KB Homes (Atlanta, Collins: apartment complex, rent, loan)

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by gwinnettbabe

I bought a home from them and will never do so again. My house has had more problems than any new home should have. To start off my kitchen floor was framed wrong and it was such a problem that KB couldnt find a subcontractor stupid enough to fix it (because there was a HIGH chance that my bay window could fall and tear one side of my house off, or the probelm would have moved to another location and it was possible my enitire downstaris would have had to be torn up) so after a looonnng drawn out battle (almost a year) they agreed to give us a little money to shut us up. I have also had several leaks throughout my home. One of the worst was when water was pouring out of my recess can light (sp?) That is a common problem with KB homeowners who have a seperate shower/tub. One of my neighbors is on their tenth go around with KB on the same leak. Most of the warrenty people were extremly hard to talk to and were just trying to get out of fixing everything. I am really not a "hard" homeowner to deal with. I dont complain very often but man these people. I do not recommend KB homes to anyone. Get out if you can and save yourself the headache!

So it was such a horrible problem that all it took was "a little money" thrown your way for you to just forget about it? So now you have a house that has a "bay window that could fall and tear one side of my house off", but it's OK because you got a few bucks? Sounds like maybe the problem wasn't as bad as you make it out to be if you're willing to live with it now........

[banker]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

So it was such a horrible problem that all it took was "a little money" thrown your way for you to just forget about it? So now you have a house that has a "bay window that could fall and tear one side of my house off", but it's OK because you got a few bucks? Sounds like maybe the problem wasn't as bad as you make it out to be if you're willing to live with it now........

Agreed. Some people love to complain.

[396]

Originally Posted by banker

Agreed. Some people love to complain.

Maybe he got tired of KB"s warranty people in and out of his home on a daily basis, not fixing anythig, but causing more problems than when he started. Ever thought about that? I can say I did. After 5 attempts at fixing a problem and now you have 3 new problems and the same original one, gets old real fast, Trust me, I know! KB in Georgia Sucks. Ask 9 out of 10 homeowners on my block!!!!!!!!!!

[banker]

I live in a KB community in San Antonio TX priced between $280-$500K and I have not met one single home owner that has had issues. I have visited with some home owners that have been in the community for two years - still no issues. We have been in for just five weeks - but I judge the experience of the first residents that moved in two+ years ago. Theirs has been excellent and based upon my construction process - I can't imagine my experience will be any different.

[396]

Funny you mention you are in Texas. That is where KB built homes on land that had live land mines on it. But then again, some people just love to complain......

Friday, November 9, 2001


Arlington residents sue KB Home


Dallas Business Journal

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Sixty-four homeowners in Arlington are suing Los Angeles-based homebuilder KB Home (NYSE: KBH) for not disclosing that the Southridge Hills subdivision was built on the site of a former military bombing practice range, according to the plaintiffs' attorneys Friday.
The lawsuit, filed in State District Court in Tarrant County, charges KB Home with common law fraud, gross negligence and negligence, Dallas law firm Weiner, Glass & Reed L.L.P. said in a press release.
The homeowners also are seeking rescission of their purchase agreements for their homes and an award of compensatory damages, as well as compensation for mental anguish, lawyers said. They are also seeking exemplary damages in the amount of $65 million.
According to plaintiffs' attorneys, the land that KB Home developed into the Southridge Hills subdivision was once owned by the U.S. government and was part of a naval training range. Commonly known as Five Points Field, it was used as a military practice bombing range during World War II, the firm said.
The government sold the property in 1956. Lawyers said in its deed to the purchaser, the U.S. government acknowledged that the property was subject to contamination by the introduction of unexploded bombs, shells, rockets, mines and charges. The government recommended that the target impact area be restricted to "above surface'' use only, the firm said.
The homeowners allege that when KB Home bought the land in the late 1990s and started the Southridge Hills subdivision, KB Home had actual knowledge that the U.S. Navy had used the land as a practice bombing range and that there were dangerous unexploded ordnances in the ground. The lawsuit also alleges that KB Home ignored the recommendation of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to hire an unexploded ordnance contractor to remove the subsurface bombs from the site prior to any development.
The Southridge Hills homeowners claim that at the point of sale KB Home, acting by and through their agents and employees, intentionally withheld the information from the plaintiffs that the homes they were purchasing were built on top of a bombing site and that the area had contained a number of subsurface, unexploded bombs. Had the defendants disclosed the information, the plaintiffs would not have purchased homes in the Southridge Hills subdivision, attorneys said.
In a statement issued Friday, KB Home said it had been assured that the Southridge land was safe before it began building and that it would work to achieve a quick resolution to the homeowners' concerns.
"Before a single home was built at Southridge, we received assurances from the U.S. military and an independent consultant that there was no reason to believe there were any hazardous substances at the property as a result of its military use 50 years ago," KB Home said in the statement. "We relied on such assurances and concluded that the community was fully safe for new home construction.
"Our company would never have chosen to build on this land if we'd been given any reason to believe the site posed any sort of risk to homeowners," it added. "The safety and well being of the individuals and families who put their trust in KB Homes is, and will always be, our first priority.
"We have been working and continue to work on our homeowners' behalf to achieve a prompt resolution with the Army Corps of Engineers. The lawsuit filed today does nothing to deter us from our mission of working to ensure these families' complete satisfaction and peace of mind," KB Homes said.

[gwinnettbabe]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

So it was such a horrible problem that all it took was "a little money" thrown your way for you to just forget about it? So now you have a house that has a "bay window that could fall and tear one side of my house off", but it's OK because you got a few bucks? Sounds like maybe the problem wasn't as bad as you make it out to be if you're willing to live with it now........

I say a "little money" because I was the one who actually had to pay to fix the problem that ended up costing me 25% more than the five figure settlement amount. The main framing supports joists for the entire back side of the home were under-rated and the "rigged" cantelever design for the bay ran out three feet from the house and only overlapped the main support by six inches. This caused a progessive slope in my kitchen( the floor above) that ended up dislodging the tile flooring from the subfloor and causing severe stress cracking in the drywall around the area.

Please do not misrepresent my words the same way KB did. This is the reason I had to battle with them for 8 months before they actuall sent a licensed engineer out to inspect the issue..then two weeks later offered to settle with me...

Oh, and as for being tired of KB sending out reprenatives twice a month for eight months to review the same probem, you are absolutely correct. It is hard to deal with that kind of incompetence. I actually found out from the contractor I hired to fix the problems, that the suggested repair KB tried to force me sign was actually illegal. Not only were the joists underrated from the current code(they are spaced apart 30 inches), the represenative from KB tried to have their people come in and cut off the top sides of the engineered I beam floor joists to compensate for the problem which would have crippled the capacity of the joists....

[banker]

Sounds like the local KB construction team and related management got sloppy. I doubt they are all like that. Code issues are important. Finish work is one thing - but construction code is law. I would argue this isn't the norm. KB was sloppy on some finish things on my house (since fixed) but the structure (which I had inspected before drywall - did you?) met or exceeded code in all areas. Infact - my personal inspector/engineer that I hired was very impressed with the framing job on my house.

[kindacrunchy]

Trust me when I say that KB is the worst possible builder you could choose for a home. I know. I'm living in a KB Home. The customer service is the worst in the industry. They do not want to fix anything wrong and will go to great lengths to avoid any repairs. Just do an internet search and you will see just how many downright angry homeowners they ave produced. We are beginning litigation with them right now for failing to provide warranty repairs in a timely manner.

[banker]

Originally Posted by gwinnettbabe

The main framing supports joists for the entire back side of the home were under-rated and the "rigged" cantelever design for the bay ran out three feet from the house and only overlapped the main support by six inches. This caused a progessive slope in my kitchen( the floor above) that ended up dislodging the tile flooring from the subfloor and causing severe stress cracking in the drywall around the area.

I guess you did not have your house inspected before dry-wall went up. An engineer would have (should have) caught that before the dry-wall went in. I had an engineer inspect my framing before the drywall went up. There were a few minor things (which KB promptly fixed without any questions). My inspector/engineer indicated that at my price point, my KB home was very well built. Better than many other builders in fact.

[396]

Not all bought their homes from the ground up. Some purchased existing inventory, too late for private inspectors, and went on KB's "good word".