Slope failure saga in Hills of Rivermist subdivision (The Hills: apartments, rental homes) - San Antonio - Texas (TX) - Page 32 - City-Data Forum

Lee W. · 03-05-2010, 03:02 PM

In today's paper, Homeowners ask for buybacks
Homeowners ask for buybacks

scuba steve · 03-05-2010, 03:13 PM

I want to see close-up photos of structural damages to the houses. Also curious about which houses have issues - if it's the ones at the top of the ridge where the wall went out? Farther down the ridge? Maybe at the bottom?

That's the stuff I'm curious about but they keep showing pictures of the wall itself with all these reports. :/

RGJ · 03-05-2010, 04:44 PM

The problem is that you are going to have varying degrees of damages. Some may not have actual physical damage, but if you're located below that wall, surely you've lost some property value. Even if you don't have any physical damage.

scuba steve · 03-05-2010, 06:53 PM

I know, but I'm curious about how well the slabs up above are holding together with however many feet that suddenly became unsupported. It's a bunch of details - like how the rebar or post-tensioned cables in the slabs are holding them together. Likewise I'm curious about how the possible forces outward (and up?) at the bottom of the hill are impacting the structures down there. I wonder about how much defection either up or down they can take before fracture or failure. That kind of stuff.

Willsatx · 03-06-2010, 05:11 PM

I was in the area and Centex still has signs for homes for sale in Rivermist?? What is up with that.

JanetAhmad · 03-08-2010, 09:56 AM

At first when the Rivermist hillside began to collapse and the community was evacuated the City of San Antonio took the position that they were going to get tough on Pulte-Centex. Then things changed, Putle-Centex and the Greater San Antonio Home Builders started meeting behind closed doors with city officials.

Last Friday homeowners got word that test results by the engineer for Pulte-Centex had been completed and that another secret meeting was being held behind closed doors about those results. Several homeowners from Rivermist tried to attend the meeting but were denied. This begs to question; what is it that the city and Pulte-Centex have to hide? Why would the city exclude the most important stakeholders in all of this, the homeowners from any meetings.

Most amazing, believe it or not, directly across the street where the houses teeter on the hillside the city is allowing Pulte-Centex to construct another new home.

What a mess. When an entire subdivision is subject to emergency evacuation the most important issue should be for families to get on with life with the least interruptions as possible. What difference does it make what caused the hillside collapse for homeowners who did not cause the failure. The moral thing for Pulte-Centex should have to buy back the homes quickly.

IMO the city is assisting Pulte-Centex with delay tactics and ignoring the victims. The builder can do whatever they need to do with the subdivision after they settle with the homeowners.

scammed1 · 03-08-2010, 05:16 PM

This entire ordeal should be on national news. The idea that city and state officals have not come to the defense of their citizens is appalling. These ELECTED officals are protecting the homebuilder.
Continuing to build houses in that subdivison, are these people for real?
This means the vicitims will have to go through binding arbitration with the builder. Can not even imagine.
NOVEMBER ladies and gentlemen. Just remember if these sitting officals will not help the vicitms of Hills of Rivermist what will they do or not do for you!

RGJ · 03-08-2010, 05:28 PM

Arbitration may not be the final deal to this. A couple in Houston recently won $51 million against Perry Homes. Maybe Pultex should take note.

Spokesman: $51M verdict in Perry Homes lawsuit is â€˜jackpot justiceâ€™ | khou.com | Houston News, Local News, Breaking News, Weather | Home

scammed1 · 03-08-2010, 06:23 PM

I am very familiar with the Cull case. I have met the Culls.
This is entirely different. If the ELECTED officals stepped in things may be different. They have put no stop to the building and have done really nothing on behalf of their citizens. Part of the reason is because TEXAS refuses to enact laws to protect its citizens against unscrupulous builders and the city refuses to upset the apple cart because P/C are builders.
They had no permit to build , they built , no punsihment. They had no permission to go onto people's property but they did and made a bad sitaution worse . We even have a law called the Castle Doctrine in whiich you can protect your property and family at any cost.
Like I said previously, the wild and wooly west. This story is incredible and I can't wait to hear those that run against some of these people during election time. Maybe one of the victims ought to run for a seat.

Hoot Owl · 03-09-2010, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scammed1

This entire ordeal should be on national news. The idea that city and state officals have not come to the defense of their citizens is appalling. These ELECTED officals are protecting the homebuilder.
Continuing to build houses in that subdivison, are these people for real?
This means the vicitims will have to go through binding arbitration with the builder. Can not even imagine.
NOVEMBER ladies and gentlemen. Just remember if these sitting officals will not help the vicitms of Hills of Rivermist what will they do or not do for you!

I completely share your sentiment.