Interesting but Scary

[MJ CORMIER]

just a note to member's Go to cbc.ca/marketplace and look for new home construction gone bad with Wendy Missley & Mike Holmes, this happens all to often and sites like this is are only savyour.
MJ CORMIER

[joed]

Here is a direct link to the story.

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/new_home_nightmares/main.html

[Ohm1]

I'm surprised someone didn't knock his head off!!! What a piece of dirt!!!

[Wgoodrich]

What has been shown here on two houses is just two houses. This problem can be worse believe it or not and has been found not only in Canada but the US and around the world. Money and politics seems to be the driving force allowing this kind of thing to happen. If people want to buy a home their best defense is to research web forums and web sites like this one that can help provide things to look at that can be easily found in an existing home by the buyer themselves. We created a code enforcement system but if the inspector really does his or her job that inspector creates a fear in the elected official concerning their re-election. The inspector often gets the boot for doing a good job. Insurance companies love fine print in their policies and have big money backing their refusal to cover damages they claim are not covered making it almost impossible for the private citizen to fight them for what is right. Then the builders, and other professionals often have never opened a code book and create their own ideas how to short cut cost increasing their profits then deny deny deny once the buyer complains. Laws are written commonly to address the problem to make the elected official look good to the voters but enforcement never seems to happen when money is the opposing force. This forum and its sister web site selfhelpandmore.com were originally created to help combat just what has been experienced in this post. I believe we all have done a good job helping people we never met to avoid some of these nightmares but much more needs to be done by everyone to help limit more in the future.

Be aware there are a few good builders and other professionals out there. Problem is knowing which ones are good professionals.

Wg

[scuba_dave]

There was one house here (on TV?) that the lot was filled in with tree stumps from the area. Then dirt, foundation & a house.
Over the years as they rotted & decomposed the house/foundation began to sink. Finally it was bad they hired somoene to dig & re-enforce the foundation
That's when they found the problem...and kept digging ...and found more
I'm not sure on the end result, but this was so long after the hosue was built

As a kid parents bought new houses in new developments
We moved a few times & I saw the same things
One house had all the soil in front dug out & removed
Debris (& construction debris) was then filled in to complete the sloping land from the neighbors house. It ended up being a grass covered hill :s:

Our house had a wet basement
Eventually the old man decided to rent a jack hammer & put a sump pit in. After getting the hole bigger & chopping arounf in a circle eventually the circle fell in. As it turns out they had poured the basement floor & it flooded. So they poured another floor maybe 2' up - not sure how. The builder never bothered to put in a sump pump or disclose the issue