Liability Free Isn't Always Free

7/19/2009

Based on information from people who have contacted me about Ryan Homes, I roughly estimate Ryan Homes and NVR Mortgage have lost no less than three million, and as much as five million in sales, because of certain Internet information. It could be much higher than that. But the company is in the black, thanks to the federal first time buyer tax incentives, and their construction cheapness fills the bill in a cautious economy. While it may be nice to be able to dismiss construction error complaints, destroy people who make such complaints, or drown out the voices of those who got nailed with surprise fees and interest rates on occasion, one has to ask is it really worth it?

It is incredibly hard to get justice as a victim of Ryan Homes. Most people in our sort if situation seem to get depleted by a designed resistance, that makes it nearly impossible to hold the builder accountable for even clear documented mistakes. An unending demand for justice is exhausting, and at times discouraging. 

Perspective

3/12/2009

You may see a solid builder when you look at Ryan Homes, or you've had a different experience. You tell yourself they must be doing something right, dismiss the complaints and take your chances? Yes they are doing some things right, but it's not necessarily your home. The D.C. lobbying and millions in campaign contributions, the company has learned to build cheap with little to no consequences for the risks that formula can cause if that wrecks the buyer.  This is due to the intentional removal of any significant liability on Ryan Homes. They have little company debt / risk. That's because 90% of all debt/ risk is put on you the buyer. You can be wiped by Ryan Homes mistakes, and NVR/Ryan Homes is untouched by design if the buyer gets burned. You're still profit.

NVR/Ryan Homes absolutely has the resources to do the right things and remain profitable. But if you keep rewarding this behavior, and ignoring the plight of others, they never will; not now, nor in the future. And remember we are not just a stat, we are people who had hopes and dreams like you may have right now if you're buying a new home. We care about others, and our country. We are not soulless money making machines. And no matter how secure you think you are, as we once did, you could be or could have been us. No one is safe.

OF COURSE people buy Ryan Homes and they're satisfied. They tend to be dismissive of complaints. They just don't get it.  I even see them complain about complainers. "My homes has been just fine, so stop posting complaints."  Things go wrong in new home construction, sometimes minor, sometimes very serious. You will see two different builders by the same name depending on the level of problems. Minor problems are usually fixed. If they reach level that is too costly, then you will see a dismissive, even arrogant builder that will write you off as an insignificant stat, because the can and will. 

 

 

08/2008 Over 100,000 entry page views, millions of page views

What's fun about having your name on a gripe site? Nothing. This August makes ten years since we discovered defects and damages to our home from builder negligence. Publishing derogatory information about anyone for any reason isn't fun to me, but is done only when there is no other right thing to do. In fact, this is a source of public humiliation to me. This website was only a last resort. Well, perhaps the last resort is just accepting others profited from negligent behavior and forever altered your life. There are times when that fits, when one must accept misfortune. Unfortunately this isn't one of them. Most Americans have tolerated a lot of hardship through other's ruthless pursuit of the mighty dollar. That's what this problem came from. At some point we have to draw a line, and say enough! 

 

Some things I'd rather be doing: Music production / Novelist

Update 10/08/2007 Ryan Homes may be literally killing me.

Our Ryan Homes townhome's hidden built in defects poisoned us with Carbon Monoxide, and other undetermined burning noxious gases. These defects later caused large toxic mold formations to form hidden behind the service panel of the heat pump in the ductwork. These things are documented with certainty, and posted on our website. Although we knew we already had permanent health damages from long term toxic exposure from the home's defects, these conditions are worsening. Since the home's problem of consequential damages and the massive financial losses of restoration were never resolved, the long term continued stresses of our destroyed home have been directly connected to my recent hospitalization, with near total kidney failure. It has also been determined the unusual bone pain that began as I cleaned up smoke and fire damage, and did mold remediation of the home, was not a temporary condition of exposure as thought at the time, but it developed into a possibly much more serious condition.

I was unable to complete the home remediation myself, as I developed a condition in my arm akin to tendonitis, while using chemical sponges, Kilz, and in removing mold contaminated carpeting (so on....). There were symptoms at the time like bone chills and flu like symptoms, exposure inside the toxic home caused. These have now become permanent. We had to hire low bid contractors to finish much of the restoration to make the house habitable, so we could get out of our temporary $1000 a month apartment. The home still needs work, but we lack resources and health to really complete it. We exhausted credit to try to repair our home, and have now maxed out the equity.

During my recent ER hospital stay, severe bone pain lead to an issue with a test that showed a bone marrow problem. Medications are managing the pain for now as I'm awaiting further testing, but lack of insurance has slowed down additional needed tests to determine if a suspected cancer is present, or what exactly is causing the bone pain. The cost of ER treatment is just more loss from Ryan Homes refusal to be accountable for their own criminal negligence, IMO. Should I have bone marrow cancer, or some other condition that is hopefully treatable, I am certain it is a direct connection to so much toxic exposure caused by my Ryan Homes defects.

I have contacted Ryan Homes again, and will contact the corp. head NVR inc, even if they continue to decline further response, or send further useless responses to take no action. Had the company handled the situation on initial contact, the financial and severe health issues would likely have never been such a huge part of our lives. But Ryan Homes priority in building our home, and honoring the warranty, was nothing more than a methodology to save a buck and cut corners anywhere possible for profit, no matter what the consequences to their homeowners might be. I've learned through HOBB.ORG, and many other victims that this is not a rare case, but SOP for big tract home builders. And no law really stops them, or protects the homebuyer.

 

 

5/05/2005

My hours invested in making repairs and obtaining recovery are into the thousands. Writing complaint's about Ryan Homes or fixing their mistakes is certainly not what I wanted to do with my life. We were advised by Chase Heating and Air, H&H heating and air  , Allstate Insurance, as many as four different physicians, and Henrico County building inspectors, that Ryan Homes acted negligently in building our home, and that the contamination in the home was the cause of our persistent symptoms of illness. This site contains documentation and opinions based on that of experts in their field. However Ryan Homes has threatened legal action (almost two years ago) falsely claiming this site was defamatory, in spite of massive documentation from experts verifying their negligence. (Threat From Ryan Homes sent immediately AFTER (30 days) the warranty for the home expired)

 
Our doctor had advised us to leave the home for our health years before things got their worst, (medical advise) but we didn't know how we could afford to abandon the defective home, and pay for another residence. We didn't know permanent health damages could occur by staying. The consequences of staying were far more severe than our doctor even anticipated. We did forcefully abandon the home when we got too sick to function there. We have survived the move only by the progressive buildup of debt. You can check out the refusal of Ryan Homes support by clicking on the contacts link, and reading the Ryan Homes letters. Here is a link to the Ryan Homes warranty/home owners manual. I could not find the clause that says "bend over and take it if we mess up" but it is probably in there in microprint. This is likely still from HBW, who protects the builder from defect costs, not the owner of the home. The buyer, not the builder, pays for this nearly useless coverage.
 
By the time we left the home in 2002, I developed a tumor that was removed from my head just this year, that formed while living and working in the home, during the period it had become heavily contaminated from defects. I have permanent nerve damage and pain from that surgery. My significant other had a miscarriage and also developed Hashimotos Syndrome during the time the house was most toxic. She will be on medication for life, as a result of developed health problems. Fortunately, both biopsies of our growths that formed while in the home turned up negative for cancer. No additional growths have occurred since leaving the home.
 
We believe all of the major and related health and property damages occurred as a result of a criminal code violation in the HVAC system, and builder errors in installing insulation. This contaminated the house with fiberglass, cellulose, soot, carbon monoxide, and finally led to toxic molds in the HVAC system that spread throughout the inside of the home. VP J. Winston Read, Richmond division of Ryan Homes, received documentation and photos showing clear and obvious evidence of criminal negligence and damages by certified mail. He also stated that he reviewed the documentation of damages on our website, which he urged me to remove, "for my own good." The site still stands, 17 months after threats were made about it. There is too much documentation on the site of statements made, to make a valid or substantial grievance against it. Any such grievance can and will be dealt with in court if need be with ferocity. 
 
Key statements Read made toward resolving consequential damages from builder defects that shut down any support from Ryan Homes: "Ryan homes accepts no responsibility for any damages resulting from builder defects. IF we determine by inspection that there is a builder defect, we are only obligated to fix the defect. Since your rights to legal action have expired there's nothing you can really do (to Ryan Homes)." -slightly paraphrased quote from Read.
 
He could see documentation showing the defects had existed and were already fixed as he made this statement during a phone consultation. The total cost of the builder defects that were found and repaired was less than $200. The damages the defects caused became devastating. The house became uninhabitable as a direct result of Ryan Homes refusal to restore damages caused by their builder defects, and more permanent health damages occurred after the useless exchanges with Ryan Homes, in which they only offered to give their company position on the matter, with no help offered whatsoever.
 
Had Ryan Homes chosen to do the right thing, honor their warranty, and provide needed restoration of damages they were clearly responsible for, when they were first contacted, they probably could have got this behind them for very little cost, well below the six figures now due. Our lives would be totally different, as we were in a prosperous productive situation, until this house nightmare became like a lead anchor around our necks. 
 
This site is not designed to settle or resolve anything with Ryan Homes or NVR inc. It cannot be resolved through that organization. They are apparently incapable of doing anything useful, beyond hoping that too few find out how they operate when things go bad. This site gives homebuyers a better chance to make informed decisions. You may believe whatever you choose about the issue. These things seem to happen to homebuyers every day. Sadly, most people know it does happen, but like every victim, they once believed it couldn't or wouldn't happen to them.