Builder's bankruptcy leaves new residents in lurch
David Jarashow will be the first to tell you, half in good humor and half out of frustration, that he is cursed. Two years ago, he lived in Marlboro Summit, a 70-unit development on Tennent Road where entire backyards would become lagoons whenever it rained. In June, hoping to escape that scenario, and with dreams of living in a bigger house with a bigger "€” and dry "€” yard, he moved into his new $1 million home in Crine West.

FBI: FRAUD SUSPECT AT LARGE, CONSIDERED DANGEROUS
Concord man is considered armed and dangerous today after he fled from authorities on Friday following a recent federal indictment accusing him of creating a mortgage fraud scheme that took at least $13 million from lenders.

Is Justice Served?
Hundreds of judges have deserted the bench to enrich themselves in a system of private arbitration. The arena is largely unregulated and tilted, many say, in favor of big business and against the litt...The pay-for-justice phenomenon extends nationwide, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in business a year...Now, if you're rich, you not only can afford to send your kids to the best schools and obtain the best healthcare and employ the best lawyers, but you can hire the best judges too...Large companies are using arbitration to diminish many hard-won consumer rights...And take a guess: When private judges are deciding between a big company and you, which way do you think they tend to lean?...Arbitrator Norman Brand recalls one retirement party announcement for a judge going into private arbitration. The invitation, he says, was covered in dollar signs.

L.A. Times Slams Arbitration as "Private Judging"
A Law.com article suggested that arbitration was suffering a fall from grace. This Texas article suggested that companies were backing away from arbitration..."Is Justice Served?" from the L.A. Times. Written by a lawyer with 20-years' experience, it refers to arbitration as "private judging" which is "largely unregulated and tilted." Indeed, it names various arbitration companies, slams former judges who are now arbitrators, and labels it "the pay-for-justice phenomenon."

"Death Spiral" Makes Home Builders Angry!
Yesterday, UBS analysts held a conference that brought together some of the country's top home builder CEO's in an attempt to further understand the state of residential housing. The CEO's, in an unusually candid manner, uniformly agreed that there was no end in sight for the housing downturn, squarely challenging the assessment offered by the former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan who recently indicated that most of the downturn "may well be over".

Real estate police protect buyers' rights
When home builders behave badly, some of their customers may have an unexpected resource: The federal government's RESPA police, who have become increasingly active in resolving consumers' complaints through nonpublic interventions with builders...The RESPA police are investigators at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They are best known for their splashy public settlement agreements with realty, title insurance and mortgage industry firms, sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Potential Home Buyers Kept In Dark About Toxic Dangers
The state's not mentioning it, either, so with new development sprouting up all over, these deadly secrets could be lurking anywhere. The state knows the ground water is contaminated by a cancer-causing chemical in this north Harris County neighborhood, but our investigation finds the state has a policy that helps to keep it a secret from the families who may consider moving here.

Angry condo buyers take developers to court
With once-hot condominium markets across the country in sharp decline, angry buyers are taking developers to court, alleging everything from breach of contract to fraud...In Florida, for example, 2,557 individual complaints against developers were filed in fiscal year 2006, which ended June 30, up from 1,825 two years ago, according to the state's Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Feds Investigating Home Builder Mortgage Programs for Consumer Abuses
Most American home builders don't need new problems at the moment, but they just got one: Federal regulators confirmed last week that they are aggressively investigating allegations that builders around the country are pressuring or requiring purchasers to use their mortgage financing affiliates illegally...In one case, a buyer complained to HUD's "RESPA police" -- its enforcement staff on settlement-related issues -- when a builder offered an "incentive package" of $13.450 for a customized "morning room," but only if the buyer got his mortgage from the builder's affiliated lender.

Coral Bay boss jailed
With more than $1,000,000 in claims from 134 victims, investigators say Coral Bay Homes could be the largest home building scheme in Florida...While a bulk of the complaints of unfinished homes came from Hernando County, Coral Bay Homes' collapse has left victims across the state and the world. Home builders need to take responsibility for their financial state, Assistant State Attorney Phil Hanson said during a press conference...

Construction company president charged
Steven Bartlett, the president of Coral Bay Construction in Spring Hill, has been arrested on grand theft charges for allegedly spending money on himself that was supposed to be used to build houses. According to Hernando County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Black, investigators are looking into more than 140 complaints... Related Article: Coral Bay owner's arrest is expected

The Long Goodbye
In 2003, after spreading around $9 million in campaign contributions, the powerful home builders' lobby got the Legislature to agree with its contention that implied warranties were too darn vague and that the lawsuits they produced were too damaging to the industry. Instead, it asked lawmakers to create a new state agency to protect builders from legal retribution. It was one of the most blatant power plays in recent years, made possible by an anti-lawsuit fervor that swept through the new Republican-controlled Legislature and by the influence of two politically active builders: the biggest individual contributor, Bob Perry (no relation to Governor Rick Perry but lots of political ties), and the co-founder of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Dick Weekley.

Was new house wrapped?
The Oswalds spent $365,000 for the house in 2004. On a rainy night in March 2005, water streamed from their brick walls into their unfinished basement. To fix it, the expert they hired said they should replace their brick, all two stories of it. "It's basically a money pit," Brian Oswald said of his house...The family, represented by Courtney Caparella of Lyons & Lyons in West Chester, is asking Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Dennis Helmick to rescind the contract and order a refund. They also want him to triple the damages as provided by the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.