Schell Brothers

Schell currently controls the HOA Board at Walden. Questions concerning the 2024 HOA Budget and Assessments are not answered. No Transparency. If you are thinking about buying into a Schell community, think again. Buyer Beware!

Our townhouse is 10 months old in Governors. Moved in last June. This is our weekend home until husband retires. Hopefully it won't fall apart before that happens. By fall we had minor issues that were adressed. Then...noticed floor in kitchen has ruts in it. Was told it was due to painters pulling out refrigerator. They would replace damaged area, but they would not guarantee floor wouldn't warp over the years. Really? Now I have a new floor that is damaged. Then the counter yellowed in the master bath. They weren't sure why that happened except that I bought the cheap counter they offered. Sorry I wanted white. I guess that means you aren't supposed to use it. The warranty people kept closing tickets for repairs that my husband had to keep submitting. Now most of the woodwork is separating in the corners. They say that we have to fix it and it is due to settling. The house is not a year old yet. That is really unacceptable. NOW the grout is cracking in the shower of the master bath that we only use in weekends. They don't want to fix that either. I am not mentioning the fact that the finish work is sub par...the woodwork was never sanded and is extremely rough. The design is beautiful but the workmanship is unacceptable. Instead of focusing on happy hours how about you focus on quality ?

Good morning, Schell Brothers is currently working with Mrs [redacted] through email exchanges to schedule a timeframe to meet, review, and discuss our next steps Once this meeting takes place and a positive outcome has been determined, I will follow up with an official email outlining our next steps Thank you, [redacted] ***

This is in response to the concern that was submitted on 11/17/2014, ID of [redacted] After speaking with [redacted] , I am pleased to report that Schell Brothers and the homeowner have come to an agreement, to work together to resolve these concerns I believe no further assistance will be needed from the Revdex.com Any further questions, please feel free to contact me directly Regards,

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 as of today's date The business has agreed to correct the outstanding issues and we are currently awaiting estimates on a few itemsOnce the work outlined and agreed to in email is complete I will consider this matter effectively resolved Regards, [redacted]

Schell Brothers has been in contact with this homeowner and has already addressed their concerns The homeowner seems to be pleased with the outcome of the work that was performed Thank you, Schell Brothers Tell us why here

We are currently working with Mr [redacted] and have a plan in place to help rectify his yard concerns We will be in touch when everything has been completed and satisfactory with the homeownerThank you, [redacted]

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Regards, Good Afternoon, I would like to close our current complaint (ID [redacted] ) against Schell Brothers I has been resolved and we are satisfied with the outcome I am confused as to why there is a communication of not accepting the response made by the business to resolve the complaint on 11/7/ I did not even log into my account yesterday, so I am not sure how that happened It is incorrect and should be removed Thank you,

Ramsey came to look at a door for us that was not properly installed when the house was buillt when we settled in June. He couldn't have been nicer explaining the existing changes in the warranty process using a new program called Heartbeat. He diagnose the problem and fix it correctly. I am hoping he comes back when we do our one year review in about a month. Besides fixing the door he explained how to prepare for the one year review. I am very impress with his repair skills and his ability to communicate valuable information.

Since Josh took over as the Warranty Supervisor,we finally have seen our concerns addressed. Josh has a subtle approach in getting the job done. No more sending multiple workers to complete the work, Josh comes in, accesses the problem and quickly gets it done. We're extremely pleased with his work ethics and hope that he's here to stay!
Way to go Josh!
Marc & Vivian Goodman

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.I haveattached pictures - I have many more - that show the damage to our home. The grading has not been corrected and we are concerned about permanent water damage The one picture shows the wall ( that had partiallydisintegrated) they "repaired" in the pantry and the other picture shows where the ceiling meets the wall (this wall is on the other side of the pantry)in the hall You can see the stains left by the water/mold damageand the damage to the wall - it had started to disintegrateI will be happy to send you more pictures They did give us a new door into the utility room - but not the correct door that we paid for years agoWe paid to have thesame door that was installed in the entrance from the garage into the home also installed from the utility room into the home This has been explained several times over the years and, yet, we still do not have the correct door. The warranty Mr*** offered is basically the same warranty that originally came with the house - this is not an extended warranty on the roof they compromised I cannot even express my frustration and disappointmentin Schell Brothers service, negligence and attitude
Regards,

Good morning, *** *** We just received this yesterday and I am little confused, and I am hoping that you could help. Was this complaint generated prior to our conversation with you and Mr***? The reason that I ask, is that all of these items have been completed and I sent over a full term warranty for the roof to the homeowner, before the years end. Just need some clarification. I will also reach out the Homeowner and confirm that they are satisfied with the work, and if not… we will meet and discuss the issues and have them addressed. I am going to send you the email with the warranty extension that I sent them before the Holiday Season Thank you,

I would like to share that the Warranty and Maintenance Supervisor Josh is a valued asset to Schell and the homeowners. He has taking care of all the things I have requested very professionally and accurately. He is courteous and will get the job done. I can not thank him enough for all his services and scheduled appointments. Thank you Josh. Solitude on White Creek. Lot 23 Tammy Mintz

Not sure if this is just related to Schell Brothers Customer service in general, but I visited 2 different Schell Brothers Community, Showfield and Bayside and found the sales people in general the least helpful. I don't understand this at all because I came to both communities wanting to find out some detailed information about purchasing a lovely home which costs over 600k, excluding the lot. As such, I would have thought the sale people who are the first face a customer sees would be more helpful. At the Showfield Community, I had the chance to see the beautiful Carnegie model. I fell in love with the home. While I was there, there was a couple sitting at the island talking to who I thought was a sale rep. After the couple finished up with the "rep" I introduced myself to her, but she shrugged me off, then informed me I was not suppose to be inside the model. Instead of referring me to a "sales rep" she asked me to leave. Appartently, you needed to setup an appointment to see the model, but because there was no information, no business cards, I did not know. The lady was extremely rude.
Afterwards, I decided to drive to another Schell Brothers Community, Bayside at a later time. When I arrived, I walked into the model home (Sanibel). I started talking with one of the salesmen, and mentioned I was interested in the Carnegie model and then informed me he couldn't help me because the lot side there didn't allow the same model from Showfield to be built. Then, he walked away leaving me all alone. So, on my own I walked through the model, I figured I had driven almost 3.5 hours from VA I might as well may the best of the situation. Then I walked out. No else tried to talk with me, or help me. Wow! Your houses may be nice, but not your customer service. After reading the review above, I can see why they receive a low rating.

I once again find it necessary to submit a negative review for our Schell Brothers home.
Now after nearly 8 years we have had to replace every appliance. The complete heating and air conditioning system. The roof, two of three toilets the third rarely used., Kitchen floor tile, several warped front porch boards. Water damage in many places ducting system too small for this sized home; the entire garage door mechanism and opener. Settling so bad that outside railing is separated and cracked. Water leaks into the kitchen and garage. Couple this with possibly the worst landscaping anywhere sod and house laid and built over a water shed area never disclosed has made living in our dream home an expensive nightmare. Our sidewalks are now cracking directly in front of our front entrance and when asked if it was warranted I was ignored until I submitted a one star rating in another site that Schell apparently monitors.they still did not take any action. There are a few decent people with Schell but their hands are tied by the greed and Neolithic incompetence of those they work for.
Maybe it’s time to take legal action. As hard as one person over there has tried to right a wrong there is just too much wrong . Really tough on a couple old retired people hoping to enjoy our home rather than having to rebuild it.

Good morning, [redacted]   Schell Brothers will evaluate and address any grading concerns that are still present at the [redacted]’s residence.  We only addressed the back yard, but if there are current issues on the side yards or front, we will evaluate and correct.  Schell Brothers will further investigate the walls in question and the damaged drywall.  Schell Brothers will remove any affected drywall and replace with new.  Schell Brothers will also check the insulation, to determine if any insulation needs to be removed and replaced.  Schell Brothers will again have Serve Pro of Sussex County evaluate the areas in question for any signs of moisture.  The last two reports, indicated that no signs of mold or moisture were present, but we will have it doubled checked.  Schell Brothers installed a Steel fire rated door in between the laundry room and hallway, per the original selection sheet, it indicates to install a “2nd Fire Door”.  Schell Brothers installed a Steel fire rated door, but due to confusion on our end we will reimburse the [redacted]’s the amount they paid for the original door, in the amount of $585.00.  Schell Brothers offers a Ten Year Limited Warranty Against Major Structural Defects- defined below highlighted in yellow. The installation of the roof shingles are only covered by the builder for one year, and the shingles themselves have a separate warranty carried by [redacted], the manufacturer.  Schell Brothers offered to extend the one year installation warranty on the roof for 10 years.  This is not the same as the structural defect warranty, no other homeowner has this extension, unless Schell Brothers makes the exception for a specific case.   We extended this warranty on the installation of the roof, just for the security, that If the [redacted]’s experience a leak within the 10 ten years from the settlement date, that Schell Brothers will come back and address it.    Schell Brothers has every intent to address these concerns raised by the [redacted]’s.  We have called Mr. [redacted] several times to schedule an appointment, but have not received a call back.  Schell Brothers is going to assign the original Construction Manager, [redacted] to contact the [redacted]’s to schedule this appointment.  .      Thank you, [redacted]   6.  Ten Year Limited Warranty Against Major Structural Defects The Builder warrants the construction of the home will conform to the tolerances set forth in the following Performance Standards for Structural Elements for a period of ten years after the closing date, subject to the limitations set forth below. Structural Elements are footings, bearing walls, beams, girders, trusses, rafters, bearing columns, lintels, posts, structural fasteners, subfloors, and roof sheathing. Floating slabs and partition walls that do not carry any load other than their own weight are not Structural Elements. A Structural Element will not be deemed defective, and no action will be required of the Builder, unless there is actual physical damage that diminishes the ability of the Structural Element to perform its load-bearing function such that the home is unsafe.

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.
 
Problem:
I originally filed a complaint 11/17/2014 ([redacted]) , Schell Brothers was given 6 weeks to respond and they responded that all was resolved. I was not given 6 weeks to respond to them and they have NOT resolved the matter. Our home developed mold in it due to a leak in our roof - due to their negligence. They have not repaired the walls that disintegrated due to the mold and water that got into our home. We were unable to have any family members visit during the holidays and are still unable to have anyone use the home because of allergies - specifically to mold. The ceiling outside of the master bedroom (which borders on the pantry where the mold was originally discovered) was painted over and is now bubbling due to moisture. They still have never given us the correct door we paid extra for from the utility room into the hallway. The side yard drainage still is not correct - the yard slants toward our home and needs to be corrected. The few repairs they have made are obviously 3rd rate repairs. They are sloppy, rough, material slapped up on the wall, paint dripped ( if it's even painted). They have made it clear that they do not want to do these repairs, are just going through the motions in an attempt to appease us and the repairs are just about as bad as the original problems. This Customer Service team should be called the Non-Customer Service team. We do not live in the area and have been unable to get to the home until just this weekend and for Mr. [redacted] to state the problem is resolved is simply not true. I have never been more disappointed and angry with customer service than I am with Schell Brothers and Mr. [redacted].
Translate
Desired Outcome:
The roof needs to be fixed and warranted, the walls need to be replaced and then finished - correctly and professionally, the insulation needs to be replaced, the door needs to be delivered (it's been over 3 years) and the yard needs to be graded correctly - there needs to be a drainage system between our home and the home next door so that the water drains AWAY from our home.

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 as of today's date. 
The business has agreed to correct the outstanding issues and we are currently awaiting estimates on a few items. Once the work outlined and agreed to in email is complete I will consider this matter effectively resolved. 
Regards,
[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. 
While I appreciate the quick response from [redacted]. If we are to work to achieve a full and acceptable resolution it must include all remaining repairs. Kitchen Ceiling replacement and painted, drainage installed in back yard and removal of old dryer vent in ceiling and repair of roof.
I put my good faith in Schell when the home was originally built and for two years as we had countless contractors working to correct the issues remaining from construction, and more promises than I can count. We are here because of Schell’s inability or unwillingness to address issues in a timely and reasonable manner.
At this point I have to protect my investment which means hiring licensed, competent contractors to address the remaining issues at Schell’s expense. I am willing to review Schell’s proposal on reasonable compensation of time and loss of use. I recommend a formal written response from Schell as I will no longer accept verbal promises. 
Regards,
[redacted]

We are currently working with Mr. [redacted] and have a plan in place to help rectify his yard concerns.  We will be in touch when everything has been completed and satisfactory with the homeowner. Thank...

you, [redacted]