Blenheim Development Corp.

This builder cuts cost on the main structure of the home. They leave out foundation (see photo) and slab reinforcement, install structural connections wrong, missing supports. If its possible to believe, the building department here in New Castle County allows them to self certify their structural work. Blenheim marketing is great and the community I'm in is wonderful but if you choose to buy in New Castle County, get a set of plans from New Castle County Land Use via the Freedom of Information Act and hire a Licensed/Professional Structural Engineer to inspect as a minimum:
-Pre sheetrock trusses, floor frame, and garage header (check size also. They often leave out joist blocking required at band joist and overcut joist above the water manifold.)
-Pre concrete pour foundation wall reinforcement and post sill installation mudsill anchor inspection.
-Pre concrete pour of porch and garage slab/grade beam reinforcement

I would recommend my attorney write this into the purchase contract. If the builder says no, which they will, then find a builder who will let you. "Failure to build to approved plans or any building code violations not corrected should be the basis for contract cancellation". Ask first if they build to code, when they say yes, ask to insert this clause and they will say no! I suspect this is going on with all builders in New Castle County. County is letting the fox guard the hen house by not doing inspections, very sad! I would ad that they cheap out on lots of other items like the driveways which are too thin, missing wire reinforcement not installed in the basement slabs, improper roof flashing which leak around the dormers, possibly undersized and sagging garage headers, etc. I've seen many brand new homes here have metal trim, roofing and window trim blow off the house. Lots of complaints over basement wall cracks and leaks due to failed waterproofing. They don't coordinate the work. For instance the downspout lets out adjacent to my sprinkler box which is constantly under water.

If you buy a resale and have it inspected for sagging slabs, damaged trusses, leaning foundations and such, which would typically manifest after a few years.

I'm currently retired but thinking of opening my structural inspection business to help all the poor homeowners screwed by this and other builders in this county. If you have questions [email protected]

Despite the comments on your houses, the hotel properties are managed horrifically. I was evicted from a hotel where I paid my bill without reason. Nillie Sonecha who is the owner of the hotel would not take my call or respond back. I don't see how that is considered customer service. Jessica Yaccone the GM of the property called the police department and had me escorted out of the hotel based on an eviction wo giving reason. She yelled at me for no reason and made the eviction based on her shift ending. This all happened during COVID and I had nowhere to go. I would never stay at a Marriott Residence Inn. I can't believe Marriott would associate themselves with a company like Blenheim. Can you imagine there being no return call from the owner. It seems like the response from the company based on their homes is no different. Again, these are all facts documented with the dates and times. The only way I can see the hotel videos of the treatment is to get a lawyer, which again is at my cost.

Blenheim business/builders are horrible They are strong believers of the year warranty and not willing to help when your home begins to fall apart year and a day They will keep referring you to irresponsible contractors and businesses they say are responsible They invest in cheap work to make bigger profits knowing it will not be their problem a year later

Revdex.com In reference to [redacted] , her original complaint was in January of She stated that she was unhappy with the quality of the floor installation, and there were gaps in the hardwood floorWe had our flooring company out to her home to inspect the floor and it was determined that the humidity was very low in the house and she should install a humidifier [redacted] again contacted our office weeks later about having to purchase a humidifier, but she stated she would make the purchase to see if it would help In April, Mrs [redacted] contacted our VP of Construction and he scheduled a visit to her home to inspect the floor She was informed that the humidifier she purchased was too small to cover the area of hardwood flooring in her home She agreed to wait until she had her air conditioner on and with adding humidity to her home to see if the gapping improved In May our flooring contractor scheduled to have an independent hardwood floor inspector to look at the hardwood The inspector found areas of gapping on the floor (3) All of these gaps were less than 1/16” wide These gaps were caused by a lack of humidity in the home, the usage of an electric space heater and the use of a steam mop on the hardwood floors The sub flooring was not wet when the hardwood was installed as she states in her letter In July our VP of construction visited her home again and advised her the gaps in the floor were not caused by the installer [redacted] stated she had her own expert look at the floor and his findings were different It was explained to her the difference between a certified inspector and an installer We had asked to see a copy of her installer’s report and we would then put the inspector in touch with them We did not receive any report from her We feel we have done everything we could do to help her with her flooring issues Our homeowners have a year warranty with the builder and a year warranty on their systems, HVAC, Electric, Plumbing, If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me Thank you [redacted] ***

The homeowner contacted our office and stated she had a leak in the hall bath tubWe investigated and could not find a leakWe advised her we could cut a hole in her bedroom wall behind the plumbing and we could check to see if any water was leaking thereThis was done and was determined that there was no water leak in that areaThe walls around the tub were removed and new material re installedAll appointments were made when the homeowner was availableWe are still waiting for the homeowner to get back to us as to when we can finish all repairs that need to be done in her homeIt was promised to her we would take care of the caulking she wanted done in the bathroom, the install of the shower bar and a pressure valve installed on the water heater by the end of March which has been done On March 20, we did a year-end walk thru and on March 21, I e-mailed Mrsto schedule for repairs to be done and to provide us with dates so we can coordinate the contractor s to try to get them there on the same dayThe last e mail we received from the homeowner on March 27, is that she will choose an alternate approach to get these items doneWe would like to complete all repairs in her home but we are still waiting on her

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below I do not agree with the statement provided by BlenheimThe cement company, and Solid Walls, the subcontractor of Blenheim Homes know that there is a latent problem with the cement poured in the Blenheim communityAs the records show the cement company and Solid Walls acknowledged the problem and replaced the driveways of my neighbors

Per our conversation on Friday, March I advised you we have not been receiving your e- mails and any further correspondence will be through the mailIn reference to the e- mail below I can only express again that our VP of Construction has looked at the electrical box on the home and does not see any problem with it The driveway was also looked at and they said it is fine The roof leak has been addressed in June of and the contractor did go back when they homeowner notified us it was leaking againThe contractor was back out in January of to do more repairs on the roofAs stated previously our contractors will check if the homeowner is home but they do not schedule appointments for exterior work due to the weatherIf they can make the repairs form outside and see what needs to be done there would be no reason for them to go inside the home but if they felt they needed to investigate further than an appointment would be madeMrsstated that we hooked up to her spicket and used her water which was done and I personally spoke to her and apologized for our error This should have never been done and we are very sorry this happened, they thought they were helping to water the lawn [redacted] ***

We have received your letter in reference to the above homeowner The issues that she has had with water in her basement have been resolvedThe electrical panel is fine and was not affected in any way from the leakThe fireplace that she claimed is off center is not off center and we have discussed this with her and she does understand

Thank you for forwarding this letter to me given the fact I did not receive the previous letter you sent on April 25, In reference to the water heater that valve was installed per the Township When this was brought to our attention we had it taken care of The hall bathroom, as we stated previously the homeowner was told we could cut a small hole in the bedroom behind the pipes to check for a leak there, which was determined there was not a leak in that areaThis hole was cut with her knowledge by our superintendent The bedroom wall was not removed There is no reason why the hall bathroom would not be operational In reference to the granite there is no fraud related to the graniteWe had it inspected by the granite company and it was determined there was not a crack in the granite The garage door repair was never rescheduled because we are still waiting on the homeowner to give us some dates so we can coordinate all parties involved so the homeowner would not have to take off multiple days We would like to get these items addressed as soon as possible As stated in our e-mail to her on March 27, we would like to know what dates she is available so we can get these issues taken care of Respectfully, [redacted] ***

Mrs [redacted] notified our office that she had shingles that had blown off of her roofWe did send our roofer out and repairs were made to the roof With the different color shingles on her home, she was informed by the manufacturer that the color of the shingles on her home were no longer available for her roof She also contacted our office and stated that the shingles were not applied to the roof correctly due to high nailing and sent pictures inOur Vice President of Construction discussed this with our roofer and had him inspect the roof and he saw no issue with high nailing on the roof I was informed by our VP of Construction that the roofer has discussed this with the homeowner.Mrs [redacted] had a one yea r warranty with the builder and a year warranty with 2-Home Buyer Warranty CompanyHer one year warranty would have had expired 1/29/In March of she contacted our office stating she had some shingles blow off due to high windsWe explained since it is past her year warranty,as a courtesy we would send the roofer out to take care of this

Per our conversation this morning you requested that I send you an update regarding the above consumer We have sent an e mail to the homeowner to try and schedule an appointment to have the items from her list taken care of all to no avail At this time we are still waiting on the homeowner Respectfully, [redacted] ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear belowissues noted in the Blenheim Builders response which need clarification - I provided a copy of the letter from IKO (manufacturer of the the shingles) where IKO STATED high nailing (not my statement)At my last meeting with the roofer he stated he would contact IKO and have a representative speak with meThere was no further contact from the roofer.So my response is a question to Blenheim Builders - as a large builder in Delaware, a house which has shingles blown off FOUR separate times from February through February is acceptable construction to represent your company?
Regards,

In response to the letter that the homeowner received from TKO, the manufacturer for the roofing shingles we have been informed that no one from IKO had been out to thehomeowner's home to inspect the roofOur roofer did speak to a representative fromIKO for this area and he said as far as he knew she had not contacted their companyAs stated previously our roofer has inspected her roof and spoke to her and the roofingshingles were installed correctly

Re: *** *** *** * *** *** *** ** ***
class="">This is the first and only notice we have received from your company In reference to the electrical box on the home we have had that repaired and our VP of Construction has looked at it in the past couple of weeks and he does not see any issue with it at this timeHe has also looked at the driveway and said the driveway is fine and there is nothing that needs to be done at this time After the homeowner had her day walk thru calls were made to schedule appointments but unfortunately messages were left with the homeowner and myself trying to schedule appointmentsWe cannot guarantee we can call the homeowner back at a specific time, due to the fact we may be on the phone with other homeowners and we can’t end a call to make sure we contact someone at the time they requestedMany calls were made to the homeowner with messages left and no return phone callsAny work that is exterior, our contractors do not schedule with the homeownerThey do go to the door to see if the homeowner is home and discuss what they will be doing but they are not scheduled appointments. When Ms*** contacted the office we sent our warranty service technician out and he determined that there was a hole in the water lineWe immediately notified the plumber to contact Ms***The plumber did fail to contact her right awayWhen the plumber scheduled their appointment, the homeowner refused the repair that was to be done. She wanted entire new line installed not the repair that they were going to doThe repair had nothing to do with Blenheim not wanting to pay for itIt was the repair that the plumbing company does when something like this happensUnfortunately during the construction of the home a pin size hole was nailed into the lineFor this not to be fixed for weeks was due to Ms*** refusing the repair the plumber was going to doAfter further discussions with Ms*** about replacing the line, I told her I would see what I could do and get back to herI did contact her and we had the line replaced as a courtesy to her. The only item left is to have the insulation re installed in the basement, which the insulation company informed me last week they have called her twice and left messages and have not received a return phone call I hope this explains the issues Ms*** has had in her home Respectfully, *** ***
*** *** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
The responses from the builder are misrepresentations of the truth - similar to my previous dealings with them
Attached is the service order from the Granite company where the crack is referenced and an email from Pam discussing the crack in the granite. Also in the same email is my response indicating my availability for working days in March 2014. She scheduled one appoitment on March which did not complete the hall bathroom. Are seven days not enough days to complete the garage? Also why were the remaining repairs in the bathroom not scheduled? This is the game Blenheim plays - ask for availability and not schedule repairs, and then badger homeowners for new dates to repeat not scheduling repairs. I decided to contact the Revdex.com to stop these shenanigans as referenced as the alternate approach in email dated March
As for the hall bathroom, please see attached picture of the bedroom wall. I have no rationale response to this misrepresentation and have pictures regarding this whole event, if needed. The bathroom is not operational since their service contractor caulked the tub improperly as evidenced and documented by their VP during his walkthru visit on March 19,

The homeowner contacted our office and stated she had a leak in the hall bath tub. We investigated and could not find a leak. We advised her we could cut a hole in her bedroom wall behind the plumbing and we could check to see if any water was leaking there. This was...

done and was determined that there was no water leak in that area. The walls around the tub were removed and new material re installed. All appointments were made when the homeowner was available. We are still waiting for the homeowner to get back to us as to when we can finish all repairs that need to be done in her home. It was promised to her we would take care of the caulking she wanted done in the bathroom, the install of the shower bar and a pressure valve installed on the water heater by the end of March which has been done. 
On March 20, 2014 we did a year-end walk thru and on March 21, 2014 I e-mailed Mrs. to schedule for repairs to be done and to provide us with dates so we can coordinate the contractor s to try to get them there on the same day. The last e mail we received from the homeowner on March 27, 2014 is that she will choose an alternate approach to get these items done. We would like to complete all repairs in her home but we are still waiting on her.

Thank you for forwarding this letter  to me given the fact I did not receive the previous letter you sent on April 25, 2014.
In reference to the water heater that valve was installed per the Township.  When this was brought to our attention we had it taken care of.
The hall bathroom, as we stated previously the homeowner was told we could cut a small hole in the bedroom behind the pipes to check for a leak there, which was determined there was not a leak in that area. This hole was cut with her knowledge by our superintendent.  The bedroom wall was not removed.   There is no reason why the hall bathroom would not be operational.
In reference to the granite there is no fraud related to the granite. We had it inspected by the granite company and it was determined there was not a crack in the granite.
The garage door repair was never rescheduled because we are still waiting on the homeowner to give us some dates so we can coordinate all parties involved so the homeowner would not have to take off multiple days.
We would like to get these items addressed as soon as possible.  As stated in our e-mail to her on March 27, 2014 we would like to know what dates she is available so we can get these issues taken care of.
Respectfully,
[redacted]

In response to the complaint from Mr. [redacted] regarding his driveway. The driveways are not covered under the warranty. The homeowners have a one year warranty with the builder and they have a 10  year warranty with their 2-10 Home Buyer Warranty Company.   Mr. [redacted]’s...

warranty would have expired on November 15, 2011.  If his neighbors  driveways were replaced, that would have been between the concrete company and the homeowner.   If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.   Thank you [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]

Per our conversation on Friday, March 24 I advised you we have not been receiving your e- mails and any further correspondence will be through the mail. In reference to the e- mail below  I can only express again that our VP of Construction has looked at the electrical box on the home and does not see any problem with it.  The driveway was also looked at and they said it is fine.  The roof leak has been addressed in June of 2014 and the contractor did go back when they homeowner notified us it was leaking again. The contractor was back out in January of 2015 to do more repairs on the roof. As stated previously our contractors will check if the homeowner is home but they do not schedule appointments for exterior work due to the weather. If they can make the repairs form outside and see what needs to be done there would be no reason for them to go inside the home but if they felt they needed to investigate further than an appointment would be made. Mrs. stated that we hooked up to her spicket and used her water which was done and I personally spoke to her and apologized for our error.  This should have never been done and we are very sorry this happened, they thought they were helping to water the lawn. [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Belnheim promised to replace the electrical outlet properly, creating a box flush within the brick in January of 2014, following the electical company Blenheim contracts through replacing the outlet 3 times and informing Blenheim of the problem creating a seal secondary to the positioning of the electrical box in the brick and mortar. Not only did they not show to do the work, but when questioned about the box, lied saying it had been resolved by the masons. Had that been the case the box would not have been on without an electrician to do the work, nor would it look exactly the same as the patch job, with excessive electrical putty, trying to create the best seal. The patch job I had personally witnessed the electrical do on the last attempt before contacting Blenheim of the underlying problem. I was promised it to be fixed properly without a bandaid and was deceived. I expect this resolved. And expect it to be so correctly.As for the driveway, please reference the picture attached. My driveway is the one in the right. If you notice, there are no cracks or damage. However the apron is misshaped. In fact if you note it angles inward making it such that you can not back straight out without driving on the grass. Due to the turn in the road, it is next to impossible to enter the driveway without driving in the grass, especially seeing the road on the side where the apron does flare out to accommodate turning into and out of, had not been completed until late fall 2014, one year after I moved in. The cement was not laid correctly, and as such should be remedied.As for contractors working on the exterior of the home to make repairs, while I understand it does not require the home owner to be home, they should be notified. Not to do so is not only unprofessional, but trespassing on the contractors part. Additionally in order to assess a water leak in the roof, one would need to have access to the home to see the damage, enter the attic and trace the water. Mold/mildew was not looked for. Fortunately because I was home when the roofers arrived, I mentioned the concern for the fact that they told me they could not find the source of the leak, they would return after a rain and attempt to trace the water, never to return or reschedule. Blenheim simply told me that the leak was found and resolved, not knowing I was home and had spoken with the contractors directly. Lastly, just because Blenheim gives permission to put top coat on the driveway without the home owners aware, they have no right to permit them to hook up to my external water spout, disassemble my hoses and sprinklers and use my water without permission. As a result the young sapling grass I was growing went unwatered for an entire week during the hottest week of summer, and died. I was away on vacation, was not home to give permission to use the water and unaware that the sprinklers needed to be reattached. I attempted to save the grass by watering, but was not successful. They damaged my property, something they have not once acknowledged nor appologized for.Lastly as of late I have been referred by customer service to contact the VP on construction about these residual repairs. I have left him many messages since October, never to receive a phone call in return to DISCUSS these issues. As if avoiding the customer would make the problem go away. Blenheim refuses to make repairs that would not be inexpensive or free to them, even if they constructed the property incorrectly in the first place (note electrical box in brick and incorrect driveway construction)
Regarding