COUPLES of new homeowners were left distraught after claiming their newly built dream home was riddled with defects and faults.
In March 2023, Tom and Katie Webster of Oxbow, North Dakota, which borders Minnesota, closed on their new home, worth about $1.1 million.
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While the couple intended to move into the mansion, they said Vale news live that his dream came true “turned into a nightmare.”
“From the day we signed, it’s been one thing after another… after another… after another,” Katie told the outlet.
‘DOZENS OF FAILURES‘
More than a year after the couple closed on the home, they claimed there are still dozens of projects left to make the home comfortable and livable, such as fixing dented siding, crooked walls or poorly installed windows.
The problems appear to affect nearly every square inch of the home, as the Websters said they saw flooring laid backwards, walls erected incorrectly and flooding caused by heavy rain.
The photos also show footprints of workers walking on poured concrete that was not completely dry, as well as large cracks in the home’s concrete slabs or interior finishes.
One image also showed pieces of tape placed over gaps in the construction.
Tom, a retired veteran who once owned a home inspection company, told Valley News Live it was “crazy” having to watch workers redo their work so many times.
“It’s crazy because I was paying them to watch and supervise their work, but I actually ended up having to watch a lot,” he said, adding that his knowledge of home inspections helped them keep things under control.
“If we didn’t have this knowledge, we would be in an even worse situation.”
In total, the couple claims that 87 flaws were found inside the house by an inspector.
The problems did not stop with construction.
The Websters told the outlet that in their purchase contract, the lot was listed as measuring about 41,000 square feet.
However, when they tried to install sprinklers, documents show the lot size was actually 32,000.
Additionally, the couple said they were promised a dual-zone heating and cooling system but have not yet installed it.
We can’t keep investing more money in this.
Katie Webster
FINANCIAL CONCERNS
With all the alleged problems, the couple are now worried about the impact of the seemingly never-ending repairs on their savings.
They received a VA mortgage loan for the home, but are now at risk of losing some of the funding support, Valley News Live reported.
“The quality of the work is what really saddens me because we invested all of our savings into this house, hoping this would be our forever home, and right now we just don’t believe that to be the case anymore,” Katie told the outlet.
“We can’t keep putting more money into this.”
I WANT ANSWERS
The home was built by Fargo-based homebuilder Spire Custom Homes.
Spire Custom Homes considers customer complaints and warranty work to be matters between it and its customer.
Spire Custom Homes
The couple claims to have had little communication with the company, despite complaints.
When contacted by Valley News Live, an employee of the construction company told the vehicle that there was no one available to comment on the matter.
However, general manager Brandon Block told the outlet, “That’s not my problem.”
The Websters contacted the North Dakota Attorney General and hired an attorney to begin possible legal action.
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So far, the couple has sent at least one letter of demand to the contractors who worked on the home, hoping they will fix the dozens of alleged flaws.
Spire Custom Homes has since released a statement insisting the company has been in contact with the Websters for more than a year.
But they said they “will not litigate customer complaints” in the media.
“Spire Custom Homes considers customer complaints and warranty work to be matters between it and its customer,” Valley News Live said.
“To be clear, Spire and the customer who recently appeared in the media have been in ongoing communications regarding their home for over a year and Spire will continue to communicate, perform warranty work and fulfill its obligations as outlined in the parties’ contract and in accordance with the guarantees to which your customer is entitled.”
Spire Custom Homes did not immediately respond to The US Sun’s request for comment.
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