BBB

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http://austin.bbb.org/article/local-homebuilder-faces-government-action-for-alleged-deceptive-practices-23107
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the doctor is in

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"Your hostility towards Pulte Homes is actually a potty-training issue. It has NOTHING to do with the structural capacity of roof truss connections, actual depth of lagoons versus plan depth, correctly mixing and applying stucco, censorship, propaganda, etc."

SCHH Amateur Psychiatrists Club
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stucco

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Class-action possibility increases interest in Sun City stucco lawsuit

By ALLISON STICE
astice@islandpacket.com
843-706-8138

Published Saturday, October 16, 2010

Lawyers representing a Sun City Hilton Head couple suing for allegedly defective stucco work say interest in the lawsuit has increased following a state Supreme Court ruling allowing homeowners to seek class-action status.

John Chakeris of Chakeris Law Firm of Charleston, one of four lawyers handling the case, said that since the Oct. 4 decision, he has received about 20 calls from Sun City residents who want to join the more than 140 homeowners he already represents.

Before the case can move forward as a class action, a circuit court judge must certify that there is a large number of Sun City residents affected by the stucco problems. A motion seeking class-action status is pending in the court. If approved, it could apply to more than 2,500 Sun City homes, Chakeris said.

Anthony and Barbara Grazia's suit was originally filed against South Carolina State Plastering LLC, which said developer Del Webb Communities and builder Pulte Homes Inc. were responsible for some or all of the damages. That action made Webb and Pulte a part of the suit.

Lawyers representing all of the defendants have requested more time to file a rehearing before the Supreme Court to try to overturn the decisionthat allowed the homeowners to seek class-action status, according to one of their attorneys, Vic Rawl of the McNair Law Firm.

Chakeris said the stucco problem in Sun City is widespread. An engineer hired to inspect a sampling of about 250 homes found the stucco could have been improperly applied in all 2,500 homes, he said.

"People are having problems that are not being addressed and now are left to the courts," Chakeris said.

Bob Flaherty, a private home inspector who lives in Sun City, said he also has been fielding calls from residents concerned with their stucco as their five-year warranties on free repairs for water intrusion tick away.

Improperly installed stucco can cause water to seep in, damaging walls and causing mold. The problems arise when a thin sheet of tarpaper behind the stucco that's supposed to keep water out has been broken, cracked or nailed through, Flaherty said.

Flaherty has surveyed more than 50 homes with an infrared camera searching for water spots inside the walls. Of those, 13 percent have required major repairs, such as replacement of walls and siding. About 22 percent needed minor repairs.

Flaherty said his numbers could be skewed because homeowners often call when they already suspect a problem. Nonetheless, the sheer number of repairs required is "a big issue," he said.

A Del Webb statement released after the Supreme Court decision says the developer has already made repairs for isolated stucco problems. Representatives from Sun City neighborhoods where houses stucco repairs were done said homeowners have been pleased with Pulte's quick response.

"The few issues that we had were addressed immediately and repaired immediately," said Arlene Raftery, the representative for the Juniper Creek neighborhood.

Since January, Pulte has obtained 18 permits for repairs in Sun City, according to Beaufort County building codes director Arthur Cummings, although he said he did not know if all of those deal with stucco.

Cosmetic repairs don't require a permit, Cummings said.

In two or three instances, county inspectors or homeowners have contacted Cummings when Pulte didn't obtain a permit for major stucco repairs which were found while minor repairs were being made, Cummings said. In such cases, the permit fees are doubled, he said.

Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/10/16/1409959/class-action-possibility-increases.html#ixzz12cU3mwdH
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post

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my post on http://schhresidents.forumco.com/:

“Certain homeowners have contacted Pulte/Del Webb with questions about removing stucco from the holes in their ‘weep screeds’ at the base of their stucco-clad walls. These homeowners have notified Pulte/Del Webb representatives that certain home inspectors have told them that the holes in the weep screeds are for drainage and that the holes should not be coated with stucco. Such statements are incorrect. The stucco manufacturers for Sun City have confirmed that ‘the holes are for keying of the stucco and NOT FOR DRAINAGE.’ The stucco manufacturers further indicated that ‘finishing the accessories themselves (with stucco) is an aesthetic consideration.’”

March 26, 2008

Derek Morgan

Director Customer Relations

South Carolina Coastal Division

(NOTE: You can find Derek Morgan’s letter on this blog at http://peretired.blogspot.com/2010/06/nrc.html)

“The opinion released Monday reverses a Circuit Court ruling that struck down class-action status for a suit alleging improper stucco application, which caused water damage and rot.”

October 7, 2010

http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/10/06/1398514/state-supreme-court-sides-with.html

Y’all forget about what you hear from licensed home inspectors, licensed engineers, lawyers, SC Supreme Court, etc. Just keep believing Pulte letters, Pulte statements, TYSK emails, Sunsations, SCHH TV, NRs, CA BODs, BOD-appointed committees, etc. The "master builder" knows stucco, lagoons, roofs, etc. The "master builder" knows all things construction.

Want to buy a bridge in Brooklyn?

Why support a system that favors Pulte?

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http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/10/06/1398514/state-supreme-court-sides-with.html

State Supreme Court sides with Sun City residents seeking class-action status in stucco dispute

By ALLISON STICE
astice@islandpacket.com
843-706-8138

Published Wednesday, October 6, 2010

A state Supreme Court decision may allow Sun City Hilton Head homeowners to pursue a class-action lawsuit for alleged defective stucco work.

The opinion released Monday reverses a Circuit Court ruling that struck down class-action status for a suit alleging improper stucco application, which caused water damage and rot. A court must first certify the class before such a lawsuit can be filed. A Circuit Court hearing on that issue has not been scheduled.

The suit against South Carolina State Plastering LLC was filed three years ago by Anthony and Barbara Grazia of Sun City and alleges negligent construction on more than 2,500 homes in the gated community that "would require ... stripping the homes of the existing stucco and recladding with a properly installed stucco system," the Supreme Court's opinion reads. State Plastering filed a third-party complaint against developer Del Webb Communities Inc., builder Pulte Homes Inc. and Kephart Architects Inc.

A statement from Del Webb says a third-party engineering firm surveyed the homes and repairs already have been made "in isolated incidents where a stucco issue was present."

Representatives for Pulte did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

W. Jefferson Leath Jr. of Charleston-based law firm Leath, Bouch & Seekings said the four attorneys in the Grazia case collectively represent more than 140 Sun City homeowners claiming stucco defects.

"If Pulte follows their standard course, they will take some action to prolong (the lawsuit), whether it be a petition to the Supreme Court to reconsider or some other action," Leath said.

Everett Kendall of the Columbia-based firm Sweeny Wingate & Barrow, one of four lawyers representing the defendants, said they may petition for a rehearing. They may also seek clarification from the legislature on its original intent in creating the law that he lower court used to deny class-action status.

Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/10/06/1398514/state-supreme-court-sides-with.html#ixzz11d7Qx8uN
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from http://schhresidents.forumco.com

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"To all: The subject of this topic is: "Why support a system that favors Pulte?" Stay on topic. Answer the question.

To all of the psychoanalysts, cheap-shot artists, and arrogant people who don’t know a roof truss from roof bracing, who say that experts like John Mann, licensed engineer, and Tony Kunich, licensed inspector and builder, don’t know what they are talking about, and who question our motives: I'm turning the tables, because I'd REALLY like to know. Why do THOUSANDS of people here who Pulte has screwed (excuse the pun) support a system that favors Pulte?"
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