Haubert Homes, Inc.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: please refer to the attached document that explains why we are rejecting the response. September
3, 2014
Dear [redacted]:We appreciate the opportunity to respond. We agree with Mr. Haubert in wanting to bring this matter to
a close; however, we want to make sure the settlement is fair and just. With that said, I took the opportunity to call [redacted]’s
Flooring, the company whose receipts Mr. Haubert attached to the complaint, and
inquired about removing the vinyl and engineered floor in our home. I provided
[redacted] the square footage and she replied that they charge roughly the same
amount for removal as they do for installation. Without seeing the area, she
‘guess-timated’ (based on the square footage) it would cost about $3000 to have
the floors removed. It’s important to note that the removal and installation
estimate of $6000 provided by [redacted]’s DOES NOT include the flooring
materials. 
[redacted]’s Flooring also mentioned that discounts are provided
to contractors/builders which are not provided to the general public and which
would account for the lower flooring cost that is evidenced by Mr. Haubert’s
receipts.
For us to settle for $5351.06 would not come close to the
actual cost we would incur to replace the flooring. Mr. Haubert’s offer is too low based on the estimates we’ve
received and we kindly reject his offer.Sincerely,

------- Forwarded message ----------From: Brad H[redacted] <brad.h[redacted]@hauberthomes.com>Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 7:51 AMSubject: Complaint [redacted]To: [redacted] <[redacted]>Cc: Don H[redacted] <d[redacted]@hauberthomes.com>
Good morning, [redacted].
 
We are in receipt of the customer response to our proposal submitted.  We regret that our offer was not acceptable to the customers, and we still want to assist in bringing this matter to a close.
 
The estimate they received to remove the flooring seemed excessively high – especially since the vinyl is loose-lay installed.  In addition, the material they are choosing to use for replacement may be an upgrade flooring over what was installed.
 
To help move things along, we would remove the existing flooring for them (they must move all furnishings from the area prior to our arrival) – and – give them the reimbursement previously offered (less the $500 allocated for removal in that offer).
 
Thank you.
 
Bradley *. H[redacted]
Ph:   (717) 761-7951
Fax:  (717) 761-4125

August
26, 2014
Dear [redacted]:I am in receipt of your letter dated August 12, 2014
concerning the complaint...

filed.  I am
aware of the issue with the flooring and had some conversations with the
homeowner regarding this flooring and the planned resolution to the problem.The homeowner mentioned in their complaint that their real
estate agent noted that the hardwood floors were “real hard wood and would last
a lifetime.”  Please note that their
agent was not representing Haubert Homes and their representation of flooring
that would last a lifetime was not appropriate. 
The flooring that was installed was an engineered floor.
With that being said, I understand that there were marks in
the hardwood (and Kitchen vinyl) that were noted at the home.  Because this home was used as a spec/model
home for some time before the settlement with these owners, there’s a chance
that the damage occurred at that time.  As such, I agreed that Haubert Homes would reimburse the
owners for the amount we paid to install the floors.  Admittedly, that time line to get the payment
reimbursement to the owners has gone longer than intended.  That wasn’t intentional.  It just slipped my mind.
Enclosed with this letter are copies of the actual invoices
for the hardwood installation and the vinyl installation.  The vinyl in the Kitchen, Nook, Mud Room and
Powder Room amounted to $893.88.  The
hardwood installation bill was $3,957.18. 
I believe $500 is fair for removal of existing flooring.  Therefore, I will have Haubert Homes pay to
the owner $ 5,351.06 to use towards the flooring installation of their choice
to bring this matter to a close.Kindly let me know if this is acceptable and/or if there are
any questions.  Thank you
Regards,Don H Sr.
President

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: 
Haubert knew about the flooring issue the day after closing. They could have corrected the issue then or within the first year of our residing here when we had little to no furniture.  All rooms are now full.
In addition, I fully explained to the [redacted]'s Flooring rep the type of flooring we had, so I doubt the removal/installation cost was excessive. Regarding the offers we solicited, they WERE apples to apples - it was not an 'upgrade flooring over what was installed.' And now 2 years later, it would be a great inconvenience to us to have to undergo a flooring renovation and we're not in a position to have to pay out any cash that their offer does not cover.
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: We purchased our new home on September 21, 2012.

At closing, our real estate agent instructed us that if issues came up within the first year of ownership, Haubert would address the issues at the end of that year – noting that lack of heat would be the only ‘emergency’ fix they would do within the first year.

On the initial walk-through and on each subsequent visit to the home prior to closing, our agent mentioned the hardwood floors – that they were real hard wood and that they would last a lifetime. Given the hardwood claim, we didn’t feel the need for a closer inspection, nor did we think we needed to view them in ‘just the right light’.

The day after closing as I waited for the delivery of our refrigerator (before anything was moved in), I happened to walk through the living/foyer area and in the afternoon light noticed ‘poc’ marks all over the ‘hardwood’ floor. The marks began at the front entrance, continued through the foyer, into the living room, across the kitchen/dining vinyl flooring and ended at the backdoor of the sunroom. You could tell it wasn’t part of the wood or vinyl pattern since it was confined to a walking path through the house and not over the entire living space. And they weren’t just minor blemishes - besides the indentations, there were actual divots in the flooring.

I was alarmed at seeing the marred floors in a brand new home and immediately texted and called our agent - this was September 22nd. She passed the message along to [redacted] who represented Haubert in the sale and to Brad H[redacted] who had completed the pre-closing walk through with us.

After numerous phone calls/emails, Brad sent their representative, Turk, to inspect. Turk inspected the floors (‘hardwood’ and vinyl), and agreed that the floors were ruined, most likely by someone who had previously toured the home wearing high heels. Turk then called Brad and they agreed to send a flooring representative.

On November 14th, 2012 Brad sent [redacted] with [redacted] Floors to see what could be done to remedy the situation. He viewed the foyer/living/kit/dining/sunroom and let us know that nothing, short of replacing everything, could be done. We found out that not only was the ‘hardwood’ not hard, it was a thin laminate veneer, that couldn’t be sanded or fixed. The representative reported his findings to Brad that day, making the call from our home.

Keep in mind that this home was a brand new construction and had no previous owners. When we purchased our new home, we had every reasonable expectation to believe that it would come with new floors with no visible wear and tear/damage. It’s also important to note that we are a ‘shoes off household’. We’ve never worn more than socks or slippers on these floors nor has anyone else. I can understand wear and tear after living in the house, but in this case, that argument bears no weight. This is about buying a new home that should have come with undamaged floors.

Obviously at time of purchase we did not take into account the cost of replacing any flooring. Our concern is the impact this will have on resale value.

With no word from Haubert on how to proceed, we solicited two bids for like replacement of the foyer/living/sunroom veneer and the kit/dining vinyl.

[redacted] Construction/[redacted] came in at $10,221.21 for removal and replacement and [redacted] Flooring at $11,662.

We emailed that information to Brad H[redacted] on April 21, 2014. He forwarded the quotes along to his father, Don H[redacted], on May 13th, 2014. We emailed Don on May 19th, 2014 to check on the status of the flooring. Don responded in an email 6/11/14, that “The kitchen vinyl floor marks in the floor from high heels or chairs are a normal thing to happen and are not warranted by the manufacturer and Are not covered by us. I will discuss with you the amount we will pay when I meet with you. It will be no more than our initial cost and will not be for all the floors.”

Don was going to stop by on the following Saturday to discuss the issue but he got company and couldn’t make it. He suggested the next Tuesday evening, but we had plans and couldn’t accommodate. Our last contact was June 16th, 2014. To-date we’ve had no resolution – almost 2 years after the initial notification.Desired Settlement: We are requesting remuneration in the amount of the smallest bid to replace the flooring - $10,000.

Business

Response:

August

26, 2014