Fed up Hutto homeowners call for change in building regulations
Residents of the Hutto Parke subdivision were joined by members of a newly formed advocacy group and a candidate running to represent Williamson County in the Texas House of Representatives today on the State Capitol steps to call for an end to the state's current agency tasked with regulating the building industry and its professionals. Historically, Texas has held homeowner's rights in very high regard, adopting some of the toughest homestead laws in the nation, " says Avery. "However, Texas today, become a magnet for unscrupulous home builders, because our laws fail to hold them accountable for their mis-deeds.  "When did it become alright to sell a sub-standard home?" asks Maldonado. " When did the mortgages become commodities, and when did homes become disposable?"

Homeowners' faith in commission crumbling. The state commission tasked with ensuring quality construction for Texans is in jeopardy.
It's been almost four years since Hoover contacted TRCC. Today, Hoover 's home still has cracks in the foundation and he's still trying to get the builder to do something about it. "It's crumbling around us. A brand new home under warranty and we can do nothing about it," Hoover said. "Eighty-eight percent of homeowners who go through the TRCC process see no resolution to their problem," Winslow said.

WWII bombing range has people up in arms
Since the US Army Corps of Engineers began sweeping the Orlando neighborhoods a year ago, they've found more than 200 munitions and other potentially volatile remnants. Some weighed up to 23 pounds. Most were recovered on the grounds of a middle school, including one lodged beneath the landing pit for the long jump.

Builder Protection Agency Gets Legislative Protection
Yesterday the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) had it's day in the Sunset, Commission that is.  It's key to remember no matter what homebuilders and TRCC commissioner say, the TRCC was created to keep homebuilders from being sued for shoddy workmanship by homebuyers who received that shoddily built home.  That is why the consumers are not happy with the TRCC, and why it has received the nickname of "the builder protection agency".  (Read this post, Builder Protection Agency "Hits Home" In Williamson County, for EOW's earlier reporting).

Panel ponders future of builder mediation
A state agency set up to resolve disputes with builders isn't working and should be abolished, homeowners said Tuesday. The construction commission, created in 2003 with homebuilders' support, lacks authority to force builders to fix defective houses. The staff report said that only 12 percent of the commission's cases have resulted in satisfactory repair or compensation to homeowners.

Reform on the Home Front
...try to justify their agency's existence. It's not an easy case to make. Two weeks earlier, the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, a legislative oversight committee, had recommended that state lawmakers abolish the TRCC because it does "more harm than good."...Even by that lax standard, however, the Texas Residential Construction Commission"€”created ostensibly to aid homeowners"€”represents a new low. It's one thing to ignore consumers; it's quite another to work against them. Since its inception in 2003, the TRCC has been criticized for helping builders skirt lawsuits from consumers seeking reparations for shoddily built homes...Commissioner Mickey Redwine I ask that every commissioner unite and vote for change to prove to consumers that we are serious about change."...The commissioners did unite"€”and voted against most of Redwine's reforms. Consumer advocates weren't surprised. "His heart is in the right place," said Alex Winslow, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Texas Watch. "But regardless of the changes TRCC makes, it is broken and needs to be scrapped."

Representative Olivo Response: TRCC Irreparably Harms homeowners
TRCC is an ill-conceived attempt to replace true regulation of an industry with a complaint review board; as such, TRCC does more harm than good. Not only are individual homeowners irreparably harmed, but the loss in property values resulting from substandard, incomplete and unsafe construction erodes the local tax base. These are the tax dollars that educate our children and safeguard our communities...Texas must develop an effective means to regulate the residential construction indUstry, thereby protecting the value of Texas homeowners' property and protecting the local tax base from unnecessary erosion. Ifwe, as elected and appointed officials who are charged with keeping the public trust, fail to effectively regulate this industry, we have failed in our responsibility to protect the safety and welfare of all the citizens of Texas.  Read more...

Sunset Review: Texas Residential Construction Commission
Public Comments Received Regarding the Report Sunset Commission Meeting and Public Testimony is September 23, 2008. See Public Comments regarding Sunset Report to Abolish TRCC

Inspector Calls Inspection Inadequate
I expect The City of Austin and other cities that are county seats have amended their codes to require more than just three inspections. If the county seats require say 5, 10, 20 inspections each at different stages, then in the county outside that county seat it seems the same multiple layers of inspections will apply also if the amendments apply. Finally how do the RCC requirements and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation TDLR that regulates the licenses for electricians and mechanical contractors also the Texas Board of Plumbing Examiners that regulators the plumbers and the Adopted Plumbing Codes Uniform Plumbing Code and the International Plumbing Code line up with the Texas Residential Construction Commission? When there is a conflict in code requirements, which prevails?

DR Horton Avoids Warranty Responsibility for Defective House
This Alabama Supreme Court decision regarding a defective, mold contaminated DR Horton home should convince every homeowner with a defective home to avoid Binding Mandatory Arbitration (BMA) at all cost.  As Sherry Gay Hereford and so many new homebuyers before her learned BMA is a dead end and renders a new home warranty useless and unenforceable.  For the past 12 years builders have valued BMA clauses as their "24K gold cash cow" to limit liability for building substandard and shoddy home construction.  See related BMA decision – Robert & Jane Cull and their 10-year ordeal with the generously self-serving multibillionaire political campaign donor, homebuilder Bob Perry.

TRCC No Help for Active Duty Soldier as DR Horton Ignores Warranty Responsibility
A Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the USAF currently deployed in support of our country soldier's response to an e-mail from Texas Residential Construction (TRCC).  James Winslow has testified at the Capitol and the San Antonio City Council on several occasions asking for help to make DR Horton accept warranty responsibility for his defective home.  Winslow and his family continue to struggle through TRCC nearly 2 years without resolution. See Jim Winslow.Statesman Blog.com  & Goodnight TRCC.  Read much more on Jim Winslow's defect house and TRCC...

Please join HOBB and Texas Watch for Lobby Day and attend the important Sunset Advisory Committee Hearing at the Capitol
The Sunset Commission hearing at the State Capitol on September 23rd creates a unique opportunity for Texas Watch activists to speak out on their experiences with the TRCC.   During our Lobby day, you will have the chance to attend the sunset commission public hearing, take part in a press conference, and meet with your state legislators.  Also, lunch will be provided by Texas Watch Staff.

One Good Builder Speaks Up - Abolish TRCC
I am a TRCC registered "builder" and I believe the following: 1. Abolish the TRCC; its building standards are a sad joke and consumers ARE NOT protected. 2. Require builder licensing on any work over $500. 3. Require builders to post a performance bond of at least $7500 close the independent sub-contractor loophole. 5. Create an enforcement state agency that would vigorously prosecute every offender with no first time get out of jail free card. Investigate to the fullest extent of the law "Bob Perry showering cash on Sunset Commission members." The consumers in Texas are suffering at the hands of the good ole boys builder club. I was a licensed General Contractor in California and no Texas "builder" would be allowed to do business there. They should not be allowed to continue their current practices here either. Contact your State representatives by letter, phone or email and keep doing it until we are no longer being victimized. See Builders comments on Houston Chronicle Article

Houston Chronicle: Only builders shed tears for flawed state agency
Its facade of legitimacy is so flimsy that a Sunset Commission staff report recently recommended its absence would serve homeowners better than its presence. It called the commission "fundamentally flawed." It's telling that the only group upset about dismantling the TRCC is the builders it is supposed to police. The TRCC purports to resolve differences between aggrieved homeowners and builders and promote better home construction. In fact, it's been a Legislature-sanctioned smoke screen for bad construction..."There is a huge burden on the homeowner to prove what's wrong with their house, and where do they wind up? In a legal dispute," said Janet Ahmad of San Antonio, president of Homeowners for Better Building. "We don't need a state agency for that."

Home complaints may be unenforceable
The government agency has been the principal responder to accusations of shoddy construction in the Mallard Park sub division, taking complaints and setting up independent inspections of property to confirm or disprove claims. However, a recent report from the Sunset Advisory Commission calls for the direct abolition of the agency, because it lacks the regulatory power it purports to wield. "In its review of the Texas Residential Construction Commission, Sunset staff concluded that anything short of a true regulatory program does more harm than good, and should be abolished," the report released in August said.