Any comments on a builder called Smithbilt (Knoxville Area) ? (Oak Ridge: for sale, homeowners association)

[mjb62676]

Thanks...I'm going to look into doing the irrigation myself as well. Not possible to do it right now, but maybe next summer when I get some time off.

Did you have to go under and concrete? That's my biggest concern. I'm pretty certain I will need to.

[jimj]

Going under concrete is not as hard as one would think, you take a piece of PVC and put a hose fitting on it, hook it to your hose and use it like a water drill. I will send you via DM a sprinkler site that answers everything you need to know about irrigation and way more....

[mjb62676]

Does this look "normal" to anyone besides Smithbilt and/or Jim Hill of Southland GMAC?

Just wondering.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by mjb62676

Does this look "normal" to anyone besides Smithbilt and/or Jim Hill of Southland GMAC?

Just wondering.

Nope, with the last two new houses we bought a yard that looked like that would qualify for a regrade for drainage. Is the house still under under warranty? Is this the first winter since it was built? If it is new to you but not a new house did the previous owner disclose a drainage issue?

[mjb62676]

New to us (we are the first owner's however), not disclosed at all to us by the builder/developer (they say TDEC won't let them do anything, but I've since gotten written permission from TDEC), still under warranty (and will be going on the list). The house was finished in July of last year, so you can probably imagine why this didn't manifest itself until this winter.

I'm trying to figure out my options for when they refuse to fix the problem.

[jimj]

Talk to the city/county health dept about mosquito abatement for starters, then talk to the code enforcement people about standing water, I'm sure there has to be codes for that. Look at your warranty contract, it usually address's that exact thing. Lastly, if they refuse talk to an attorney. A letter usually does the trick.

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by mjb62676

Does this look "normal" to anyone besides Smithbilt and/or Jim Hill of Southland GMAC?

Just wondering.

That's horrible!

[goodbyehollywood]

I would talk to an attorney before you do anything. Official complaints might result in an order to fix it now! And that expense would fall on you at this point, since your builder is hedging. If the builder were going to act swiftly without pressure, that photo would have gotten some results. It didn't, so your builder is probably looking for a way out or hoping they can wear you down so you'll take care of the problem yourself.

I would make an appointment with a good attorney, take that photo and your disclosure statements/builder docs and try to get some action. A letter from an attorney and a few photos should do the trick. If not, that photo in the newspaper with the builder mentioned might provoke a response.

But, again, rely on an attorney, not us. You have our sympathy; now, you need an attorney. Good luck!

[Barking Spider]

I guess the good news is the water is not ponding next to the house, or affecting the foundation. Was this photo taken after those really heavy rains? How long did the water stand after the rain stopped?

What kind of drainage was installed in that area of the S/D/lots? Is there a catch basin somewhere?

This really looks more like the developer and site planning than the home builder. I know it may be Smithbuilt, but we are talking different people planning/doing the work.

It wouldn't hurt to call Knox County Building Dept and discuss your problems with them. Roy Braden is the Chief Building Official and is a very nice guy.

I didn't review all nine pages of this post (this time), and I may have responded before, since I have inspected many Smithbuilt homes. The photo caught my eye, so I thought I would add my comment.

My suggestion would be to go to an attorney as a last resort. I have worked as an expert witness many times, and found: 1) it takes a long time to actually get to court. The ones I worked on took almost three years. 2) even the "winners" don't always feel like they did. 3. they only ones that really made money are the atty's. That said, there ARE times that there just isn't any other way to get the other parties attention.

Note on sprinklers: make sure you know your water pressure before you start planning the layout, and tap in BEFORE the pressure regulator.

[Eat]

If you talk to an attorney, make sure it is a real estate attorney.

I agree that it looks like the subdivision wasn't graded properly, but in my non-legal opinion, your main issue is with whomever you bought the property from. You might also get together with your pond-mate neighbor and compare notes.

I haven't read the whole thread either.