in the kitchen did not work.
• There were plumbing leaks in the kitchen.
• The dishwasher leaked onto the floor because it was improperly installed.
• The kitchen faucet leaked for the same reason.
• The outdoor faucet pipe should be stationary. It moves back and forth.
• The back door was not properly aligned, so it would not lock.
• The outdoor gate would not latch. It was not properly aligned.
• There are cracks in the driveway.
• There is a hairline crack in the ceiling.
• There are fourteen (14) nail pops due to truss stress and foundation problems.

In August, 2006, the nail pops were supposedly fixed. They were hammered back into the ceilings and walls, patched to blend in. By January, 2007, all of the same nail pops were back.

This coming August, I will have been here for two years. I now have another issue..unusual and irregular noise coming from the AC unit.

I’ve been told that all my structural problems can be resolved if the sheet rock is torn from the ceilings, truss work done, a new nail pattern put into place, but that will devalue my property. I must disclose that information when selling the house.

I must pack up everything I own, (material possessions), and displace myself, my son, three grandchildren (3, 6, & 8) who live with me, and the cat; move into a hotel, kennel the cat and store my possessions. How inconvenient will that be for a repair job that’s not guaranteed to solve the problem? The soil will still be expanding and contracting. The same repair job will have to be done over and over while the problems get worse and worse. I really don’t want to have my whole world turned upside down for a temporary fix.

I am not physically, mentally, or spiritually ready to keep moving in and out of my home. This is supposed to be the beginning of my “Golden Years.” A time to kick back, relax and enjoy my investment. I regret buying this new home (no muss, no fuss ha-ha). I really feel duped. I also feel that if Lennar truly wants to make good, they should buy it back. I don’t need this headache.

Sincerely,
SJ

Here is an email in which Brian gives a summarization of what he believes is the problem.

Re: Home Inspection
From: Gold Star Home Inspections (eberwine@goldstarinspections.com)
Sent: Fri 7/27/07 8:49 AM
To: S J


Wanted to let you know that foundation movement contributes to the flexing of the house. The conducive conditions (poor grading, water diverting) can cause the foundation to move. Say for example that the wet soils lift the foundation up near the perimeter and the center stays relatively still. Then the soils dry out and the perimeter drops back. Nail pops can manifest themselves in that way. If you control water around the structure (gutters, grading, etc) you can help minimize future nail pops. Just repairing the cracks, pops (symptoms) doesn't do anything for the causes.

Hope that helps explain.

Thanks again. Pleasure to meet you. Brian.
This is some of the pictures from my Home Inspection.