Parkland Parrot

Archive for the 'Chinese Drywall' Category

Good News For Parkland Homeowners With Chinese Drywall

Chinese Drywall Settlement Could Cost Chinese Firm 1 Billion

Finally, the end looks near for the Chinese Drywall issue that has hit many states, particularly Parkland and South Florida.  Chinese Drywall manufacturer, Knauf and its Chinese affiliate Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, recently agreed to a settlement that would give cash to help replace the Chinese Drywall in affected homes.

The settlement will cost approximately $600 million to $1 billion.  According to NBC Miami,  the company will cover all of the necessary Chinese Drywall repairs on all 4,500 houses that were affected.  Among the homes affected, 55% of the homes are in the State of Florida. There are thousands of homeowners, mostly in the South, affected by the installation of tainted Chinese Drywall.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs said that Knauf knew that the Chinese Drywall that they installed in homes was defective and neglected to tell customers. Chinese Drywall gives off a foul odor.  It also corrodes wiring and metal in appliances and causes health problems.  Settlements have been reached with other Chinese Drywall manufactures and more should follow.

This is great news for many Parkland and Florida homeowners that have been dealing with the Chinese Drywall saga for many years.  This news will also help stabilize the overall Parkland and Florida real estate market as more and more homeowners will receive settlements in order to finally remove the Chinese Drywall in their homes.  As a result, homeowners, and their families, will soon be able to enjoy their homes that they had built.  We will continue to provide the Parkland community with updated information on the Chinese Drywall court proceedings.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

Tainted Chinese Drywall Builder WCI Gets Approval To Build Parkland Heron Bay Homes

WCI Communities Gets Parkland City Approval To Finish Building In Heron Bay

The Parkland City Commission voted last Thursday night by a 3-1 vote to permit Bonita Springs-based builder, WCI, to commence building 196 homes on the land that it owns in Parkland’s Heron Bay community

Our team was present during these council meetings and could definitely feel the frustration in the air.  In particular, a former Heron Bay homeowner, John Willis, led the charge in making a valiant claim to deny WCI the right to build.  Mr. Willis, and other concerned homeowners, presented evidence that WCI executives were aware about the tainted Chinese Drywall that was being put in their homes, but instead decided not to inform buyers in order to sell more houses.

But, WCI came prepared with their attorneys and argued that the City of Parkland did not have the legal right to deny them the bid to build the 196 homes because of Chinese Drywall issues.  The city commissioners heard other disgruntled residents state their claims.  But, in the end, the city approved WCI’s bid, because they did not want to be sued by WCI.  Parkland Mayor Michael Udine was quoted in the Sun Sentinel recently as saying, “I’m in agreement with how they (the Parkland residents) feel. Our hands were completely tied. We had to do this by law.”

Earlier this month, I wrote an article that received a lot of attention from our readers entitled, Should Builder WCI Be Allowed To Finish Parkland Heron Bay Community? Remember, WCI filed bankruptcy in 2008 and has never fixed any homes with Chinese Drywall.  Unlike WCI, builder Toll Brothers, who recently bought and took over the Parkland Golf & Country Club project from WCI, has already purchased dozens of homes in the community with Chinese Drywall and is totally re-mediating them to resell.  Many upset homeowners are angered how WCI has turned a blind eye towards their handling, or lack of handling, of homes with Chinese Drywall in Heron Bay, Parkland Golf & Country Club, and other Florida communities.

These homes must be built.  Having them stay vacant will only hurt Heron Bay and the overall Parkland real estate market in the long run.  But, it will be difficult to break the stigma that is associated with WCI as being a Chinese Drywall builder that cares more about money and their business than their residents.  How as real estate professionals am I supposed to sell the great features and benefits of Heron Bay to new perspective homeowners without being honest to my own personal concerns of how WCI has publically and privately handled the Chinese Drywall issues in Parkland?  I really hope that actions speak louder than words and that WCI builds 196 amazing homes in Heron Bay and goes above and beyond the call of duty for all residents to be 100% satisifed before, during, and after the building process!

We know the numbers, we analyze the market, our clients make better decisions. If you are interested in buying in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

To stay updated with all Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts via email by subscribing here. After registering, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

Should Builder WCI Be Allowed To Finish Parkland Heron Bay Community?

Calling All Parkland & Heron Bay Residents! City Commission Meeting Tonight, April 6th At 7:00 p.m.

Not a week goes by that our team does not receives a question from perspective buyers and sellers regarding WCI Communities and the tainted Chinese Drywall issues.  For the past few years, Chinese Drywall has certainly hurt the public’s perception of overall Parkland’s Heron Bay and Parkland Golf & Country Club communities.

Tonight, all Parkland residents should attend this City Commission meeting at City Hall at 7:00 p.m. where the Commission will consider WCI’s request for approval to commence building the two new Heron Bay communities:  Somerset and Sawgrass Bay.

Important question that all Parkland residents should consider: Should we support WCI building the two Heron Bay communities? Remember, the “old” WCI was the former company that went bankrupt.  As a result, their equity was canceled, and the claims against the builder, including homes with Chinese Drywall are being addressed pursuant to the reorganization of the company and through the bankruptcy procedures.

The “new” WCI has gone through a full company face-lift including brand new shareholders, Board of Directors, CEO, and project management team.  As a result, the “new” WCI is requesting city approval to build homes in the two new Heron Bay neighborhoods.  Also both of these communities still have some homes sitting dormant for the past several years.  The following list are the commitments made by WCI:

• Funding and installing the traffic signal at Pine Island/Trails End at the City’s request, well ahead of official traffic counts warranting it.
• Funding the construction of the Plat 4 berm (a portion of Heron Bay’s northern boundary along County Line Road), well ahead of approvals requiring its construction.
• The total restoration of the Heron Bay buffers and landscaped median areas along Nob Hill Road.
• The commitment to construct the third (northern most) entry into Heron Bay in advance of approvals requiring its construction.

We strongly believe that these two Heron Bay communities must get finished.  Years have gone by, and nothing has been done to address this issue.  Also, building these homes will provide significant economic benefits to the City of Parkland. A June 2009 study by the National Association of Home Builders found that more families will move in to the Parkland area, which will generate 53 on-going local jobs, over $21 million of one-year local income, and $3.1 million of on-going local income.

I encourage all Parkland residents to attend tonight’s event.  There will be protesters that will also have their voices heard, so I look forward to this discussion and hearing from both sides.

We know the numbers, we analyze the market, our clients make better decisions. If you are interested in buying in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

To stay updated with all Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts via email by subscribing here. After registering, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

Good News For Parkland Homeowners With Chinese Drywall

Judge Rules That Chinese Drywall Installers Can Be Held Liable

Sun-Sentinel reported yesterday that a Palm Beach County circuit Judge Glenn Kelly ruled that installers of the toxic Chinese Drywall can be held strictly liable under certain conditions.

This is a huge win for Parkland and other homeowners whose homes have Chinese Drywall.  Now with this recent ruling, attorneys representing clients that have Chinese Drywall do not have to prove negligence, but only that the product used is defective.

The article also points out that other counties, such as Broward County, are likely to follow Judge Kelly’s recent ruling.  This ruling was a 180 degree from last month’s ruling where Judge Kelly ruled that only manufacturers and distributors, and not builders, could be held accountable.

Our team receives calls almost on a daily basis regarding the Chinese Drywall issue in the City of Parkland.  Most homeowners effected by Chinese Drywall left their homes and are struggling both emotionally and financially.  Hopefully with this recent ruling, homeowners with Chinese Drywall can finally receive the compensation that they deserve!

Recent Chinese Drywall Posts:
WCI Knew Parkland Golf and Country Club and Heron Bay Had Chinese Drywall As Early As 2006
New Federal Chinese Drywall Identification Guidelines
Parkland Chinese Drywall Task Force Established

We know the numbers, we analyze the market, our clients make better decisions. If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

To stay updated with all Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts via email by subscribing here. After registering, you must activate the subscription in a followup email.

WCI Knew Parkland Golf and Country Club and Heron Bay Had Chinese Drywall As Early As 2006

WCI Communities Kept Quiet About The Chinese Drywall Problem As Early As 2006

Yesterday, Sun-Sentinel article reports that Bonita Springs-based-homebuilder WCI Communities was aware that homeowners were complaining about Chinese Drywall as early as 2006.  Unfortunately, WCI kept quiet and said nothing to its customers and the government.  This new information was ascertained by ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

The Chinese drywall issue did not catch the public’s attention until early 2009, when South Florida residents started to complain about foul smells and damaged appliances.

We reported that WCI emerged from bankruptcy protection last September. WCI built Heron Bay and Parkland Golf & Country Club, which are among the region’s hardest hit by Chinese drywall.

If WCI Communities hid the Chinese drywall problem from the many homeowners that purchased in their communities, then there is no telling what else they could be covering up from the public!

Buyers beware!  I urge perspective Parkland home buyers to hire professional and licensed home inspectors that also specialize in Chinese drywall inspections.  Any home built in 2001 or sooner should have a Chinese drywall inspection performed.  It is better to spend the extra money, so you do not become another victim of Chinese Drywall or other issues caused by WCI Communities.

WCI Communities -  Shame On You! Shame On You!

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If you are interested in buying or selling a real estate property in Parkland or South Florida, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.