Cornerstone Custom Builders, Inc.

I was in contact with Mr. [redacted] on September 22nd concerning this issue with his roof. I received this complaint on September 23rd last week in the mail. I explained to Mr. [redacted] that CornerStone does not warranty against pest, rodents, or any other animals entering our customer’s homes....

Regardless there is no proof that the bats entered the home through the ridge vent and then gained access to the interior of the home.  They could have entered through an open door or window at any time. A normal warranty period is from one year of occupancy for workmanship with the original owner. All other manufacturer product warranties are honored for material only. There had been no issues with the ridge vent for 10 years from construction until it was “compromised” as stated by Mr. [redacted] in his complaint. Originally it was installed and working for 10 years prior and standard homeowner maintenance would apply in this case. CornerStone does everything we can to stand behind our customers and homes that we build. However, that said we can’t provide perpetual maintenance and home owners must take ownership of ordinary repairs and maintenance.  Respectfully,  [redacted]Vice President of OperationsCornerStone Custom Builders, Inc.PO Box 997Eagle River, WI  54521(715) 479-0001(715) 479-5387

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.
First of all I would like to respond to the faulty conclusions authored by Cornerstone Builders, namely that there is no proof that the bats entered our home through the roof-ridge vent.  The roof-ridge vent was examined by a pest control company and established that the roof-ridge vent was the point of entry for the bats.  This was also substantiated by the accumulation of bat droppings in the attic area.  Furthermore, the vent was inspected by an independent roofing contractor who determined the vent was defective and compromised and that no mesh-type barrier had been installed at the time of construction.  During my discussion with Mr. [redacted] on 9/22, he admitted that Cornerstone did not install mesh barriers in previous years and since, Cornerstone has altered their construction procedure to include mesh barriers under the vents.    The chances of the bats coming in through the door are highly improbable.  The chances of the bats coming in through the windows are extremely unlikely, as the windows are kept closed. Bats usually enter through attic areas and work their way into the residence, not vice versa.Cornerstone states that normal warranty period is only one year for workmanship and no issues have been found for ten years from construction.  To set the record straight, the residence was constructed in 2006, thereby making the age nine years instead of ten.  Furthermore, in 2011 (five years after construction) the roof was inspected by a state inspector who found numerous violations and substandard craftsmanship.  In 2011 rather than replace the entire roof structure, Cornerstone agreed to address future roofing violations and poor craftsmanship and authored correspondence to the owners, which indicated in addition to the immediate repairs, additional problems discovered in the future would be taken care of upon notification of the discovery. I believe this is a case of poor craftsmanship not apparent at the original date of construction, but something that begins to surface five years later.  And when discovered, the contractor promises to address immediate and future deficiencies.  I do not feel that such a commitment is being honored.        Regards,
[redacted]

Review: This complaint is being filed reluctantly due to the non-responsive nature (voice and phone messages) of Cornerstone Builders. This complaint is also germane to a previous complaint on file of the same nature.

Background: In October of 2011, the townhouse complex roofs constructed by Cornerstone were inspected by a State of Wisconsin inspector (inspection number 2007150). As a result, a Notice of Violations and Orders was issued to Cornerstone, who then held a mediation meeting with the inspector.

Result of Mediation Meeting: Cornerstone agreed to correct all present and future roof defects, upon discovery. Residents were instructed to contact Cornerstone upon the discovery of any future defects.

Recently, unusual noises began in the ceiling and walls of our unit. On August 27, 2015 a large brown bat was captured and removed from the lower basement area of our residence. On Friday, September 4, 2015 we were awoken by a large bat flying around in our bedroom. The bat was captured and removed. The foreign noises continued in the ceiling and walls. On September 8, 2015 our unit was inspected by a pest control company. Upon arrival, the worker commented he suspected Cornerstone's roof construction on the unit to be the cause of the bat problem. He has serviced numerous such complaints associated with Cornerstone' s construction practices. Inspection revealed the ridge-roof vent system was compromised and failing and suspected as an entry point for the bat infestation. Accumulation of bat droppings was found in the attic areas, where bats have been roosting.Desired Settlement: Replacement of defective roof-ridge vent and cup shingles. Complete sealing of other possible entry points. Clean, sanitize, and deodorize attic areas. Reimbursement of cost of temporary, emergency barrier netting installed over roof-ridge vent ($325).

Business

Response:

I was in contact with Mr. [redacted] on September 22nd concerning this issue with his roof. I received this complaint on September 23rd last week in the mail. I explained to Mr. [redacted] that CornerStone does not warranty against pest, rodents, or any other animals entering our customer’s homes. Regardless there is no proof that the bats entered the home through the ridge vent and then gained access to the interior of the home. They could have entered through an open door or window at any time. A normal warranty period is from one year of occupancy for workmanship with the original owner. All other manufacturer product warranties are honored for material only. There had been no issues with the ridge vent for 10 years from construction until it was “compromised” as stated by Mr. [redacted] in his complaint. Originally it was installed and working for 10 years prior and standard homeowner maintenance would apply in this case. CornerStone does everything we can to stand behind our customers and homes that we build. However, that said we can’t provide perpetual maintenance and home owners must take ownership of ordinary repairs and maintenance. Respectfully, [redacted]Vice President of OperationsCornerStone Custom Builders, Inc.PO Box 997Eagle River, WI 54521(715) 479-0001(715) 479-5387

Consumer

Response:

Review: Cornerstone Builders constructed a nine-unit townhouse complex located at 1460 Golf View Road in Eagle River. WI. Since the construction date numerous roof leaks occurred due to poor workmanship and/or lack of code requirements of the State of Wisconsin. On October 3, 2011 an inspection was performed by the State of Wisconsin Inspector [redacted]. A Notice of Violation and Orders was issued and presented to Mr. [redacted] VP of Cornerstone Custom Builders. As the result of a mediation meeting with Inspector [redacted] on behalf of Cornerstone Custom Builders, agreed to remedy all present and future roof-integrity problems, including leakage. On October 28, 2011 Mr. [redacted] authored correspondence to owners of the Lake Forest Landing Condominium Association indicating that he would comply with the state inspector's finding and correct any and all future leakage. He specifically stated, "Lake Forest Landing owners are to notify Cornerstone immediately with the discovery of any type of future leaking." Since that date Cornerstone has been addressing the future leakage problems, as they occur. In October, 2013 we notified Cornerstone Custom Builders that our roof was leaking in the area of our front door. Due to scheduling problems they could not address the issue until later in October, 2013. We left for the winter on October 15, 2013, prior to the work being started. In November, 2013 I contacted Tim Bacon from Cornerstone, inquiring about the repair, and he informed me that the repair had been done. We returned on May 4, 2014 and discovered water on our garage floor, which had been leaking through the garage ceiling, damaging the drywall, etc. The point of leakage was from the area they had just repaired in October. I immediately notified [redacted] of the damage, and he referred me to the VP, [redacted]. I have made several phone calls to Mr. [redacted], and he has never returned my phone calls. I also personally went into the office and was informed he was not in, and I again left a message for him to contact me. To this date I have not heard from Mr. [redacted] or any representative from Cornerstone. Copies of all documentation are available upon request.Desired Settlement: Three boards that were replaced on the upper dormer are stained to a color that does not match the existing siding boards. Inspection of the garage ceiling area, namely the insulation material must be saturated with water and needs to be replaced. The garage ceiling paint is peeling off, and the integrity of the drywall has been compromised-All should be repaired and brought back to pre-existing condition.

Business

Response:

I have been in contact with Mr. [redacted] on June 1st and had a company representative on site June 2nd. We are working to take the necessary steps to rectify any problems in his unit. I was under the impression this was looked at and completed by one of our employees. I had not followed up with a courteously call to the point in which Mr. [redacted] contacted your office. This was my fault and I explained this to Mr. [redacted] on June 1st during our conversation. We take all of our customers issues and concerns very seriously and this was just a case of communication internally amongst our company. We are presently completing working to complete any outstanding issues we have with Mr. [redacted] unit.

Regards,

Vice President of Operations

CornerStone Custom Builders, Inc.