Frickin Richmond American
Posted by Lori | Posted in Frickin Blog | Posted on 10-02-2010
Tags: frickin Richmond American, Richmond American, Richmond American home reviews, utah scams
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Every once in awhile it is good to rant. You get things off your chest, are able to let go (kind of) and most importantly, warn others. In order to help prevent others from making the same mistake, I want to share how horrible it has been working with Richmond American homes, the frickin crooks. Don’t believe me? Watch the video. Our home is falling apart.
We purchased a brand new Richmond American home four years ago. Since then, we have put hundreds of dollars into repairing problems and poor craftsmanship they refused to fix under their bogus warranty.
After a few short months of owning our home we noticed our driveway was chipping. We called Richmond American and filed a report on their website. After multiple requests, we finally got them to take a look at the driveway. They acknowledged that it was chipping, but told us that it had to be significantly worse before they would repair it. By the next winter it went from bad to worse, and by then the warranty expired. Estimated repair cost $2,000.
We have also lived with a leaky roof for the past four years. Richmond first denied there was an issue, but after water damage had stained our garage ceiling, they finally admitted to the problem. They tried to tell us the roof wasn’t covered under the warranty, but we fought that. Then, they supposedly repaired the roof, but it never stopped leaking. According to Roof Solutions, the repairmen sent by Richmond American had taken caulking and smeared it around with this finger. Seriously. I guess they thought that would fix a crappy roof. We requested that Richmond American fix it properly, but they claimed the warranty had expired. Four years later, we finally had it properly repaired (and paid for it ourselves). The roofer said the leaking and damage was due to faulty installation. The flashing was put on after the shingles, instead of before. Total cost: $460. Interesting fact, the roofer, Brandon Lindsey with Roof Solutions, says he has repaired HUNDREDS of Richmond American roofs due to poor craftsmanship, and one house was so damaged an entire outside wall had to be replaced.
Don’t even get me started about our wiring. OK, get me started. They put our breaker box in the basement bathroom. In order to finish the basement and pass inspection, we had to move it and rewire the home to the new location. Cost $700.00. By the way, can I just add, how frickin retarded this is? EVERYBODY knows not to put a breaker box in a bathroom. This is a safety issue. C’mon!
Insulation is another issue. We have been paying outrageous monthly gas bills during the winter, and finally had SunRoc look at our insulation. Richmond ripped us off here, too. They didn’t even put enough insulation in our attic to pass code. I am not sure how they got away with this, but they did. Estimated cost: $1600 in heating bills and $900 for needed insulation.
So, today I am going to film our driveway, and other driveways in our neighborhood and put it on utahscams.com. Hopefully, this will warn others and perhaps even get Richmond American to fix the frickin problem.
Do NOT buy a Richmond American home. I repeat, DO NOT BUY A RICHMOND AMERICAN HOME. If you do, you may end up with a home like this.
What a freakin’ mess! I am so sorry!!!
Lori,
We also have had nothing but problems!! Half our driveway crumbled before the house was even 6 months old. They repaired it, then the next winter, the entire thing crumbled. We would shovel the snow and the driveway would come up with it. RA told us the warranty had expired and it was no longer their problem!! Now the concrete in the garage is crumbling and if you scrape the basement floor, the concrete turns to dust!! What a crappy product!! I have already warned people not to buy Richmond. Maybe we should picket their model homes!! If you get any response from Utah Scams, let me know.
Thanks Emily!
Katrina– I think we will get somewhere with this. A couple other neighborhoods actually took Richmond to small claims court and won. I think we should consider this.
I also will continue to send out my sentiments through social media- I believe this will make an impact. Please help me do the same! Spread the word. If we make this miserable for Richmond, they will fix it!
Lori,
I am once again in another dispute with Richmond, this one is more serious and I feel I might have to go to court. I am trying to put a fence in my yard on the east side of the house, and my property line is off about 18 inches on that side according to the plat map. So I measured everything on the west side, and it turns out my back yard is short 6 feet, yes you heard me, I am short almost 6 feet. I am having Richmond come re survey the property to set the correct boundaries, however, another nightmare from Richmond. so the kicker is I cant move my west fence because it would go right through the neighbors house. Richmond messed up and needs to be held accountable. I will never buy another home from this garbage company. I live out near Tooele.
Jared
We bought a Richmond home as well and had nothing but trouble. The sales and construction people from Richmond pressured me into closing on the home before everything was completed. Then it took me over a year to get them to finish all the stuff they told me they would complete “right away”. They actually never finished all of it. I got so tired of having to stay on top of them to get the work done, I did it myself or just learned to live with the problem. Now my kitchen counter is cracking due to improper installation. When I called RA, they told me the counter top installer/manufacturer for my counter tops has gone out of business and there was nothing they could do. They delay and give you the run around until the warranty has expired, then they tell you the warranty has expired and it isn’t their problem. No one should ever buy a Richmond American home. Very poor workmanship and very poor customer service. As neighbors we should get together in a class action and sue Richmond to fix everyone’s problems.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the comment!
I am sorry to hear about your house and the counter-top. That is awful! It is amazing what they are getting away with. I forgot to mention that Richmond American Homes put the vent for our dryer on the wrong wall, so we can’t even fit our washer and dryer in the laundry room properly. In order to fit both appliances in the small room, we can’t close the laundry room door. When we called them about this, they came out, took pictures, acknowledged how ridiculous it was, and then never called back. When we called them, they told us it was not covered under the warranty. This tends to be protocol for Richmond American. Frickin morons!
Well, good news! Get ready to pay us, Richmond American Homes! Utahscams.com has been approached by an attorney that would like to represent us in a class action lawsuit against Richmond American!
Please promote this blog to whomever you think would like to participate and encourage them to comment.
Do you have to be a Utah resident to join in the class action suit? We have a Richmond home and, like everyone else, have had a series of problems. (Too long to list here–but presently we’re dealing with a $6,500 problem created by mice in the attic–and they got there because Richmond left a gaping hole in the wall behind the breaker box outside.)
Linda Love / Lakewood, CO
The courts will uphold the contract that we all have, which states that we cannot do a class action lawsuit. And any attempted litigation will be referred back to mediation & arbitration. The attorney should check the court records against Richmond American and discover the prior court rulings. If we want to get together as a group to consolidate our strength, we can go to governmental authorities whose responsibilities it is to protect the consumers from unethical and fraudulent practices.
My concrete is spalding badly and Richmond will not replace it. Could you send e the name of an attorney that has helped you with the class action lawsuit? I tried to be nice and work with the warranty department, but they have been less than helpful.
We are having the same problem with a horrible driveway. I know we signed a petition when someone from one of the Traverse Mtn. developments came around, but then we never heard anything. Please let me know if you have any updates or ideas on how to get Richmond to listen.
We had problem after problem after problem with Richmond. We had the same driveway issue. Then they came and “fixed” it with some hack patch job.
The problem was they hired another company to do the fix, and then said it was their responsibility. But, Richmond didn’t get approval from most people to do this. They just said they were going to do it one day and then showed up to apply the “fix.”
They actually broke my driveway even more in order to apply their crap fix that starting coming off about 6 weeks. Later. More than 2 years after the driveway problems they finally fixed it correctly.
I know people in our neighborhood finally took them to court.
We had more problems than just the driveway.
1) They didn’t even build our house according to plans
2) They used the wrong paint for touchups and left paint streaks all over our house.
3) They broke my sprinklers trying to replace another concrete problem.
4) The fixed some concrete at my house and left splattered concrete water all over my house and garage door.
5) My garage door opener fell off the ceiling because they didn’t secure it correctly.
6) We had major dings in our cabinets
7) Our towel racks and closet racks have all fallen off
DO NOT BUY A HOUSE FROM RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES. YOU WILL REGRET IT.
Sorry to hear about that, Russ! You have really run the full gamut with Richmond American! Thanks for the comment. Regarding driveways, I thought the following comment on my facebook page from Kathy Cushman was of note:
Since I worked for an engineering firm for many years typing these reports, let me put my 2 cents in on another, MOST likely cause of the spalling of the surface of the concrete.
The most common cause of spalling is that the person who poured the concrete sprayed the surface with water so that it was easier to work with to give that ‘pretty’ finish. This causes the water to cement ratio to be greatly reduced on the surface. The concrete will start spalling because the surface of the concrete has been compromised by the additional water.
Concrete is a chemical reaction. The additional water on the surface compromises the chemical reaction. This the breakdown on the surface of the concrete since ONLY the surface was compromised with the additional water.
Good Luck!
It looks like this is a reoccurring issue among many Richmond American Home owners and is due to lazy workers cutting corners. My question is, if Richmond has been sued by neighborhoods in the past, why do they continually allow such crappy work?
thats a good way to be proactive hope you see a change
Wow, mind if I post this, or portions of it, on UtahCountyReviews.com? This is great info to be aware of when purchasing a home.
Nate,
Thanks for the comment. I think that is a great idea. You are free to use all or any of this content, please just refer to frickinmom.com as the original source.
Thanks!
Hi Lori,
I would like to know which RA communities are you referring for these problems? Thanks.
We live in the Highlands subdivision in The Ranches (Eagle Mountain). I am pleased to report that Richmond American has really delivered on their promises. We now have a new driveway and our house has been repaired.
Lori,
I’m a new reporter here in town and I’m trying to get ahold of you regarding Richmond Homes, want to talk to you and try and tell your story. Having a hard time finding your phone number though…enjoy your website. Please call me at your earliest convenience, I’m up late working if that works better.
Thanks,
Kelli O’Hara
kelli.ohara@abc4.com
801-831-0898
The reason that this problem has likely continued to happen is because Richmond is in it for money only. They get bids from sub contractors to do the various work. The issue likely lies in the fact that they are having the same concrete sub contractor do all of their work. That sub contractor likely comes in at the lowest bid because they have fewer guys doing the work. Fewer guys doing the work means that they cannot work the concrete quick enough. When the concrete starts to “get away from them” – meaning that is is hardening and getting too hard to work and make look good, they add the water to the surface. Hence, the problem that the engineer mentioned.
Richmond needs to pay extra money for a better concrete sub contractor who knows how to get the job done right. Or, perhaps they should just close shop and run – run really fast.
If you want to be interviewed by ABC4 today, call me ASAP. They will be at my house at 3:00 p.m.
[...] Frickin Richmond American Every once in awhile it is good to rant. You get things off your chest, are able to let go (kind of) and most importantly, warn others. In order to help prevent others from making the same mistake,… [...]
This sounds awful! I’m so sorry. I hope the news coverage will make the difference!!
Sorry to hear all your problems.
I use to work for RA when they first moved into Utah. The bought up the John Laing Homes Division here and over the next year began to phase out all that was good and began screwing everyone. They showed no regard for employees (or customers once they got their money)!! I left RA 9 months after they took over because of the direction that they were taking. That was 7 1/2 years ago. I am a General Contractor now and would rather finish a basement in a Salisbury home than a RA home. I am actually surprised that with the amount of issues that are lingering out there that they are still here in Utah. It is too bad that they did not pull out with the recession.
If any of you have issues or would like a home built by someone who actually knows how to build homes, contact me at 801-735-1797
Hey Lori,
Good for you! I love that someone is finally giving Richmond that attention they need, the attention that the SUCK! Our driveway will look exactly like yours in no time! They also came to fix a window problem and the job that they did could have been done better by my 4 year old. The window not being there would be better than the crap job they did. They need to hire qualified people to complete jobs, not the guys who graduated in computers and is now fixing drywall jobs!! I agree with you that Richmond American needs to get a clue. I tell everyone who is thinking about buying a home from them to think twice. Richmond American SUCKS!!!!!!!
Here’s the $64,000 question.
KSL investigated it almost 3 years ago. Why is it still happening? Crooks.
I think the investigation that you need to begin is into the building inspector for the city in which you live. I can’t imagine some of these problems getting past them unless they were taking some kind of kickback from the builder. I work for a city building department in Utah and our building inspector has read the things that you’ve written, and he’s positive that each of the things you’ve mentioned should have resulted in your home never gaining a certificate of occupancy until they were fixed.
I’m in Grays Farm subdivision in Lehi, UT. We had our home built 2 years ago and have one problem after another. We have had to call, yell, threaten to just get items under warranty even looked at. Our home is slab on grade appx. 56 ft. squared rambler. Our foundation has cracked from the back door to the front of the house, cracking all of our floor tiles along with it. We noticed the crack during building and they said it wasn’t anything to worry about as it was just setteling. Yeah, right. They finally came in and replace the tiles, but we are still very concerned about it worsening over time and the structure of our home (safety issues). We’ve had problems with faulty and missing wiring, same driveway problems as everyone else. They came through the subdivision and said they would replace the driveways, BUT you had to sign a waiver releasing them of any liability on the new driveway. We of course refused to sign such a release, so they refused to replace our driveway! We watched the house everyday during building and found one entire wall 10″ to short, the kitchen island too long, so the walk way was too narrow. Our front porch is cracked and they won’t fix it. We are not even sure if our home will last 10 years. After paying 386,000 for this home and now they are building much smaller homes in our subdivision that don’t even match the homes that were built here, don’t look the same, and it is bringing down the value of our homes! We have a section of our lawn that sinks due to bad landscaping and they won’t fix that either. We would love to take these guys to the cleaners and at least get them to guarantee their homes, fix them and/or pay us what it would cost to get them fixed ourselves! A home is your biggest investment, and we feel like we are just throwing money down the drain. The moment you close on your home, they are extremely unpleasant! Once they have your money, they just don’t care. It’s no wonder that there warranty employees change nearly day to day. Please feel free to contact us. We’d love to be in on any suit.
Jeffie, what a nightmare! I am so sorry. My recommendation- call Poli Peters directly. His cell number is 801-330-3343. Tell him that you have been on my blog and you want to know when your house will be fixed. You are tired of the round-around and ready to take legal action. Let me know how it goes. If everything isn’t fixed, there are a few attorneys that are very interested in filing a suit.
Crap! We are in the starting stages of building our home. Here in Tucson we have hot hot hot summers (102, 105) and in the winter it can get about 30′s …i noticed in your vid., snow…where r you? Maybe RAH hired some friggin losers who don’t know how to install concrete in cold weather (NOT MAKING EXCUSES for them)
I just hope we aren’t making a big mistake.
The underground plumbing was installed today!
We spent too TOO much $ at the HG
Hi Katrina,
I hope everything goes well with your Richmond house. My advice- micro manage the situation and if something seems odd- don’t be afraid to voice the issue.
When it comes to your warranty, good luck. This is where we had the biggest problem. Go up the chain of command if necessary, and if nothing else works- start a blog and call the news station!
We also have an RA home with sooooo many issues. We get them to fix stuff from time to time. Recently had the RWC (long term warranty) come thru and inspect all the cracking throughout the house to tell us its just some drying dirt and not a big deal…sure. They are now selling our SAME home for 35% less than what we paid, on our same street, across from our house! (that’s illegal up in WA state where we moved from). I am trapped here in Utah while my husband works in WA state and we can’t get rid of this house! Can’t short sale due to so many issues, don’t want to ruin us financially by foreclosing etc. I despise RA with a passion. So many broken promises, so much lying that happened. They deserve to go bankrupt. Wish they’d just take back our house and let us move on! Can’t believe we spent 500k on this stupid house. I have just emailed the contacts on your list, so happy to find this! I’ve been ranting about them constantly since we moved in June 2007.
Thanks so much!
They have been building crap since at least 1994. Glad to see that some things never change.
Richmond American Homes is following through!!!!! I LOVE my new stairs, sidewalk, and driveway! Thank you Richmond American! I know that there are other big home builders who had the same problem with their concrete, but these builders are not doing anything about it. Thank you Richmond America for doing something about it for us. We really, really appreciate all of the effort, time, and money that you are putting into our homes!
Hey Lori,
So my experience with Richmond started out great, but has since turned out to be a pain in the butt ha! Yes they fixed our driveway, which is great, but in the process they broke out sprinklers and our grass is looking pretty bad now. I have tried to contact them several times (phone calls and emails) and have not heard anything back. I am sure they are planning on fixing those problems (i hope) but I can’t seem to get in touch with anyone to find out when. Anyways, my biggest issue is paint. Over 2 years ago we had them come and “fix” some ceiling seams and nail pops, well they came and “fixed” those and never came back to re-paint the ceiling, so we have huge patches on our ceiling. Well when Richmond stepped up a few months ago and said they would fix all these issues that were ignored in the past, they had a company come out and try and match the ceiling paint 3 times with no luck- well after the 3rd time they said they would have to come and re-paint the ceiling in each room that had the patches since they couldn’t seem to match the color. Well that was about 2 months ago and I have yet to have them call me back. They also took my attic panel 2 months ago to try and match the paint again and they still have that as well. I also heard from some of the other neighbors, it turns out the reason they had issues matching so many peoples ceiling paint was because it was never painted it was just primer- so that may be why they can’t match mine either and if that is the case, that is pretty bad. My question is- what should I do now since I am not getting any answers ha! You seem to have them helping you out a lot, so you are the best person to ask
Thanks, Hun!
Hey Cute Ash,
Sorry! How frustrating for you!
I do know that Richmond is trying to address all of our issues. They want to fix everything, so keep hanging in there. There are hundreds of items on their list and they are just tackling issues one at a time.
If they said they would paint your ceilings, I do believe they will. We have a few items we are still waiting on– including painting. Last time I talked to them, they indicated that they want to group them all together. If we don’t hear back soon, I will call Poli Peters and ask him about it.
As far as your grass- it is my understanding that the landscaping crew is supposed to come out this week and replace the grass. Just keep everything else watered.
I also know that Richmond checks this blog regularly, so I wouldn’t be surprised if your comment spurs a quicker reaction.
Hang in there! Even though it has been a frustrating process- at least things are getting done. We’ll keep bugging them until everything is finished.
Thanks Hun.
I left a msg for Poli yesterday and Kevin the day before, so hopefully I will hear back soon. I just want all of this done before the baby is born which is only 6 weeks away ha!
So they fixed the sprinklers, I think- I will have to text them out tonight, but where they were supposed to put grass in they just filled it with dirt… hopefully that is just temporary and they still plan to replace that missing grass.
Thanks for all your help with Richmond. You have been great.
Now, you sound just like a rep from richmond.
I like your comment. Even though they fixed a lot of things, we still have issues with our windows and fireplace. They pour in cold air. Sigh. I think things can get better, and I definitely got hopeful, but in the end, the poor construction still shows through.
So it has been a few weeks and still no one has called me or emailed me back. I am getting so fed up. My ceiling still has patches all over the place, they still have my attic panel and my grass is dead. They filled places that should have grass with dirt. I have called Poli, I have called Kevin and the new guy Shawn and not one of them have returned my calls. So I am guessing Richmond has given up on trying to make the people happy. I have even gone on the Richmond American Homes website and submitted 2 claims already and have yet to hear back from anyone there either. Is there anything else you can think of that I can do to get these people to finish what they started? I have less than 5 week left before the baby is born and I really don’t want to have to deal with all of this after that. Thanks Hun.
Lori,
I posted one of my many issues with richmond a month or so ago, but I just got word from richmond. They say that I put the fence on the wrong property line and that it is my fault and they wont pay me to re do the fence. I am at my wits end and just want to be compensated for what it would cost me to tear my fence down and re do it. Ideally I would love them to fix my floor and my broken shower in the master bath. do you know a lawyer or someone I can call that might be able to help put pressure on Richmond to settle with me. thanks
Jared
I would like you guys to know that I live in Colorado and have had problems with my concrete work as well. My back patio has been peeling since I bought the house. They told me they fixed it before I moved in. I found that within two months of moving in the top layer came off and I was right back to where I was. My driveway also cracked within three months of living in this NEW home. I have a three car garage and the crack went across the entire driveway. I have hair line cracks in my garage. I am very frustrated, I was told that concrete was not covered.I drive around the neighborhood and see mutiple houses with the same problems.I myself would not buy a Richmond home again and would advise other people not too.
I concur that RA are the crappiest builders and in California too! The 1st summer after buying my new home, we discovered water leaking in the 2nd story ceiling. Turns out the AC had been installed improperly and the condensate drain was on the high side of the pan versus the low where it should have been, sending all the run off into the attic. In this case (since it was in warranty?) RA replaced the AC, the drywall, painted, and cleaned my carpets after the work was done.
So now 1.5 years later, my wife is painting the interior and removing the crappy floorboards/moulding RA installed so we can put a nicer one in. Lo and behold, none of the wood flooring actually extends to the wall!!! In fact the floor boards go down to the concrete with the floor butt up against them! Then they put a 1/4 round down to cover the gaps. /facepalm Worse, I’m currently deployed overseas and unable to do anything remotely.
I can’t even go into the issues some of my neighbors have had with plumbing and other quality problems.
We have an offer on a RA home and during the inspection the inspector found broken tiles on the roof. The house was a model for 2 years and the sellers have lived in the home for 2 years – so the house is only 4 years old. We brought in 3 more roof inspectors and they said there were 50-60 broken tiles. The sellers went back to RA and RA said they would supply the tiles but not the labor. We are more concerned about roof damage under the tiles and our inspection time is up and the sellers are out of money and they are going to have someone they know repair the roof. Our realtor says that they have agreed to do what we asked so we can not back out of the contract. This is in AZ. What warranty does RA have on roofs? HELP!
Our Richmond American Home built in 2006 also has the problem of a crumbling driveway. An attorney contacted Poli of Richmond through US Mail on our behalf. We have heard nothing from Richmond by the deadline. Looks like a lawsuit is about to be filed. Are there any groups ready to file along with us. We live in Traverse Mountain, Lehi, UT. I know this problem is affecting every one of us up here in Traverse Mt. with RAH! Let’s get together and fight them on this! We deserve better.
Lori,
Could you give me the contact information for an attorney that has experience with Richmond? I have tried to work with the Richmond warranty department regarding concrete, but they are worthless. I heard that Richmond is going to pull out of Utah because their reputation has been destroyed for producing such low quality homes. I hope to take them to court before they pack up or go out of business.
Richmond is good at making junk that violates building codes and hurts people. I will never buy a Richmond home again. Does anyone know a good attorney in Utah that has knowledge of the class action lawsuit?
Hi Lori, That you for you website. We have created a complete website devoted to the raise awareness to the abuses of Richmond American Homes. See http://www.VictimsOfRichmondAmerican.org. You suggestions are welcomed. Regards.
I see you wrote this post a few years back. There are some comments mentioning something about lawsuit(s). Have you gotten any further with a resolution? Do you still live in the Richmond American House? Have the problems gotten worse/better?
I am wondering if the page is still active? I need help
I am presently in a RA home since 2004, and I was installing laminate floors in my living room, and to my surprise, discover a water leak coming from the master bedroom bathroom, contacted RA to investigate and conclusion I am supposed to check for leaks in the house and fixing them. prior to RA checking the problem I had a contractor look at the problem and he inform me that the wrong insulation was between the walls. RA inspector inform me that it was the correct insulation base on his inspection at this time I need help from anyone and looking for a lawyer to represent me I am in Jacksonville Fl .
glad i came across this i was looking to have a house built by RA in Arizona..now i will not even consider them..
think ill go with Shea homes, they seem to have the best reputation.
I would never buy a Richmond American home again. Terrible workmanship. Dry wall job is terrible. I could do a better job than the contractor did. I can feel my cats walking across the family room. Stay away from them.
My family lives in Colorado and we were trying to buy a Richmond Home and did not because Richmond hired a sales person that was permanet revoked as a realtor in Colorado and they can because they do not have to be licensed to sell here, but have started with government agencies complaints and the issues that Richmond here in Colorado has done from the SEC to HUD to the Consumer Protetction division some of the issues at hand is paying full price for a house then makets in the area fall when ever Richmond wants it to fall for the reason they need a write off such as Enron they need to post high prices or low prices to affect the stock market for the annual report even the shareholders voted no confidence in the CEO and COO for a pay increase but yet they took the increase. If more people report to Government Agencies what is going on the more they well dig and the faster they will dig. Richmond here in Colorado has many Construction Defect lawsuits and have paid out millions of dollars for the fix as a large group there can be difference with Richmond. I am trying to make a difference due to the fact I am an insider in the Real Estate world and understand more than just the normal homeowner what happens after the closing is just as important as the building and before purchase information as well. Selling the loans on the secondary market by Richmonds Mortgage Company owning the title company and raking in more profits and the sub contractors that work for Richmond but don’t and deflating market values by the bad construction they do and impact of that upon the homeowners around the subdivision which is what got us in trouble with underwater mortgages. There is some great builders out there but Richmond is after the last dollar and the cheapest way to get that dollar as well. If you want to make a difference contact the Government agencies go to the Facebook page I constructed as well and keep up the constant communication to Richmond papertrail your way to winning against Richmond.
Sorry for any typos was typing and yes I get upset over what and how Richmond behaves….
Was there ever a class action? I bought a richmond home and it is one that had the concrete issues. I Need help, please
No, I haven’t started a class action, but I bet it would be an easy thing to get going. There are SO many issues!
I have just read all of the complaints about RA. I am a Realtor and do not own a home built by RA nor do I work for them. I did help a client/relative purchase an RA home. I am wondering if any of the people who have written comments on here had a Real Estate agent represent them. I don’t know if that made a difference or not. When we found the home it was at sheet rock stage so it was another 90 days to complete. I was checking on it constantly during this time. Upon initial walk through we marked the walls for any spots that would need to be fixed. There was some paint on the carpet and some dings in the cabinet in the kitchen and the counter top needed to be smoothed out in one place. It was a very complete walk through. There were some things that needed to be repaired. My clients children also pulled the work permits and inspections from the city to check and make sure everything had passed. They found that something had been done that needed to be changed on the initial build and RA had changed it. The contractor assigned to this subdivision was very attentive to my client and even after closing came to make sure that everything was working and that there were not problems. A year and a half later she says she loves the home and no yard work. I have specifically asked if there have been any problems with the home and she says everything seems to be just fine. Since she is a relative I have also gone to the home and it seems to be just great. No cracks in the cement or flaking. Walking the outside everything looks fine. There are some cracks in the Stucco but no matter who builds you will get some cracking there. RA did all of the repairs needed before my client closed and we checked them out before she moved in. I have driven this community and have looked for issues that would be visible like cement and have not seen any issues. Maybe this community had a better contractor on the job. Just putting in my two bits. Sorry to hear so many had problems. My suggestion would be to have a Realtor represent you when you go to work/buy with any builder. We are here to protect you the consumer. It doesn’t cost to hire a buyers agent.
Thanks for the comment. Our problem was getting them to honor their warranty after the sale.
Realtors are great, but after everything is said and done, they typically aren’t involved in getting a company to honor a warranty.
Perhaps RA is better now? There were hundreds of homes in Utah with similar problems, so I don’t think we were an isolated case.