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LATEST NEWS
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Houston Chronicle Editorial - Bureaucratic Deadwood |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Monday, 30 January 2006 |
Editorial
Bureaucratic deadwood
A state commission to curb homebuilder abuses proves to be a deck stacked in favor of the industry it is supposed to regulate.
When Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn issued a report last week criticizing the Texas Residential Construction Commission as a shield for politically-connected homebuilders, she could have been reading from a column the Chronicle's Clay Robison wrote last March. Headlined "No place like home for this cuddly Austin lapdog," Robison's piece characterized the creation of the TRCC as a boon for homebuilders who had contributed millions of dollars to state lawmakers. In return, the law creating the commission required aggrieved homeowners to go through a costly, time-consuming arbitration before they could take legal action against contractors. It also limited damages that plaintiffs could receive. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 February 2006 )
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Saturday, 28 January 2006 |
Fox News employees sue over alleged mold
Two Fox News employees have filed a lawsuit alleging they were sickened by toxic molds and pesticides in a building where some of the network's top shows are produced. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Supreme Court in Manhattan, alleges the employees fell ill in the building where "The O'Reilly Factor" and "At Large with Geraldo Rivera" are produced, as well as "Hannity and Colmes" and "Dayside." It seeks unspecified damages from Fox News and the building's management company. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 January 2006 )
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NY Attorney Gereral Action - Ryan Homes |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Saturday, 28 January 2006 |
Press Releases
Office of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spritzer
Ryan Homes of New York and its corporate parent, NVR Inc. of Virginia, resolved an investigation by Spitzer's office into allegations of false and deceptive advertising, shoddy workmanship, failure to follow manufacturers' instructions, failure to meet code requirements, and failure to comply with architects' plans and building permits. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 June 2006 )
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Orchard Park NY - From Dreams to a Dump |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Friday, 27 January 2006 |
Outraged Neighbors Uncover Solid Waste Nightmare
Outraged neighbors in Orchard Park say they've uncovered a solid waste nightmare. They claim they were never told their dream homes were sitting on a landfill. News 4 Investigative Reporter Luke Moretti is breaking this developing story Friday night. |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 January 2006 )
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Insurance Journal - Texas Comptroller Report |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Friday, 27 January 2006 |
Texas Comptroller Says Construction Commission Favors Builders
The Texas Residential Construction Commission is acting as a "builder protection agency'' and has no power to force homebuilders to repair construction defects in new houses, according to state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. The agency, formed by legislators in 2003, also is shifting most of the money it collects back to the state budget rather than spending it carrying out its mission, she said. |
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The Houston Lawyer - Debate Continues |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 |
Pitfalls and Successes at the Residential Construction Commission
Many consumer advocates, such as Janet Ahmad of Home Owners for Better Building, believe the TRCC's State-Sponsored Inspection and Dis-pute Resolution Process (SIRP) is essentially a sham crafted by industry-friendly legislators...addressing the passage of House Bill 730, Ms. Ahmad remarked, "Home builders got the best bill they could buy."
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 January 2006 )
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Austin-Statesman Editorial on Builder TRCC Agency |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 |
The state is looking out for home builders, not buyers
The builders' primary goal was to protect themselves from lawsuits filed by unhappy home buyers. Thanks to the strong political influence of such home builders as Bob Perry and Dick Weekley, both of Houston, and to the $5 million in political contributions ($3.1 million from Bob Perry alone) to state candidates, parties and political action committees in the 2002 election cycle, the builders got the commission they wanted. The agency can force a home buyer to jump through more bureaucratic hoops before going to court, but it has little effective power to make an errant builder correct defects...But the fundamental problem with the commission is that it was designed to be weak...By the way, there aren't many frivolous complaints; the commission reported that 93 percent of its inspections found at least one construction defect. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 February 2006 )
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Realty Times - TRCC a Paper Tiger |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 |
Texas' Residential Construction Commission Deemed A Paper Tiger
The vast majority of complaints to a state agency created to give Texan home owners redress for new home defects may as well be fed into a paper shredder, according to findings in a study by the Lone Star State's comptroller... "My research found no evidence that the Texas Residential Construction Commission has had a favorable impact on the homeowner," Strayhorn said. Strayhorn found that of 257 filed SIRPs, some 86 percent had third-party verified construction defects the builder didn't fix. The findings were based on responses from 102 of the 257 consumers who filed. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 January 2006 )
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Mortgage Fraud - $325 Million Nationwide Settlement. |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Wednesday, 25 January 2006 |
Ameriquest to pay millions to mortgage customers
Thousands of Washington homeowners who were saddled with higher-than-expected mortgage payments because of Ameriquest's lending practices should get some money back as part of a $325 million nationwide settlement. A 49-state investigation led by Washington and six other states found that from 1999 to 2003, Ameriquest inflated home appraisals and made up employment and income information to allow more people to qualify for loans. Some borrowers lost their homes because of it. Others went deeper into debt trying to keep up with their mortgage payments. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 January 2006 )
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Statement: Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller - News Conference |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
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Statement from Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller Texas Residential Construction Commission News Conference, January 23, 2006.
Read the full comments of the News Conference. "This agency imposes costly and bureaucratic roadblocks for homeowners left out in the cold by shabby construction and a commission dominated by builders," Strayhorn said... "It is clear that the Texas Residential Construction Commission functions as a builder protection agency." ..."if it were up to me personally, I would blast this Texas Residential Construction Commission builder-protection agency off the bureaucratic books."
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 20 June 2006 )
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Austin-Statesman - Report: Construction agency doesn't help consumers |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Comptroller says commission a roadblock instead of a resource
A state agency that is supposed to help homeowners and builders resolve disputes is a toothless, time-consuming barrier for consumers and should be shut down, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said Monday. In a report requested by a legislator, Strayhorn said the Texas Residential Construction Commission does not resolve conflicts between the two parties because it cannot force builders to make repairs... "This agency imposes costly and bureaucratic roadblocks for homeowners left out in the cold by shabby construction and a commission dominated by builders," Strayhorn said. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 January 2006 )
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Dallas Morning News - Strayhorn criticizes homebuyer agency |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Strayhorn criticizes homebuyer agency
The state agency set up to help homebuyers settle disputes with builders does nothing to make sure defective homes are fixed, a report released Monday by Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn found. In response to a survey, 88 of 102 homeowners said their builders did not fix problems after they went through the complaint process required by the Texas Residential Construction Commission... "The bottom line is that the Texas Residential Construction Commission clearly functions as a builder protection agency. I found no evidence that they've had a favorable impact on the homeowner," said Mrs. Strayhorn, who is running for governor as an independent. "If it were up to me, personally I would just blast this agency off the bureaucratic books." |
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Home defect panel is called no help |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Home defect panel is called no help
An agency designed to protect homeowners from construction defects actually shields builders from responsibility, according to an audit released by the Texas Comptroller's Office on Monday. "My research found no evidence the Texas Residential Construction Commission has had a favorable impact on the homeowner," Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said in a statement. "It is clear that the Texas Residential Construction Commission functions as a builder protection agency." |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 03 February 2006 )
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ASSOCIATED PRESS - Comptroller blasts building agency |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Comptroller blasts building agency
The Texas Residential Construction Commission is acting as a "builder protection agency" and has no power to force home builders to repair construction defects in new houses, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said Monday... "For these reasons, if it were up to me personally, I would blast this Texas Residential Construction Commission off the bureaucratic books," Strayhorn said...Home builders praise the law for establishing standards and warranties for home construction and creating a dispute-resolution process. Consumer advocates say it makes home buyers pay fees to file a complaint and limits their legal recourse. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 February 2006 )
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Houston Chronicle - Strayhorn issues scathing report |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Tuesday, 24 January 2006 |
Comptroller study rips regulation of builders
Consumer advocates hope a scathing report released Monday on the agency created to regulate home builders will spur lawmakers to make changes. Builders, meanwhile, say the commission is young and an important tool for homeowners... "If this is an infancy thing, I'd hate to see what it is when it grows up,"said Janet Ahmad, president of the San Antonio-based Homeowners for Better Building. "How many bad homes is enough?" |
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Texas Comptroller Report Condemns TRCC Builder Protection Agency |
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Written by Janet Ahmad
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Monday, 23 January 2006 |
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STRAYHORN FINDS TRCC FUNCTIONS AS BUILDER PROTECTION AGENCY
In a homeowner survey conducted by my office, I found that 86 percent of homeowners who responded said their builder failed to fix construction defects in their homes. And that was after going through the mandated State Sponsored Inspection and Dispute Resolution process that verified the defects...the agency has absolutely no enforcement power to make the builders fix defects... if it were up to me personally, I would blast this Texas Residential Construction Commission builder-protection agency off the bureaucratic books. See additional news articles on Comptroller's TRCC Report:  TRCC - Latest News |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 28 January 2006 )
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