Royce Homes, Harris County, TX - poor home building experience

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on June 11, 2002:

From: Trevino,Eric S. [Email User]

RE: Royce Homes, Harris County, TX - poor home building experience I WAS SUPPOSED TO BUY MY FIRST HOME FROM ROYCE HOMES IN NEWPORT SUBDIVISION , MY WIFE AND I SIGNED A CONTRACT BACK IN JUNE 2001. FROM THAT DAY FORWARD EVERYTHING WENT SOUTH. I SPENT THREE HOURS WITH BUILDER PICKING OUT WHAT TREES I WANTED TO KEEP.

THIS IS WHEN THE BUILDER PROMISED ME MY NEW HOME BY THE END OF OCTOBER. TWO WEEKS LATER I GO TO LOOK AT THE LOT AND EVERY SINGLE TREE IS LEVELED. THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPEN, SO WE PICKED ANOTHER LOT.

THEY THEN HAD THE NERVE TO CHARGE US EXTRA FOR THE NEW LOT. A MONTH LATER WE GET THE CALL TO WALK THE LOT. WE GO TO WALK THE LOT AND THERE IS A UTILITY POLE PRACTICALLY FALLING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOT. THERE WERE PIPELINE MARKERS EVERYWHERE. THE FOREMAN FINALLY ADMITTED THAT THE LOT WAS NOT FIT FOR BUILDING A HOUSE. SO WE PICKED A THIRD LOT.

AFTER ALL THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD WE TALK TO THE AREA MANAGER AND CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN, THEY PROMISE NO MORE TROUBLE. WHAT A LIE. IT TOOK TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO EVEN START ON THE HOUSE. I DECIDED TO CHANGE THE BRICK COLOR SO I CALL THE SALES COUNSELOR TO DO SO.

HE AGREES TO CHANGE THE COLOR. MONTHS LATER WHEN THEY FINALLY START BUILDING THE HOUSE, I GO AND FIND OUT THAT HE FORGOT TO PUT THE CHANGE IN. WHEN I ASK HIM ABOUT IT HE THROWS IT IN MY FACE THAT I SHOULD HAVE GOT IT IN WRITING AND HE CAN'T DO A THING ABOUT IT (THIS GUY'S ON MY SIDE?) AFTER MANY DELAYS THEY TELL US THE HOUSE IS DONE,( THIS IS NOW APRIL 2002) WE GO DO THE FINAL WALK DOWN AND THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS WRONG WITH HOUSE, THEY PROMISE TO FIX THEM.

WELL WE GO TO CLOSE AND HARDLY ANY OF THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN FIXED IN FACT WE DISCOVER MORE. IT HAD RAINED AND NOW OUT BACK YARD WAS FLOODED, THE ROOF LEAKED, AND THE WATER MAIN WAS BUSTED. I HAD ALREADY GIVEN MY 30 DAY NOTICE BACK WHEN THEY FIRST TOLD ME THE HOUSE WAS DONE. SO MY FAMILY AND I WERE FIXING TO BE ON THE STREET.

THE DAY WE WERE TO CLOSE THEY TELL US WE CANNOT BECAUSE THEY BUILT THE HOUSE ON A UTILITY EASEMENT AND THEY NEED A VARIANCE. I ASK HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO TAKE AND THEY SAID DON'T WORRY ONLY A DAY OR TWO. A WEEK LATER THEY STILL HAVE NOT GOT IT. I WRITE THE AREA MANAGER A LETTER TELLING HIM HOW THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY TIME IN ONE'S LIFE BUYING THEIR FIRST HOME AND THIS WAS ANYTHING BUT. A DAY LATER I GET A PHONE CALL SIMPLY STATING THEY DECIDED TO CANCEL MY CONTRACT. NO WARNING NO APOLOGY NO NOTHING, JUST THE TYPICAL BIG COMPANY ATTITUDE THAT THEY CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT, AFTER ALL WHAT COULD I DO TO THEM?

SO I HAD TO SCRAMBLE AND FIND ANOTHER PLACE FOR MY WIFE AND OUR 4 YEAR SON TO LIVE. WHAT A SHAMELESS COMPANY. WE LOST OUT ON THE GOOD INTEREST RATE, WE LOST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN RENT, WE LOST HUNDREDS OF MILES TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH, I LOST ~60 HOURS WORTH OF WORK IF NOT MORE WHICH IS ANOTHER COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

I WOUND UP LOSING OVER $40,000 DOLLARS THANKS TO THE SHENANIGANS OF THIS COMPANY. I JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW A COMPANY IN THIS COUNTY IS CONDUCTING BUSINESS.

THEY HAVE HAD 32 COMPLAINTS TO THE BBB IN THE LAST THREE YEARS ALONE. SOMEONE WITH SOME INFLUENCE HAS TO PROVE TO ROYCE THAT THEY CANNOT JUST KEEP THIS BUSINESS UP. I HOPE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING. PLEASE MAKE THIS RIGHT. THANK YOU, THEIR

CONTACTS ARE:

ERIC TREVINO JOHN

SPEER; ALAN CONN, OR NANCY BOOTHE

281-838-0202 EXT 210 7850 NORTH

SAM HOUSTON PARKWAY WEST

832-445-0515

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77064

Email User 281-440-5091

FAX 281-440-2975

19402 PINE CLUSTER LANE

WWW.ROYCEBUILDERS.COM

HUMBLE, TEXAS 77346 P.S. TO TOP IT OFF I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED MY $1000.00 EARNEST MONEY OR $300.00 FOR FANS I BOUGHT BACK YET. MIND YOU THEY CANCELED MY CONTRACT IN APRIL.