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We purchased a home that is just over 4 years old built by Patriot/Lennar Home Builders. Three wks. ago 4 shingles blew off the roof which caused a leak. We tried to get coverage from the warranty company Lennar provides with their homes but were told it was not a structural issue and we would have to handle it ourselves. We hired a very reputable roofer who after making the repair explained that it would happen again because the roof was poorly constructed from the beginning using plywood that was bulged and that caused the shingles to lift and then blow off. I then called the builder to tell them that the roof was incorrectly installed from the beginning it was an issue of poor quality control that needs to be repaired so we do not experience any further problems. They refuse to except responsibility and make it right, they will not return my emails and calls. Several other neighbors have also had problems getting this builder to stand behind their product when problems arose.
Nothing was ever done by the company to resolve complaint but I wish to remove it.
Lennar doesn't care about anything once they have your money. We have had numerous problems ranging from the way the air conditioning system and ductwork was installed (house had had 3 a/c systems in less than 10 yrs due to wrong sized & kinked ductwork), to rotting upstairs floors from water leaking (shower built improperly) and roof problems. You are right on about their response when you call, "It's not structural"...they told us the same thing. The problem is, they allowed poor quality workmanship under their watch when the home was under construction - and now, we are the ones to pay for it. Lesson learned Lennar - we will never purchase anything with your name on it again.
Here's the deal... I am an insurance adjuster for a very well known company. We get claims filed on a consistent basis for structural defects, don't even bother filing a claim, it's not covered under any, and I mean any, insurance companies policy. Wind driven rain causing leaks can occur with any roof. I doubt your shower was built improperly, it was likely a caulking error on their subcontractor's part. You, as a consumer, are ultimately responsible for overseeing the building of your home, if you are building a new home. Just the same as an insurance policy. It's not your agent's fault if you don't have the back up of sewer and drain endorsement on your policy, which provides coverage in the event your sump pump can't keep up and your basement floods. IF YOU DON"T HAVE IT, YOU DON"T HAVE COVERAGE. NOTE TO SELF, CHECK YOUR POLICY AND SEE- DON'T ASSUME.
People today have a tendency to blame someone else for issues in their homes. If you are building, get to know the subs who are working in your home. ASK QUESTIONS! Find out why they put wiring where they do, find out why vents are placed where they are.
Heat vents in basements should be placed at the FLOOR level- heat rises. Ask plumbers what other major builders they have worked for, as well as electricians and drywallers.
We, as a society, tend to place blame on everyone else but ourselves. We worked twice with another builder in the Pinecliff/Silverwood community in Cottage Grove, MN. They would not work with us on pricing or building. Lennar was the other builder in this community and their section was sold out long before the other. Everyone I have spoken with loves their home. The other builder has reports of over pricing, wet basements and the inability to get information about when they can expect their home to be done or get resolution towards pricing issues. One family had a wet basement and they had to go to arbitration to get the issue resolved. After a year, they finally conceded and made the repairs.
We are excited about our new home and you can bet Lennar is around far longer than other spec/community builders!
We found a model Lennar was building in their second edition of this community- we made an offer and they came back with a home and price that far exceeded our expectations. The home we purchased is under construction and my background in building allowed me to see they spared no expense on the framing of this home. We will have the first completed home of this particular model in the country and I suspect the home will be as fabulous as the service we got from the sales agent, Catherine.
We look forward to a great new home experience, and will be there to check things out daily to make sure what's done meets code. I have to say, their homes give all the goodies without the charges for them. This gets back to the American ideal- giving 100% because it's the right thing to do!
I agree that Lennar homes are not of the highest quality but most are OK. To the person writing about checking the insurance policy, you are correct but do not blame the homeowner for poor workmanship. It is easy to explain to a person using nice language why they are not covered by a policy and what they should consider doing. One thing for sure, defective workmanship is not covered by a warranty since it can legally be required to be fixed AT ANY TIME after it is discovered and it truly is defective. I know of plenty of homes with issues, not just Lennar. It pays to inspect your home monthly and look for issues before they get out of control.
When you by a new home you certainly don't expect to have a major leak a few weeks after moving in. I don't care what kind of rain you have. A home is shelter from the elements. If rain is getting in something is wrong. A good company would take care of the problem.
I purchased a Lennar home 3 years ago in south NJ and have been dealing with shotty workmanship.
They hire the cheapest unskilled labor available. The service dept. is unprofessional in every way.
Repairs drag out and are scheduled out of order. (Painter will show up before repair is done)
I have spent numerous hours evaluating and doing my own repairs. Usually the service dept shows up when ever they feel like it. On top of that the repairs are fudged. They will travel 2 hrs. to do hardly any work then leave. I have had to take off numerous day's off from work and have friends and family come house sit. This is my fourth house and never gottened screwed like this! My last house was in FL and went through 3 hurricanes and had NO issues. (Engle homes)
Many issues are never caught until one cold day you realize your windows are out of square or you attic heating system causes major drafts on the second floor when unit is NOT running due to lack of insulation or poorly insulated fireplace box that feels like a/c blowing out the bottom.
If you purchase a new car would you like to sit at the dealer every other week while they tear it apart trying to figure out issues? A home is a major investment! Architects and engineers are involved with homes just like cars. The average hard working person is paying for this. They don't need to know every detail on how it is built. I believe that's why you get a warranty from a major builder like Lennar. Note; Many recent home buyers have already a lot of stress due to lost equity in their home's from the down turn in the market.
Most problems will never be discovered until you move in. That's why you depend on your builder to honor its 30 day or 60 day then 1 year list. (By then you should be down to a few minor settlement cracks in dryway and moulding shrinkage. Then it goes onto the 10 year structual warranty (2-10)
What makes me really pissed off is that a few years back I worked as a service manager for a home builder and did over 750 walk thru's and had relied on keeping my service in check so the owner of the company did not drag me into his office because a homeowner though I was blowing them off. To this day I still sleep well knowing that I gave 100% to make sure that these homeowners got what they paid for!
This is America! What happened to taking pride in your work?
I guess it's all about the quick buck!
I am currently in the process of buying my 3rd home from lennar and I can tell you that they have ZERO good people like you who actually care about their work, have empathy for others and understand that the buyer is a human with family, kids and it is a big investment and hopefully an exciting time for them. Every Lennar sales agent I have met are quite evil and liars, customer support is worthless.
Why are you buying from them 3 times than?
Do not buy a Lennar Town House! My three year new town house has a toxic mold infestation in the walls (Torula spores and Stachybotrys spores). These spores under the right conditions have been documented to cause problems associated with the circulatory, alimentary, skin and nervous systems. In the flooring material (Chaetomium spores with hyphal elements seen) reported as an allergenic, some species may be associated with disease in humans. In the furnace filter and supply ducts (Drechslera/Bipolaris group spores, Cladosporium spores) the first group of spores is toxigenic, and an allergen. Under certain conditions this fungi has been documented to produce the mycotoxin, sterigmatocystin. Studies have indicated that this toxin may cause damage to the liver and kidneys in laboratory animals. This toxic mold infestation was caused by water intrusion, due to improperly installed gutters, inadequately sized down spouts, improperly installed exterior wood composite trim boards and the pre-mature derogation of the exterior trim boards, missing flashing, and improperly installed exterior window sills. These facts are supported by two professional inspection reports. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER PROPERTY FROM LENNAR CORPORATION.
We moved into a Lennar home in Hanover MD (Ridge Commons) as 2nd owners in 2003... Property was 2 yrs old at the time of our moving in. We've had some issues with flooding in our basement within the 2nd year. We went thru the proper channels, i.e. Anne Arundel County representative, Lennar Builders respresentative community meetings. Not one and nothing helped... They give you a lot of jargon to sidestep any responbility of correcting their shoddy way of building on land that doesn't have proper drainage which leads to issues later on ----this also includes substandard workmanship so basically we we advised that we should upgrade the sump pump...Really... So did that resolve the issue. Far from it... Common sense even the minutest grain of common sense would kick in to advise that withouth proper drainage laying a concrete foundation is bound to have residual effects and eventually...will balloon into a full blown issue... Clearly a case of pure greed to make money and prosper at expense and exasperation and defrauding of hardworking people who basically make them well off.
What gives them the right to treat people with such contempt.
Just a thought... I wonder how many of the owners of Lennar actually own and reside in Lennar homes.
Truly there's no appreciation for the consumer Lennar pride themselves on servicing.
I have submitted a claim that the vast majority of my front yard is dead on my new home. I have been complaining for 6 months trying to get them to replace the grass. My year warranty is us Dec 24.
Negative comments about Lennar are accurate. Every time I have phoned Lennar to ask them to fix something under the warranty, it wasn't covered. The latest are foundation issues - water coming in from rain, especially after recent Irma. Warranty will want to say it's hurricane related, and insurance will want to say it's defective construction related, me as a female homeowner, I have no clue - only that I moved here from a house that had major construction defects and so much wanted that builder warranty that they say you have, but you truly don't. Will never purchase another Lennar product, and I will have to be the one to try to fix something that I know nothing about - come on, if they can't even have a decent foundation to protect from water, whether it be rain or the sprinklers, what good is the rest of the house ?
A cabinet is coming away from the wall. Can someone contact me?