Lemons, a Sweet Victory for Homeowner 
June 15, 2005 

It was a sweet twist of lemon for the 27-year-old Heather Michelson who was smiling after she and the Builder/Homeowners Assoc. signed an agreement in Judge Block's Courtroom.  "I am very happy," said Michelson.  Supporters and legislative representatives showed up for a HomeOwners for Better Building press conference at the Harris Country Courthouse where Heather Michelson representing herself was victorious. "The builder agreed to wave all attorney fees and court cost if I agreed not to paint anymore lemons on the windows of my condo.  Now I can concentrate on the loss of my condo and the fraud that was involved when I bought it," said Michelson.

Angry resident paints giant lemons on her condo's windows in protest
ABC13 Eyewitness News
(6/15/05 - HOUSTON) "€” A homeowner has found an unusual way to speak out against her homebuilder...Heather Michelson headed to court over large yellow lemons painted on the window of her quarter million dollar Montrose condo. It was art -- and a statement. "The only voice I had," she said. "I put lemons up and I moved out." ... "I had bloody noses at night, nauseous, dementia," recalled Michelson. "I was fatigued. I'd sleep for 18 hours a day." The symptoms, she says, disappeared when she moved out... Janet Ahmad with Homeowners for Better Building explained, "Anyone can be a builder in Texas. But only in Texas are the home builders unregulated and the buyer is regulated."

In Nevada - NV State Contractors Board online  - If a builders license is revoked and the problem is not fixed, the homeowner can make a claim under the residential recovery fund.  The fund will pay the homeowner their actual damages to get the problem fixed.  The fund can pay up to $35,000 per homeowner. But the resident could still choose to sue.

Report Mortgage Fraud: WWW.NAMB.org
FINANCIAL CRIMES REPORT TO THE PUBLIC
                               
                    MORTGAGE FRAUD - MAY 2005
The increased reliance by both financial institutions and non-financial institution lenders on third-party brokers has created opportunities for organized fraud groups, particularly where mortgage industry professionals are involved.

No place like home for this cuddly Austin lapdog
THE Texas Legislature, over the years, has created a number of industry lapdogs, but the Texas Residential Construction Commission, established two years ago, could be one of the cuddliest yet...  A few senators tried to take some of the wag out of its homebuilder-friendly tail last week but failed. Even though some political contributions have sparked legal turmoil, money still talks in Austin, and with a very loud voice... Homeowners now have to go through an expensive, commission-run dispute resolution process before pursuing any legal action over construction complaints. This is more bureaucratic and potentially more intimidating than the mandatory arbitration process that most builders already required in new home contracts.

The Kimmler House of Ohio 
It all started with a dream and a desire to build something that would last and remain in the family for years to come, but alas it has only been a nightmare. In approximately October of 2000, my husband purchased the 5-acre, lakefront, cattle field and envisioned a Tuscan farmhouse with a view.

Perry's picks for TRCC are Targeted
At a Monday hearing, Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, took issue with the commissioners' work since they first assembled in December 2003. He said registered builders undergo almost no scrutiny, yet the general public thinks state registration is "giving them a badge, they have some sort of elevated credibility."  Duncan criticized Krugh for opposing portions of a bill Duncan authored that would address some of the problems he believes exist in the process. He grilled Krugh for lobbying against a provision to provide notice to homebuyers where the only inspector is the one provided by the homebuilder.

Business-Backed Class Action Bill Locks Consumers Out of Court
Statement by Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook
This week, the Senate will debate one of the most unfair, anti-consumer bills that we've seen in years. This business-backed class action legislation (S. 5) will lock millions of consumers out of the courthouse. Business interests have spent tens of millions of dollars to pass it to avoid public accountability for fraud and deceptive practices.