Tuesday December 1st 2009 – Members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America will set out on a 3,300-mile, 10-city RV tour across America to tell Pulte Homes and its partners to “stop foreclosing on the American Dream.” Members will rally at KB Home headquarters and hold a “Build America So America Works” forum at UCLA.

Location: KB Home headquarters, 10990 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.

Forum, UCLA Labor Center, 675 S. Park View St., Los Angeles.

Contact: Dawn Page, (480) 619-9263; Jacob Hay, (202) 445-4788.

David L. Lakey, M.D. Commissioner, DSHS
Environmental Health Group,
Policy, Standards and Quality Assurance Unit,
Mail Code 1987
Division for Regulatory Services
Texas Dept., of State Health Services
Fax: 512-834-6707

Re: Black Mold issue caused by builder construction defects and repeated leaks.

I am contacting you to ask for your assistance with this serious issue. I received an independent inspection report regarding the Black Mold that has been growing in this KB Home. The mold has grown because of repeated leaks, the cause of which could not be determined for eighteen months by KB Home Managers. The cause was eventually determined as defective construction.

The result was excessive levels of water in the walls for this length of time, as reported by their own inspector at the time. This clearly caused long-term dampness and created an environment that allowed the black mold to flourish. The last leak occurred on the 4th July 2008 and it took weeks before KB Home addressed it.

The serious health issues I suffered during the last three years are well documented and this report confirms my suspicion that the mold and dampness are a direct cause of the Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Asthma, acute Rhinocitus and Dermatitis I was diagnosed with.

What I find hard to understand is why KB Home managers deliberately ignored the Black Mold when they found it under the master bathtub and toilet. They found the mold where the toilet had leaked previously, as it was installed too close to the wall. They were taking up all the upstairs flooring due to some major issues. I took a sample and photographs were taken (as published on my website), yet they chose to ignore it and just covered it up. Even though we discussed it and recorded the conversation on home security equipment, as was fully disclosed from the outset, to all concerned.

Now the mold is spreading through the A/C system. It was discovered when the A/C unit broke down for the third time. Once again I was without A/C in sweltering Texas heat. I called KB Home because all the warranties on the house were extended for a further two years, due to major construction defects with the home. It took workmen ten hours to come out and eventually get it working. They documented that it was not wired correctly and the damper was not attached, so would never have worked effectively. This explains the high utility bills, not at all what was promised when I purchased the home in 2005.

I am no longer able to live in the house, cannot rent it out or sell it. This is an untenable situation, physically, mentally and financially that cannot be sustained much longer. I have written repeatedly to Jeffrey Mezger, CEO, at KB Home, because nothing has been resolved, but he has ignored me and never responds. I hope you can assist me to resolve this desperate problem.

Yours truly
KB Home Owner – aka akbhomesucks.com

@@@@
We will post the reply as soon as we hear from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The letter was faxed on 5th August 2009.

National Association Of Home Builders
1201 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: 202-266-8400

Re: Defective constructions issues at akbhomesucks.com

To whom it may concern,

I am contacting you to bring a serious matter to your attention regarding my awful experiences due to the defective construction of my KB Home. I am sure you are aware, KB Home is under a Federal Trade Commission Consent Order and I have requested the FTC to enforce it for the reasons listed below and many more.

I have written to Jeffrey Mezger, CEO, at the company headquarters in Los Angeles, Ca repeatedly, about all the major construction defects in my KB Home. I have asked him to buy back the home and make full restitution, but he has never bothered to respond. I was recommended to do so by a KB home customer service manager. He said he has worked on a lot of homes, but never seen one with as many problems as this one. Neither have I.

Mr. Mezger seems to have no conscience, or concern about reputation, so I have created a website www.akbhomesucks.com which includes photographs. This is the only way I can publish information about the major construction defects with my home.

I have contacted state and federal representatives and many advised me they have pursued the matter with KB Home who only say they are “willing to keep doing any outstanding warranty repairs.” This is ridiculous because their own managers have told me that there is no guarantee any of the construction is sound, or that any repairs have fixed the multitude of problems. They had every opportunity during the last three years when they were trudging through my home to correct the defects, but they failed to do so. They are supposed to repair and fix problems in a timely manner. The third leak in the kitchen ceiling occurred on July 4th last year and it took them 6 weeks to come and work on it.

I went to the state legislature and shared my experiences. I am hoping to help others avoid the same untenable situation and get a Lemon Law for home construction enacted.

The repeated leaks in the kitchen ceiling created excessive water in the walls for over eighteen months, as they could not determine the cause of the leaks. No wonder black mold is now growing in the house. I had a specimen tested and confirmed by an independent inspector. KB Home managers found this black mold while tearing up all the upstairs floors repeatedly because they no longer fit the house and loud cracking and squeaking was ongoing.

They know I took pictures and a sample and discussed it with me in full knowledge that the house is protected by audio security equipment. I am therefore stunned that they chose to just cover it up and when I wrote and asked them to do something about it, they replied they would not do anything about the “discolored flooring” under the tub or the live electrical wire that is hanging under there. This mold has grown where a leak occurred because the toilet had been installed incorrectly.

This report also confirms my belief that the pneumonia, bronchitis (twice) asthma, dermatitis and acute Rhinocitus I experienced during the last couple of years were due to environmental causes in the home. All these health issues were new and never experienced prior to living in this house. The upstairs den always smelled musty, I thought it was because they forgot to install the roof vents when they built the house, but I now know why.

Most recently, the A/C unit blew up for the third time in sweltering heat. It took ten hours to get someone out to fix it. The repairmen advised for the third time that the equipment was not wired correctly, but equally disturbing was the black mold found in the A/C equipment. KB Home sales agents promised me the home was energy efficient and cost effective, but this is not the truth. I had extremely high bills as the A/C kept continuously running and when these repairmen stated the “damper was never connected properly so it did not function” I realized why we had the high bills.

One of the major problems that can never be fixed is the external brickwork. Cracks developed 24 bricks long in steps, on both sides of the house and up the front. The upstairs doorframes were crooked and doors could not close. There is a major drainage issue, with frequent standing water at the back of the house. Much of the land has washed away and water continues to drain from another home built behind the house, on a higher elevation. A KB Home division president told me it is illegal for water to drain from someone else’s’ property onto mine, so why did they plan the sub-division this way? He also told me that no builder puts rebar under the concrete driveways, so I went round to the house being built behind mine and took photographs of the rebar on the ground where the drive would be laid. I did this because my drive way cracked in half and had to be re done. He also told me that if I wanted good drainage I should have purchased a $2M home!

They tried to patch the external cracks, but it has fallen out and many of the bricks are crumbling and dissolving. Because of this and the areas where they had to remove hundreds of bricks while searching for the cause of leaks, the house looks like a patchwork quilt. The brickwork is appalling.

I am sending you this information because KB Home does not do your industry credit. The excessive construction defects and constant repairs made my life hell and the house is now unlivable. I can’t sell it or rent it out because of all the problems. They should be ashamed of themselves. They get away with this because no one wants to do anything about it.

Main points of complaint:-
False advertising – publishing and staff statements that they install energy efficient and cost saving A/C equipment – A/C unit broke down in the height of summer on three different occasions. Never correctly installed, wiring wrong – high utility bills when they promised energy efficiency and lower bills?

Failure to complete warranty repairs in a timely manner. Nonstop repairs went on for three years and never successfully completed. Upstairs flooring torn up on six different days, everything had to be moved each time – ruined the carpeting – two inch gaps between the skirting boards and flooring – found Black Mold – toxic fumes. Abandoned the work on 19th December 2008. no contact until February 2009?

Inability to guarantee any repairs or re-construction will ever fix the house or correct the problems?

Using sub-standard products – e.g. Bricks are crumbling, dissolving – large cracks 24 bricks long in steps on both sides of the house and up the front?

Sub-standard workmanship – Patio roof and upstairs deck collapse – repeated leaks – brickwork – toilet installation. Repeated repairs for the same issue?

Unqualified workmen – the proof is in the work orders for all the repairs – KB Home Mgr stated everyone who worked on this home had to be fired?

No supervision during construction – admitted on the record by KB Home Managers.

Non-disclosure of major significant facts regarding the land use and the sub-division – land drainage issues – Home down the street had to be purchased by the city because built in a known flood zone, left dilapidated for over three years – Westgrove Blvd., was planned to become an arterial road onto the freeway – 16 lane freeway expansion planned to be built at the end of the road.

Building only two homes and then abandoning the phase – Leaving these two homes surrounded by uncared fort rubble for three years

Building a different phase at the bottom of the road and selling the homes much cheaper.

Total abandonment of the community – eventually selling unsold lots to a homebuilder that constructs cheaper homes.

The President Jeffrey Mezger totally ignores every communication and never responds.

When asked for details of how they would make this house whole and built to last, no one ever replied to me, yet they keep responding to state and federal representatives who contact them on our behalf, that they are “ready, willing and able to repair the home”.

Yours truly,
KB Home Owner – aka AKBHomeSucks.com

@@@@
We will post the reply as soon as we hear from the National Association Of Home Builders. The letter was faxed on 5th August 2009.

Defectively constructed new KB Home: What the Boom Built
Hundreds of thousands of people are finding almost-new homes need many thousands of dollars in fixes because of construction defects. See link at the end for the full WSJ article!

We have had so many problems with a defectively constructed new KB Home that we requested on numerous occasions that they buy it back and make fair restitution. They have ignored our requests so we were forced to create a website to bring attention to the need for Home Lemon Laws. www.akbhomesucks.com. We have these laws for cars, but not for our homes, that are a much more costly investment. We also allow other homeowners to submit their stories to http://lemonade.akbhomesucks.com .

We had popping and cracking noises going on in our KB Home too (WSJ). They tore up the upstairs floors several times and completely replaced a lot of the boards. There were two inch gaps under some of the ‘Base Moulding’ or skirting boards. Due to the cracks 24 bricks long in steps, on both sides of the house and up the front, the water logged land subsidence in the back garden and the twisted door frames upstairs, we concluded the house had moved and changed shape. Much of the exterior brickwork is crumbling and cracking and the patching KB Home attempted is already cracking. The multiple leaks in the house have led to black mold.

Most recently the air conditioning unit broke down for the third time in three years and we sat in sweltering Texas heat for twelve hours, waiting for it to be fixed. A KB Home customer service manager had extended all warranties on the house for a further two years because of the major issues, so they called someone out (only after he was called out on it with an audio recording). It took two different repair men to several hours find and troubleshoot the problem and they finally told us the unit was never wired correctly (overloaded circuit to CPU ~ burning Hot, crossed wires, wrong transformers, etc.) and one of the dampers was not attached to any power source so it never functioned properly (remained permanently closed ~ no air flow, never opened). We experienced very high electricity bills, despite the fact that KB Home advertised and told us and other home buyers they install energy efficient systems. During the repairs, we found more black mold growing in the A/C air conditioning unit. This KB Home has uneven distribution with blown in cellulose insulation, some large areas have no insulation some areas have snow drifts of 6″. The average insulation  is less than 3″ causing energy to be lost through the attic and competing with the air ducts cool air. Many problems with the attic including no heat is allowed to escape through this house’s attic, the roof underhang sofit’s are completely covered up and are mismatched. No one at KB (CSR’s) has ever gone into the attic to have a look around?

Because of the major construction defects with the house, KB Home customer service managers told us they cannot guarantee anything was built correctly, or that any repairs or warranty work they have done will last. They told us they have worked on a lot of homes, but none with as many problems as ours. They admitted they should have been there to supervise the work. We have spent more than three years with our home being constantly invaded by workmen, as everything kept collapsing or leaking all around us.

The letter below is one of many sent to Jeffrey Mezger who has failed to respond, ever. It was copied to state and federal representatives. It was also sent to President Barrack Obama, but no response was received. It was sent to the FTC as KB Home is under a consent order, but it has not been enforced.

Forbes published the following list of KB Home board members in Their World’s Biggest Companies and Executive Compensation (from SEC data reporting) and the multi-millions of dollars they collectively earned each year during the housing boom at the expense of victimized new homebuyers like us:

Stephen F. Bollenbach
Chairman of the Board of KB Home. He was the Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Hotels. Also current Director, Macy’s, Incorporated ~ Cincinnati , OH Department Stores and Director , Time Warner, Incorporated ~ New York , NY
Ron Burkle
Kb Home Board of Directors & Founder and Managing Partner of The Yucaipa Companies.
Timothy W. Finchem
Kb Home Board of Directors & Commissioner of the PGA TOUR.
Kenneth M. Jastrow II
Kb Home Non Executive Board of Director.
Robert L. Johnson
Kb Home Board of Directors & Founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies.
Melissa Lora
Kb Home Board of Directors & Chief Financial Officer of Taco Bell Corporation.
Michael G. McCaffery
Kb Home Board of Directors & Chief Executive Officer of Makena Capital Management.
Leslie Moonves
Kb Home Board of Directors & President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation.
Luis G. Nogales,
Kb Home Board of Directors & Managing Partner of Nogales Investors, LLC.
Jeffrey T. Mezger
Kb Home President and Chief Executive Officer & Kb Home Board of Directors. 16 years of Service.

________________________________________________________________________

30th January 2009
Dear Mr. Jeffrey Mezger:

This letter is to serve notice that the conditions under which we purchased our KB Home on 17th October 2005 have proven to be misleading and financially devastating to our investment. This letter is in no way intended to be a formal demand under the Residential Construction Liability Act (RCLA) but to give KB Home the opportunity to enter into a buy back agreement with us within the next 30 days.

From the time we purchased our KB home it has had an excessive number of construction defects, some of which may be major that have not been corrected under the terms of the contract, warranty or the Federal Consent Order (FTC). The following problems have been on-going:-

External Cracks 24 bricks long, in steps on both sides of house – crack up front of house above garage-temporary patching. A lot of broken bricks used to build higher elevations.

Land subsidence and standing water in back garden – garden dug up for French drain – but water still sits there – KB Home executive stated I should have bought a two million dollar home if I wanted good drainage.

A/C unit broke down twice in one week in the height of summer, upstairs and downstairs controls wrongly wired. Took a month for parts and repair to be completed, resulted in very high energy costs due to constant running. System has never been fully functional.

Upstairs external deck railings collapsed. New railing full of screw holes that KB Home CSM advised were Knot holes. Railing still separating and posts split vertically.

Major Leaks in kitchen walls and ceiling three times so far – no guarantee from KB Home that issues resolved.

Patio roof supported by posts not fully on the slab, roof pulled away from house and posts were crooked. Roof lifted and posts straightened, then leaks began.
Ceiling and walls ripped out to find leak – repairs done several times before acceptable.

180 bricks removed above patio roof – discovered flashing never installed. Once corrected, house was re-bricked to such an appalling standard, they had to be torn out and re-done. During search for cause of leaks, determined Master bedroom window never sealed – bricks removed and re-bricked.

Holes cut in kitchen walls and ceiling. Noisy de-humidifiers brought in for two days and nights in attempt to dry out excessive water in the walls.

Leak from master bathroom toilet into living room ceiling.

Downstairs toilet removed three times due to blockages and suspected leaks
Plumber tunneled underneath the house from the front through to the toilet looking for a leak. Holly bush removed and replaced backwards. Earth mounded so high afterwards that when it rained, water ran into garage and damaged property.

Upstairs Master bathroom – toilet removed three times due to leaks and improper installation. Black mold discovered and live electrical wires under the tub. Tub creaking when you stand in it and tub separating from tile. Bathroom windowsill cracked and swollen with water. Floor creaking and squeaking – toilet was broken in half by workmen during repairs. KB Home replaced with “bone” color toilet by mistake, instead of white, does not match seat or other fixtures. Bathroom door distorted, no longer fit frame.

Upstairs floors creaking and moving when walked on, all equipment and furniture dismantled, removed and put back by ourselves in loft room, bedrooms, master bathroom and closet, so that floors could be torn up six different times. 9ft by 5ft piece of bedroom wall cut out to find cause, but not found. Walls damaged by workmen so had to be re-painted.

Loud ceiling cracks still occur when we are sitting in the living room and no-one is upstairs. Bedroom floor and bathroom still creak abnormally in places.

Carpets pulled up and re-fitted, heat glued, so many times they no longer fit and there are splits in the doorways and screws sticking up. Carpeting is ruined.

Driveway cracked down the middle – no re-bar underneath, none when re-finished – KB Home executive stated “no-one puts re-bar under concrete driveways”. Another KB Home CSM told us we don’t have to disclose any construction defects or issues to a prospective buyer, unless it is the foundation.

No weep holes originally placed in external brickwork.
No air hawks (air vents, low profile) originally installed in roof to allow toxic fumes to escape. Sofit’s are completely covered with cellulose insulation so there is zero airflow in the attic. The sofit’s are not even put in the same way on each end of the overhang of the house they are mis-matched.

We did a great deal of decorating and home improvement despite all the issues, most of which has been torn up at some point. It has been exhausting.

I have experienced major health issues from the excess water in the walls caused by leaks over a long period of time and toxic fumes. This includes Pneumonia, Bronchitis, developing Asthma, nosebleeds, acute rhinocitis and severe hives. I never even had coughs before I lived in this KB Home.

My family is one of many exploited and deprived of the full enjoyment of our home. We will no longer be subjected to further discomfort or paying for mistakes that were not of our making, but that of KB Home.

Attached is a list of our financial requirements that provides an equitable solution that will help make us whole and allow us to get on with our lives. We are awaiting your prompt attention and resolution to this matter.

Sincerely,

A KB Home Sucks aka LemonMeister

The Original WSJ Wall Street Journal Article was posted online on July 11, 2009. I heard about it when it was broadcast on the radio.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203872404574258531574049434.html

After all the problem with this lemon of a house and numerous ignored requests to KB Home to buy back the house, there was yet another major incident on June 18th 2009.

The Air Conditioning unit broke down for the third time in three years. It was sweltering hot, 96 degrees and it took all day until gone 11pm for Airtron to come out and fix the problem. They stated the reason for the breakdown was “the wiring was not in order, they had to re-do”. This was the third time. One of the two main motorized dampers was not connected to any electrical power so never worked properly it was permanently closed.

The damper has never been connected to electrical power since day one and no hot or cold air was ever allowed to flow through it, in effect it was shut off. The A/C unit never worked efficiently as advertised and resulted in very high utility bills working overtime to push air through all of the rooms. During the HVAC trouble shooting process, more alarming “Black Mold” was found spreading in the A/C system, this despite the promises of KB Home that I have purchased a so-called state-of-the-art energy efficient home. It will never be energy efficient, KB Home does not supervise the work, or test the installed HVAC systems – My Lemon, My Home.

Serious issues involving the wiring of the unit caused the main CPU – zone controller to be blown out 3 times. This dangerous wiring could have burnt the house to the ground. Transformers were so hot to the touch that they could not be gotten near to. They were not even connected to the correct power source! 220v instead of the 100v.

This has been overlooked by KB Home in the past 2 times the system blew out. Wouldn’t you ask yourself why is it blowing out they’re must be something wired up wrong. NOT KB HOME! JUST SLAP IN ANOTHER OFF YOU GO…

The many wires run through this house that controlled thermostats, dampers and zones were all wrong. It took many hours for these latest guys to troubleshoot it and sort out the correct connections. The two controlled zones never functioned. The last time they fixed it (second time – not) the Airco (KB contractor) guy said “The person who knows about these type systems, quit last week. He’s the only one who knows about these. We just don’t know how to get it to work?”

KB Home advertised the home as built to energy-efficient standards, but this home clearly did not meet the standards promised by their KB Home sales staff or KB website statements.

The following is an excerpt from a document published by KB Home:- “KB Home has long been a leader in building energy-efficient homes. Since 2001, the Company has already built more than 48,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes and over 9,400 energy-efficient homes using the ComfortWise(R) guidelines, reducing greenhouse emissions by over 150,000 metric tons annually -and saving homeowners up to $25 million per year on utility bills. In its Sustainability Report released in July 2008, KB Home made the commitment to build to ENERGY STAR guidelines at all new home communities by 2009 (www.kbhome.com/sustainability).”

“We believe today’s buyers want homes that are both energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly,” said Jeffrey Mezger, president and chief executive officer of KB Home. “By meeting this expectation, we are driving down a buyer’s energy costs, which makes home ownership even more affordable, and are also contributing to increased environmental responsibility, which improves quality of life for everyone.”

This is just one of the many issues with this KB Home. The brickwork continues to crack, crumble and disentegrate. The patching KB Home did in the cracks 24 bricks long in steps on both sides of the house and up the front is already cracking again. Photographs of the brickwork can be found on the website: http://www.akbhomesucks.com see video menu to view the brickwork.

- – - – - -

The letter below followed several others I sent to Jeffrey Mezger, he has yet to respond.

30th January 2009
KB Home
Jeffrey Mezger, Chairman and CEO
10990 Wilshire Blvd., 9th floor
Los Angeles, California 90024

Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested
Supporting pictures available at www.akbhomesucks.com

Dear Mr. Jeffrey Mezger:

This letter is to serve notice that the conditions under which we purchased our KB Home on 17th October 2005 have proven to be misleading and financially devastating to our investment. This letter is in no way intended to be a formal demand under the Residential Construction Liability Act (RCLA) but to give KB Home the opportunity to enter into a buy back agreement with us within the next 30 days.

From the time we purchased our KB home it has had an excessive number of construction defects, some of which may be major that have not been corrected under the terms of the contract, warranty or the Federal Consent Order (FTC). The following problems have been on-going:-

External Cracks 24 bricks long, in steps on both sides of house – crack up front of house above garage-temporary patching. A lot of broken bricks used to build higher elevations.

Land subsidence and standing water in back garden – garden dug up for French drain – but water still sits there – KB Home executive stated I should have bought a two million dollar home if I wanted good drainage.

A/C unit broke down twice in one week in the height of summer, upstairs and downstairs controls wrongly wired. Took a month for parts and repair to be completed, resulted in very high energy costs due to constant running. System has never been fully functional.

Upstairs external deck railings collapsed. New railing full of screw holes that KB Home CSM advised were Knot holes. Railing still separating and posts split vertically.

Major Leaks in kitchen walls and ceiling three times so far – no guarantee from KB Home that issues resolved.

Patio roof supported by posts not fully on the slab, roof pulled away from house and posts were crooked. Roof lifted and posts straightened, then leaks began.

Ceiling and walls ripped out to find leak – repairs done several times before acceptable.

180 bricks removed above patio roof – discovered flashing never installed. Once corrected, house was re-bricked to such an appalling standard, they had to be torn out and re-done. During search for cause of leaks, determined Master bedroom window never sealed – bricks removed and re-bricked.

Holes cut in kitchen walls and ceiling. Noisy de-humidifiers brought in for two days and nights in attempt to dry out excessive water in the walls.

Leak from master bathroom toilet into living room ceiling.

Downstairs toilet removed three times due to blockages and suspected leaks
Plumber tunneled underneath the house from the front through to the toilet looking for a leak. Holly bush removed and replaced backwards. Earth mounded so high afterwards that when it rained, water ran into garage and damaged property.

Upstairs Master bathroom – toilet removed three times due to leaks and improper installation. Black mold discovered and live electrical wires under the tub. Tub creaking when you stand in it and tub separating from tile. Bathroom windowsill cracked and swollen with water. Floor creaking and squeaking – toilet was broken in half by workmen during repairs. KB Home replaced with “bone” color toilet by mistake, instead of white, does not match seat or other fixtures. Bathroom door distorted, no longer fit frame.

Upstairs floors creaking and moving when walked on, all equipment and furniture dismantled, removed and put back by ourselves in loft room, bedrooms, master bathroom and closet, so that floors could be torn up six different times. 9ft by 5ft piece of bedroom wall cut out to find cause, but not found. Walls damaged by workmen so had to be re-painted.

Loud ceiling cracks still occur when we are sitting in the living room and no-one is upstairs. Bedroom floor and bathroom still creak abnormally in places.

Carpets pulled up and re-fitted, heat glued, so many times they no longer fit and there are splits in the doorways and screws sticking up. Carpeting is ruined.

Driveway cracked down the middle – no re-bar underneath, none when re-finished – KB Home executive stated “no-one puts re-bar under concrete driveways”. Another KB Home CSM told us we don’t have to disclose any construction defects or issues to a prospective buyer, unless it is the foundation.

No weep holes originally placed in external brickwork.
No air hawks originally installed in roof to allow toxic fumes to escape.

We did a great deal of decorating and home improvement despite all the issues, most of which has been torn up at some point. It has been exhausting.

I have experienced major health issues from the excess water in the walls caused by leaks over a long period of time and toxic fumes. This includes Pneumonia, Bronchitis, developing Asthma, nosebleeds, acute rhinocitis and severe hives. I never even had coughs before I lived in this KB Home.

My family is one of many exploited and deprived of the full enjoyment of our home. We will no longer be subjected to further discomfort or paying for mistakes that were not of our making, but that of KB Home.

Attached is a list of our financial requirements that provides an equitable solution that will help make us whole and allow us to get on with our lives. We are awaiting your prompt attention and resolution to this matter.

Sincerely,

KB Homeowner (name withheld for privacy)

- – - – - – - – -

Letter sent to Federal Trade Commission, State and Federal Representatives and Office of the President of the United States.

www.akbhomesucks.com

11th March 2009
To whom it may concern,
From the time we purchased our KB Home we have uncovered excessive construction defects, some of which may be major that have not been corrected under the terms of the contract, warranty or the Federal Consent Order (FTC). None of which were disclosed before sale. KB Home representatives offer no guarantees that any of the excessive repairs to date have fixed the problems permanently or ever will.

We could NOT have been expected to know about the construction defects prior to the sale.

KB Home representative stated ALL the contractors who worked on this home were fired, indicating knowledge of construction defects prior to sale.

Repairs have NOT been done in a timely manner. The third leak in the kitchen ceiling occurred and was reported on 4th July 2008 and no one came to look at it until September 2008. Current major issues left unresolved since 19th December 2008.

Workmanship is NOT required standard. Excessive construction defects and omissions.

Products used in the home construction are NOT required standard. Examples: – Bricks, mortar, fencing, wood deck and posts. Patio roof. Flooring. Driveway. Air conditioner.

Significant facts about the land and community were never disclosed by KB Home. Example, my street is planned to become an arterial road onto a 16-lane freeway to be constructed at the bottom of the road.

The following are some of the ongoing problems:

A/C unit broke down twice in one week in the height of summer, upstairs and downstairs controls wrongly wired. Took a month for parts and repair to be completed, resulted in very high-energy costs as system was running all the time.

Never worked well. Broke down third time 6/18/09. Airtron stated reason:-defective zone board, wires not in order, had to re-do wiring. One damper not connected so never functioned efficiently. Result:- three years of inefficient energy use and high utility bills.
Upstairs external deck railings collapsed. New railing full of screw holes that KB Home CSM advised were Knotholes. Railing still separating from posts.

Major Leaks in kitchen walls and ceiling three times so far – NO guarantee from KB Home that issues resolved. Parts of walls and ceiling torn out repeatedly and for repairs. All necessary because of original defective construction. During search for cause of leaks, it was found that Master bedroom window never sealed – bricks were removed and re-bricked.

PAGE 2 ~ Letter sent to Federal Trade Commission, State and Federal Representatives and Office of the President of the United States.

Patio roof supported by posts not fully on the slab, roof pulled away from house and posts were crooked. Roof lifted and posts straightened, then leaks began. 180 bricks removed. from above patio roof – found METAL FLASHING never installed. Once corrected, house was re-bricked to such an appalling standard, they had to be torn out and re-done. Ceiling and walls ripped out to find leak – repairs done MANY times. NO GUARANTEES FROM KB HOME THAT REPAIRS HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM.

Downstairs toilet removed three times due to incorrect installation causing blockages and leaks. Plumber tunneled underneath the house from the front to the toilet looking for a leak. Soil never fully replaced under the house. Holly bush removed and replaced backwards. Earth mounded so high afterwards that when it rained, water ran into garage and damaged property.

There have been several KB Home customer service managers dealing with this house. The latest pointed out that No weep holes were ever placed in external brickwork.

Once other homes were built, noticed No air hawks were installed in our roof to allow toxic fumes to escape.

Some exterior brickwork crumbling, many broken bricks, cracks 24 bricks long in steps temporarily patched. Crack up front of house. Inferior products used in original construction.

Leak from master bathroom toilet into living room ceiling, probably the cause of current Black Mold under tub. (Photographs on web site, sample retained.) Live electrical wire under the tub. Tub creaking when you stand in it and tub separating from tile. Bathroom windowsill cracked and swollen with water. KB Home state they will not do anything about these issues.

Toilet broken in half by workmen when trying to remove to fix the floor, (screws stripped as toilet removed three times due to leaks and improper installation). Now replaced with “bone” color toilet by mistake, instead of white, does not match other fixtures.

Upstairs floor creaking and cracking “abnormally” as stated by KB Home representative. Everything had to be removed from walk in closet and replaced – floors were torn up several times and a 9ft by 5ft piece of bedroom wall was cut out to find cause, but not found. In one day alone, 7 tubes of toxic glue used in bedroom flooring. Clothing and fabrics all needed cleaning.

Loud ceiling cracks occur when no one is upstairs. Carpet in loft room and office taken up to fix creaking floors, all equipment and furniture dismantled, removed and put back by ourselves. Carpets pulled up and re-fitted so many times they no longer fit and there are splits in the doorways and screws sticking up. Carpeting now worn like an old carpet. Upstairs doorways became crooked did not fit frame.

PAGE 3 ~ Letter sent to Federal Trade Commission, State and Federal Representatives and Office of the President of the United States.

Land subsidence and standing water in back garden – garden dug up for French drain – but water still sits there – KB Home executive stated I should have bought a two million dollar home if I wanted good drainage. Water drains into the garden from property behind built on higher elevation.

Driveway cracked down the middle in first year– discovered no re-bar underneath, none when re-finished – KB Home executive stated “no-one puts re-bar under concrete driveways”. We took pictures the same day of the re-bar laid in the driveway of a home under construction behind ours, by another builder.

When we complained we would not be able to sell the home, KB Home CSM advised, “YOU don’t have to disclose any construction defects or issues to a prospective buyer, unless it is the foundation.”

Our mental, physical, emotional and financial well-being have been seriously impacted because of the negligence and lack of supervision by KB Home when they allowed defective home construction and never disclosed.

The excessive work and disruption of our home and our life resulted in major health issues, never previously experienced. Due largely to the excess water in the walls caused by leaks over 18 months, de-humidifiers, sawdust, carpet lifting, glue and toxic fumes. This includes Pneumonia, Bronchitis, developing Asthma, nose bleeds, acute rhinocitis and severe hives.

KB Homeowner (name withheld for privacy)

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SUPPORTING LINKS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damper_(architecture)#Automated_zone_dampers

Here is a tutorial for KB Home to learn how to setup a HVAC system
http://www.hometech.com/learn/hvac.html

KB would love first time homebuyers, why? First time homebuyers are naive. They don’t know KB Home reputation as the most investigated Homebuilder in the USA. KB Home is the reason many states are finally introducing the “Homebuilder” Lemon Law. Listen up first time homeowner – there is currently NO PROTECTION from KB Home builds you a LEMON. Your stuck with it. Lookup “HomeOwners for Better Building” and “KB Home Sucks” as search terms for what to expect. Your KB Home will have exactly the same defects as these people.

They are sure to push the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the quick 7-8k, and eat it up in options that never can get fixed.

I bought a KB Home in Fort Worth and the foundation totally cracked in half due to major plumbing leaks under the house. Eventually, they had to lift the house up on a crane to fix the foundation. Everything had to be removed, we had to move out and they told us if we had a problem selling because of the problems, they would help us out. Well guess what, we had trouble selling. Inspectors told prospective buyers “don’t even waste your time looking at it”. We asked KB Home to help us and they refused to do anything. Way to go KB Home.

Cheaper, Faster, or Fix it as many times as it takes?

All of society pays for it. Let’s say it brings down the neighborhoods prices for example… then the property tax base falls. Less revenue means less money your city, county and State and Federal coffers. This simple example is evident of some of the current economic crisis.

If the roof isn’t attached when Hurricane category five rolls thru town, then the insurance company or FEMA pays for it. It must be ok for the Insurance companies to take up the slack since they got the “Recovery Money”. Why not have no accountability for bad building?

If my health is affected by mold under my tub, under the toilet, wherever water is leaking thru my walls. Are today’s bricks superior to bricks made in the past? Is mortar better or is it just enough to get it thru the warranty period? After all Uncle Sam will pay for it when the Tornado blows thru town at some point in the future. I would thing the Insurance companies would want a LEMON law? Or is it in their best interest since they own every company that builds the hose from the nail manufacture, Forrest, Train and truck that delivers these goods, wire mfg., electric switches and most likely has invested in the builder too. And the hospital, you’ll need those $100 bandages when the Cancer (the effect not the case) finds you.

Since America now lives for “cheap” goods we have to hire the cheapest labor available. So it’s evident on the most expensive purchase a person makes in their lifetime their home. The pool of the workforce of what is available in your region comes into play. This pool most likely is either overworked, underpaid, have unrealistic demands (we have 1 hour you need to get to the next site) or are undocumented. Obviously there is no time to be trained.

Is this a way of life for these homebuilders? Faster, cheaper, no old craftsmen? No managers who stay at the site, then follow-up. Has anyone have the problem of a manager who went beyond the call of duty. Do they book off and let the workers have the run of the place?

Look at your home, compare it to a 10 year old one? 20 or 30 year home? I see a great let down in today’s product. You let your Dow and NASDAC ratings wag the dog.

The lemon laws: will it pass and help society or will the lobbyists crush it, will it be watered down? So it is ineffective?

Some of the foreclosures are part of this cause and effect cycle. Bad Homes, Loans quickly pushed thru, get ‘em in the home – get paid, then they find out it’s a LEMON.

In order to rescue America – We need to keep it real. This so-called economic crisis is a “Get back to the basics” builds a quality product – not a quantity one. You’re not a Walmart, or are you? Most consumables in Walmart end up in the local dump within a week. Is that what your building? What kind of legacy is your Home Builder leaving society?

What kind of Home Builder allows several generations to live in the comfort of a quality home? Or Home Builder who takes advantage of society, hides behind it’s legal department – puts products in its homes that survive for a bit over 3 years. Then cast it out to society as the way it is – someone will pay for it.

What happens when a house is built wrong? We all pay for it. 100% 100% accountability for bad building Mr. Rescue Plan aka
US economic crisis, or stimulus bill (Executive Compensation).current situation has done an admirable job of destroying capitalism.