Is there someone at Pulte who FINALLY "gets it"?

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"The customer is always right."

Who hasn't heard this before? While I've always taken it "with a grain of salt", I can see the wisdom behind it.

If you treat your customers well, then they'll continue to be your customers. And, they'll create new customers for you, by telling others how well that you treated them. Others will want the same treatment.

On the other hand, the opposite is true. If you treat your customers poorly, then not only will they walk, but they'll tell others of their poor treatment, and those who have "never darkened your door" NEVER will do so.

Nordstrom revolutionized department store business in the 1980s with their "the customer is always right" creed. Stories abound of their GREAT customer service.

Have the "old" ways been forgotten?

Maybe not entirely. There's been a "shake up" of Pulte personnel at SCHH. Do you think that someone at Pulte may FINALLY "get it"? Let's hope so.
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"Chihuahua with no teeth"

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In his column entitled "Bureaucracy working against water quality" in today's (8/28) Bluffton Today, Joe Croley says: "The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control should, from a practical point of view, be a spokesperson for the river but by and large allows any request from mini-marinas to elongated docks to be approved. If they see themselves as a watchdog, they are a Chihuahua with no teeth: small, noisy, but largely ineffective."

You got that right, Joe! In my 40+ years as an engineer NEVER have I seen an agency charged with protecting the environment do such a poor job as DHEC. Look at their miserable record with the lagoons here as a case-in-point.
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Pulte treats their customers like morons... Well???

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Pulte doesn't take responsibility for their words and actions, and insults our intelligence in doing so.

There’s a problem with wood flooring that Pulte installed—it’s because the homeowner used a common desk chair floor protector, prohibiting moisture coming THROUGH THE SLAB from evaporating. C’MON!

EVERYBODY here should know that the Phase 5 lagoons are a mess, yet there’s an article in this month’s Sunsations, written by BOD member Francisco Garcia, patting Pulte on the back for their wonderful lagoons and their praiseworthy stewardship of our wetlands. You’ve GOT to be kidding me!

There are problems with our stucco. In a letter dated March 26, 2008 Derek Morgan tries to tell us that the holes at the base of our stucco clad walls are “NOT FOR DRAINAGE”. MASTER BUILDER, or master something else?

I guess to his credit, Jon Cherry did admit that removing hurricane clips from valley truss connections was “probably a mistake”, but did Pulte step forward to install said hurricane clips in houses that they built here after 2004, but before early 2007, when they started installing them again? NO.

In a coup de tat Pulte takes back a resident BOD seat, and gives it to a Pulte employee. When Jon Cherry is asked why, no plausible explanation follows. (Even when residents had more members on the BODs than Pulte employees, residents publicly acknowledged that Pulte, with their veto power, controlled the BOD.) Pulte, is it that you think that we can’t handle the truth? Guess what? With SOME of us, you’re not hiding a thing!

The AMAZING thing to me is how Pulte keeps getting away with treating us like morons.
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Pulte promises to fix lagoons

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from http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/733671.html :

Sun City developer promises to remedy lagoon problems
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Sun City Hilton Head developer Pulte Homes on Thursday promised to fix problems with a number of lagoons in the gated community at no cost to residents. That promise was made to about 550 residents at a meeting organized by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.

"We stand ready to do this work, we've started to do this work ... and it's not going to cost you a nickel," Pulte spokesman Jon Cherry told the audience.

When folks here paid premiums for lots on lagoons, they weren’t buying this:

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Or this:

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Never mind the fact that DHEC isn’t doing its job, as evidenced by the fact that as-built drawings show that these lagoons weren’t built according to the construction plans that DHEC approved, that Pulte pumps sediment laden water into wetlands, and that untreated stormwater runoff from the Hidden Cypress parking lot flows directly into the adjacent wetland (the one with ACRES of dead and dying trees), Pulte OWES it to the folks who paid premiums for lagoon lots to fix them ALL COMPLETELY AND CORRECTLY.

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Herd mentality

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Remember Jonestown, Guyana? It was the settlement of a California cult, The Peoples Temple, led by the charismatic lunatic Jim Jones. On November 18, 1978, 909 cultists died in the settlement after Jones encouraged them to drink cyanide-laced Kool-aid.

Herd mentality is alive and well in America today. Examples of herd mentality include the early adopters of high technology products such as cell phones and iPods, as well as stock market trends, fashions in apparel, cars, home décor, and retirement communities. Herd mentality is the failure to act as an individual, with intellect and reasoning.

The Jonestown propaganda of retirement communities today comes in sales rhetoric and slick self-serving publications. It comes from developer-imposed websites that carefully control information that is given to residents. It comes from strictly controlling what can be placed in our private lower mailboxes. It comes from developer-approved, propaganda-filled emails that are sent to all in the community.

Herd mentality prevents us from thinking for ourselves. It prevents us from looking rationally at situations and from determining the truth. It makes us slaves. We don’t think for ourselves. We don’t speak for ourselves. We simply follow the herd, right into the slaughterhouse.

An extreme analogy? Or, is it?
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Where's DHEC?

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Two examples of DHEC NOT doing their job:

Example #1
Pumping sediment-laden water into wetlands is a violation of the Clean Water Act.
http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ CLEARLY documents Pulte doing this. Where’s DHEC?

Example #2
Directing UNTREATED stormwater runoff directly into wetlands (NOT routed through a treatment pond) is a violation of the Clean Water Act. Go to the storm inlet at southeast corner of the Hidden Cypress parking lot. Now, go 20 feet to the east and see the pipe coming from the inlet discharging directly into the wetland (the dead and dying one). Residents here told DHEC of this violation MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO. DHEC SHOULD have known about it without having been told. Where’s DHEC? Untreated runoff from the HC parking lot STILL continues to be discharged into the dead and dying wetland RIGHT NOW, and yet DHEC does NOTHING.

BOTH these violations have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with storage capacity of the lagoons, and yet Pulte and DHEC continue their moronic mantra “…400% of the required storage volume”, like there’s nothing else involved in protecting the environment than providing adequate storage volume in the ponds. (BTW, the 400% ONLY applies if the lagoons were built according to the approved construction plans, and we know from the as-built plans that they weren’t.)

Finally, I attended meetings with DHEC & Pulte at DHEC’s office in Beaufort. Before the meeting started DHEC staff and Pulte people talked with each other like old business partners, ignoring everyone else in the room. It spoke volumes.
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small wonder

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a poll on http://schhresidents.forumco.com/ :

Poll Question:

Would you sign a petition supporting the return of the Board of Directors to resident control?

Results:

Yes: 51 votes
No: 1 votes
Yes, and I would be willing to run for a board position: 1 votes
No, I don''t feel residents should have control of the board at this time: 2 votes
Yes, and I know someone willing to run for a board position: 1 votes

currently, on this anonymous poll: 53 yes, 3 no

- 269 members of this forum; that's:

. - 2% of the people at SCHH (13,000)

- 56 have an opinion; that's:

. - 1 in 5 of the members of this forum
. - 1 in 230 of the people here at SCHH

pitiful, isn't it?
small wonder that Pulte gets away with what they get away with.
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Pulte, Master Environmentalist--NOT!!!

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From http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Lagoon #157 Update

(photos)

"10:50AM- Both pumps were "on" and the lagoon seems pretty well drained at this time. Unfortunately, many leaks in the pumping system are still allowing a discharge of turbid/silt-laden water into the wetlands. Pulte has been apprised of this issue but apparently disagree that it is a violation of DHEC regulations."

My posted comment:

"Not only is the Master Builder NOT an authority on construction (shoddily built lagoons, barely attached roof truss connections, defective stucco, cracked foundation slabs, wood floors turning black from foundation slab leaks, roof leaks from improperly shingled valleys, etc.), but the Master Builder is also NOT an authority on violations to the Clean Water Act. In 2008 the USEPA and USDOJ obtained record settlements from Pulte for violations of the Clean Water Act (http://epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/cwa/pultehomes-infosht.html)."
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Where is DHEC?

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From http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Lagoon #157 Update

(photos)

"2:30PM - I noticed that, because of leaks in the hoses and also at the hose-end couplings, turbid/silt-laden water was being discharged into the nearest curb inlet just west of L-157 . This curb inlet discharges directly into the wetland area and the flow of this pumped water was clearly evident in the wetland area just across the street from the curb inlet. The water was flowing along the curbing into the curb inlet from the leaks on both sides of it (east and west). The current two-pump set-up was configured to avoid discharging the water into this particular curb inlet! As stated in a previous updats (7/16/ & 7/17), it is against DHEC regulations to discharge turbid/silt-laden water directly into wetlands."

My posted comment:

"From DHEC’s website (http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/swerfmain.htm):

“DHEC is charged with making sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects and following project completion will not have an adverse effect on water quality in South Carolina. The stormwater program requires the development and implementation of a plan to control stormwater runoff and sediment to prevent them from entering water bodies in our State.”

In their own words, “DHEC is charged with making sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects and following project completion will not have an adverse effect on water quality in South Carolina.”

Where is DHEC?
Why isn’t DHEC doing its job?
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Lagoon reconstruction update

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154, 155, 151 & 159 are complete. (little work required)
164 is complete. (small lagoon)
150 & 157 are in progress. (relatively small lagoons)
160, 153, 149, 178, 182, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176 & 183 have not started yet. (most of the work lies ahead, in both number and size)

15 to 20% complete? (generous, IMHO)
complete by Jan 2010?

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same song, different verse

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posted on http://schhresidents.forumco.com :

"Sorry for not responding earlier. A Pulte-controlled-Board-selected resident advisory group has been reviewing our CC&Rs (Declarations) and Bylaws for 18 months. The goal was to simplify and streamline. Instead, they decided to propose numerous changes that had the effect of centralizing control among the few “elite” residents and Pulte-controlled Board. This advisory group ignored the viewpoints of most residents. Therefore, (1) we obtained signatures from 1,130 of the 5,600 homes on a petition, (2) 70 residents submitted detailed comments to the advisory committee asking for changes to their proposals, (3) many residents (50 on one day) picketed the Pulte sales office for two weekends, and (4) 600+ people (overflow crowd in our 600-person ballroom) attended a June 29 meeting to register their complaints about the anti-resident proposals from the advisory group. The advisory group ignored all of this.

Pulte finally gave in and adopted revisions to three of the twelve (or so) items of greatest concern by the residents. The twelve (or so) items of concern included reducing the quorum for important resident decisions (so as to allow a small group to control the publicity and then control the vote), mandating Board pre-approval of petitions circulated within Sun City Texas, eliminating our Bylaw guarantee of “open elections” (as opposed to a hand-picked group that formerly selected the only residents who could run for the Board), allowing the Pulte-controlled Board to remove another Board Member (like me) who they did not like for violations as nebulous as “unbecoming conduct”, etc.

Therefore, we won a small partial victory. However, we lost most of our issues.

At present, here in Sun City Texas the homeowner dues do not pay for any of the golf expenses, including the golf reserve. However, the top Pulte guy has just proposed that homeowner dues pay for all golf reserve contributions. The golfers like that, but the 80% who do not play golf do not. If Pulte pushes this, it will be another battle. (FYI – our golf reserve has about $2.2 million; our non-golf reserve has about $3.4 million.)"

http://www.hobb.org/content/view/3089/1/

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DHEC-OCRM deserves the criticism

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Anyone who is paying attention knows that DHEC gets criticized a LOT. DHEC deserves every bit of it.

If you've been paying attention then you know that:

• DHEC has the responsibility to approve the design, construction, and operation of stormwater management ponds (SWM) in coastal South Carolina
• DHEC approved construction plans for Phase 5 (SCHH) SWM ponds
• DHEC ordered as-built plans for Phase 5 SWM ponds
• As-built plans CLEARLY show that Phase 5 SWM ponds were not built per the DHEC-approved construction plans.
• DHEC "cherry picks". DHEC doesn't enforce depth, despite the fact some lagoons are only 3 ft. deep, instead of the 5 ft. that the construction plans say that they should be.
• DHEC doesn't enforce outfall structure materials, even though construction plans CLEARLY show that they're to be precast concrete, and they're not.
• DHEC doesn't require that pipes connecting ponds be clear of silt, even though it's CLEAR from the construction plans that clear pipes are vital to the system's operation.

DHEC held a public meeting here in January. DHEC withheld information. DHEC didn't tell folks that they don't enforce depth, materials, or other aspects of the construction plans. DHEC told folks that they were going to require Pulte to fix ALL the lagoons at SCHH (not just Phase 5). It's now clear that's not going to happen.

In my 40+ years as a civil engineer, I've never encountered a public agency, charged with the responsibility for approving the design, construction, and operation of SWM ponds, that "cherry picks" the construction plans that THEY approved when it comes to requiring that ponds be built according to those plans.

DHEC deserves all of the criticism that DHEC gets.

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questions for Pulte

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Wouldn't it have been easier to build them (Phase 5 lagoons) right the first time?

Wouldn't it have been easier to exercise SOME quality control over your subs?

just think of what you would have saved--extra $ to do them again, the GRIEF that you've put residents through messing up their yards in doing them over, the OPINION that many of your customers have of you as a builder, etc.?

I hope that you've learned something.
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Rocket scientists they ain't

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an update from http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/ :
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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Lagoon 157
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"At 5:00PM today the pump is "on" and the filter bag is expanded. I don't know if the filter bag is working properly or not; however, approximately 1/2 of the water being pumped from the lagoon is being routed back into the lagoon (a "closed loop" system) via the curb inlet that is west of the filter bag."
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DHEC "cherry picking"

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DHEC-OCRM has the responsibility to approve the design, construction, and operation of stormwater management ponds in coastal South Carolina.

DHEC approved the design of lagoons in Phase 5, Sun City Hilton Head, when DHEC approved the construction drawings. It’s a matter of record. DHEC-approved construction drawings call for all lagoons to be at least five feet deep. DHEC-approved construction plans also call for precast concrete outfall structures and other things as well. The design includes pipes connecting lagoons. The system won’t operate properly if pipes are clogged.

Now, DHEC-OCRM says that they don’t enforce depth of lagoons or the material that outfall structures are made of. DHEC says that they can’t require that the pipes connecting ponds be clear of silt. The DHEC-approved construction plans are clear on these requirements; but, DHEC “cherry picks” what they enforce, and what they don’t enforce.

Only in South Carolina.
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Pulte cuts corners

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A builder/developer has obligations to their customers.

Pulte’s customers were charged lot premiums for their houses on lagoons. Pulte sold lagoons as aesthetic amenities. But, post-Pulte lagoons look different than pre-Pulte lagoons here. That’s because Pulte cuts corners every chance that they get.

Phase 5 lagoons are supposed to have the capacity to hold 5 feet of water, according to the DHEC-approved construction plans. (The actual water level fluctuates, depending upon rainfall, and the weather (evaporation).) Pulte cuts corners, and makes them 3 feet deep. And, control structures are built so poorly that they leak. So, what’s the diff?

The difference is, in lagoons with a capacity to hold 3 feet deep of water, that dense aquatic growth can be expected during periods of low rainfall. So, the difference is looking out your living room, kitchen, or bedroom windows onto a body of water that’s clear (5 ft. deep capacity), or a body of weeds that looks like it needs to be mowed (3 ft. deep capacity). Nice job, Master Builder!

So, whether it’s lagoons, or roof truss connections, or stucco, or cracked and leaking foundation slabs, or leaking roofs, or whatever, Pulte has an obligation to their customers to build it right. As can be plainly seen, Pulte cuts corners.

Jon Cherry, who manages Pulte’s southeast region, has promised to fix the Phase 5 lagoons. Fix them right, Mr. Cherry--for your customers.
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When will the Master Builder finish?

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The Master Builder (aka "Master Scheduler") has promised to fix the Phase 5 lagoons. Initially, MB/MS said that they would be complete by mid August. Now, MB/MS says that they'll be complete by the time that the DHEC permit expires, in January 2010.

So far, MB/MS has adjusted the tops of lagoons 151 and 155 and repaired the leaking control structure and dredged part of lagoon 154. It took MB/MS 11 WEEKS to fix SMALL lagoon 164. In THREE WEEKS, MB/MS hasn't drained SMALL lagoon 150. Actual work fixing lagoon 150 hasn't begun.

Work on approximately 20 lagoons remains, including the larger ones. What do you think? Will MB/MS make January 2010? I wouldn't bet the farm.

Pulte's lips are moving

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What’s going on here? Since March when Pulte announced their lagoon “action” (inaction) plan, they’ve fixed one SMALL lagoon--#164. For the past TWO WEEKS PLUS they’ve been pumping out Lagoon 150 (another relatively SMALL lagoon--last night’s rain probably will set them back another week or two.) See Pulte's pathetic lack of progress in fixing these lagoons for yourself at http://schhphase5lagoons.blogspot.com/

One down since March—MANY more to go. Does Pulte want to fix these lagoons, or not?

ARROGANT (but then, we knew that)

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From the 6/3/09 Wall Street Journal:

"It's democracy, Pulte Homes-style. Last month, more than half of shareholders rebuffed three directors up for re-election. The directors submitted resignation letters, but this week the board said it wouldn't accept them. Huh? Michigan law doesn't require winning candidates to receive a majority of votes--only more than the rest of the candidates. And this year, there were no others. So the incumbents were legal winners.

Then again, every year since 2006, shareholders have backed a resolution for the entire board to seek re-election annually. So far, the board has ignored them."

King George III had nothing on Pulte Homes. Where are patriots when you need them?

Persistence

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Four years or so ago Pulte did a really poor job building lagoons here. New homeowners complained about their poor condition immediately upon moving in. Pulte ignored them. A few homeowners decided to persist. They went to Beaufort County. They obtained construction drawings using the Freedom of Information Act. They went to South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. They went to the Army Corps of Engineers. They went to their local, state and federal government representatives. They went to the press.

Pulte’s playbook says to ignore your customers as long as you can. For THREE YEARS Pulte continued to ignore their customers and the construction problems with the Phase 5 lagoons, until FINALLY, under IMMENSE pressure, Pulte is addressing the problems—not ALL of the problems, just SOME of the problems (Pulte playbook). The struggle continues; but, in the end, persistence WILL pay.