From the Web to Court, a Real-Estate Broker Battles Lennar
A dispute between a local real-estate broker and one of the nation's largest home builders has mushroomed into a legal battle reaching all the way to Wall Street. At the heart of the fight is a Web site started by Mike Morgan, the real-estate broker, to collect complaints and dispense advice about what he considers shoddy workmanship on homes built by Miami-based Lennar Corp.

Gimme Shelter:Tax Shelter-Funded Affordable Housing
Each year, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) doles out approximately $45 million in federal tax breaks to private companies. The purpose of these generous subsidies"€”first enacted by President Ronald Reagan"€”is to promote the development of affordable housing. This tax-incentive program for private developers has all but supplanted the old system in which the government funded public housing directly.

Developer takes Corps to court
After spending nearly four years and $800,000 seeking federal approval for its project, an island development firm wants a federal court to declare the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers no longer has jurisdiction over its property. The lawsuit, which follows a Supreme Court decision last year, could limit the corps' authority to protect wetlands throughout Galveston's West End.

Letting your real estate agent pick your home inspector is a bad idea
If you're thinking about buying a brand-new house, there are some things you need to know. Ironically, the first thing you need to know is that many of the people you'll encounter during the house-shopping and house-buying process won't tell you everything that you need to know.

Binsack in prison for bad checks
Mr. Binsack, 37, previously convicted of bad checks and fraud in New York state and in Monroe County, was charged Wednesday with two counts of bad checks, signaling what may be the end of the controversial, high-profile building company. A June 24 story in The Times-Tribune detailed a pattern of deception and unpaid debt by Mr. Binsack's company. The investigation revealed suppliers, contractors and employees declaring unpaid bills or bad checks, as well as a company memo admitting inability to pay bills or finish projects on time.

US Senator Russ Feingold, Congressman Hank Johnson and consumer groups announced the filing of The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007
The comprehensive legislation would ensure Americans are not forced into mandatory arbitration agreements to resolve employment, consumer, franchise or civil rights disputes. "Arbitration can be a fair and efficient way to handle disputes, but only when it is entered into knowingly and voluntarily by both parties," Feingold announced. The bill establishes that agreements will not be enforceable if they are entered before the actual dispute arises. See photos and remarks

Suit claims home builder violated mortgage law
One of the nation's largest home builders is being accused of wrongly forcing buyers to finance their homes with mortgages it provided. A lawsuit filed June 20 in federal court in Atlanta against Ryland Homes charges the home builder required buyers to either use Ryland Mortgage Co. for financing or pay an additional several thousand dollars to purchase homes. Spicer bought her Ryland home in 2006, and on May 24, 2006, signed an agreement that if she used Ryland Mortgage Co., Ryland would pay approved settlement costs up to $10,500. If she chose another lender, Ryland would not pay a settlement credit and "the cost of the promotion will be added to your purchase price prior to closing."

Feingold, Johnson Introduce The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007!
The comprehensive legislation amends the Federal Arbitration Act to ensure Americans are not forced into mandatory arbitration agreements in employment, consumer, franchise or civil disputes.  Arbitration victims gathered in the background as Senator Feingold expressed his passion for the cause that began almost ten years ago.

A Retaining Wall That's Ruining Homes?
People who live in the Bridlewood Park subdivision in Live Oak say a retaining wall that's supposed to protect their homes from excessive runoff and erosion is instead ruining them. When it rains, the runoff is supposed to drain into a pipe that comes out at the bottom of the wall. Instead, when it rains hard, the runoff cascades through and over the top of the wall.  See photos and videos

Homeowner Alleges that Texas Senator John Corona is involved in a homeowner association foreclosure scam
Maintenance dues homeowners pay to his management company will be used for fines so he can foreclose on homes.  We received notice last week of a new foreclosure - extortion scam being perpetrated on the homeowners in Rockwall Timber Creek Estates by Texas Senator Senator John Carona's management company - Principal Management.  Principal Management has convinced our board to institute an illegal fining policy without a vote of the membership. They will now apply the maintenance dues homeowners send in to the fines they charge so they can ignore the Texas Property laws and foreclose on our homes for non-payment of arbitrary fines by homeowner association boards and Carona's management company.

Consumer rights bill introduced in Congress
A bill backed by consumer groups to protect homeowners, employees and investors from mandatory arbitration agreements was introduced Thursday in the House and Senate. People from all walks of life "€” employees, investors, homeowners, those enrolled in HMOs, credit card holders and other consumers "€” often find themselves strong-armed into mandatory arbitration agreements," Feingold said. "We need to make sure that all Americans can still have their day in court."  Janet Ahmad, president of the advocacy group HomeOwners for Better Building in San Antonio, praised the legislation as an avenue to restore the rights of consumers when they are harmed by shoddy home building practices. Ahmad, who attended a Capitol Hill news conference, said home builders have used arbitration to subvert consumer laws.

Blitz on builders
Buyers of new homes in the San Antonio area who have unaddressed problems in their homes have hit upon a new tactic to grab their builder's attention: going public... They're speaking at City Council meetings, picketing outside model homes, writing letters to state officials, speaking at the state Legislature and starting Web sites to air their complaints. "This negative publicity is not helping you; it's not helping the citizens; and it's not helping the city," Live Oak Mayor Henry O. Edwards....See photos and videos

Watch video, sign away your rights..
Medical malpractice insurers have come up with a devious new way of preventing injured patients from suing their doctors, by forcing people to sign binding arbitration agreements as a condition of receiving treatment from doctors they cover. The latest in this wave comes from a clinic in Florida that has helpfully made this video that patients can watch at home before they sign an agreement promising not to sue for future or past malpractice. Interestingly, ob/gyns covered under this plan get only $250,000 worth of insurance coverage per claim. The policy limit strikes me as a huge incentive for pissed-off lawyers to go after doctors' personal assets in serious malpractice cases if they manage to get around the contract. This may not be such a good deal for the physicians after all. See video

Methane Gas Problems in Lennar Homes
Below are two excerpts from reports commissioned by Lennar Corporation and delivered to Lennar Corporation. The full reports are full of startling details and numbers. The saddest thing about this, is Lennar knew about it, but instead of doing the right thing, they put these homeowners through the ringer. Now the state and federal authorities are investigating, and three prominent law firms are looking at the reports...The concentrations of methane exceed the lower explosive limit beneath the slab, and therefore pose a potential threat to the safety of the occupants within the buildings.

Defects–Problems–Complaints–Lennar Homes–South Carolina
This Blog has been created for owners of Lennar Homes in South Carolina to share information.  For additional information about problems with Lennar Homes on a national scale visit http://www.defective-homes.net
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