21 Mar, 2008 → by ClaimboUser592739
Crooked Homebuilder

My wife and I built a new build with 3 Pillar Homes 9/06. We came across several major issues that needed repair which were completed prior to closing on the house. Several other major issues arised after closing on the house, but within the 1st year of home ownership and can we tell you that we are still fighting after 18 MONTHS to get these major problems fixed. We have involved the BBB and BIA only to find out that the BIA can only enforce on structural defectS and not cosmetic. The builder in question also sits on the Board of Trustees with the BIA which we feel is a conflict of interest. The BBB is doing the best they can as an intermediate, but history shows that the builder has chosen not to respond on an occasion to the BBB. What's really depressing is that this builder was named The Columbus OH Up and Coming Builder of the Year. With the housing market the way it it, I would think the bulders would go above and beyond the basics to attract customer as well as protect their companies reputation. My wife and I built a new build with 3 Pillar Homes 9/06. Purchase price $560,000. We came across several major issues that with serious haggling were resolved (All before closing and transfer of money). The lot was measured wrong resulting in a serious lack of usable space, we encountered 2 separate floods and the upper level of the house dropped 2" resulting in emergency reinforcement and a horrible cosmentic repair in the basement. After the closing Zenios'(Owner of 3 Pillar Homes) attitude changed greatly in getting repairs done. Again, 18 months and still trying to get the work done. We are still trying to get the 1 year check list done (Submitted 9/07). We have a driveway that was put in NOT FOLLOWING INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR CONTROL JOINTS resulting in multiple cracking within months of being poured. Our entire 1st floor of the house is hardwood flooring (over 1000 sq ft) and the flooring in separating and buckling over the metal support trusses for the house. We had a flooring inspector out to the house and he stated he had only seen this 1 other time and the entire hardwood flooring had to be replaced 3x. The flooring company is coming out and going to try to repair the flooring with 1 box of the wood. The problem here is that they do not make our flooring any more, so, if the 1 box is not good enough for the 3 seams that are lifting that run the length of the floor (we seriously doubt 1 box is enough wood), they will have to replace the entire hardwood floor. We have a 2 story ceiling with 2 noteable seams that run the length of the ceiling. The ceiling company was out and the only repair solution at this point per them is to restamp the entire ceiling, which we were told would be quite a mess. Ceaser of Majestic Drywall stated they would take care of the ceiling, but 3 Pillar Homes needs to move the furniture, cover all that needs to be covered and clean up. This includes wall painting if needed. 3 Pillar homes is refusing to commit to their portion of the repair work. Finally, we were promised by Zenios of 3 Pillar Homes to rockhound the entire lot. I can tell you that the back 1/3 of the lot is not rockhounded. We have tried working with the system. We have filed complaints with the BBB and BIA. The BIA sent a standards committe to review the problems. Unfortuantely, the BIA can only enforce in regards to structural standards, not cosmetic like the ceiling. They can only go by standards with the rockhounding as the builder is not obligated to rockhound in common areas and retention ponds per BIA standard. What's interesting here is this; at the BIA meeting with the committe, Brent Cantrell (The 3 Pillar Representative) admitted to the committee that indeed 3 Pillar homes rockhounded and seeded the back 1/3 of the lot. I advised the committee this was impossible as I had to remove the erosion barriers that were left behind by 3 Pillar homes, so I seriously doubt they rockhounded and seeded around these barriers. When the committee walked the grounds, again, it was evident that no rockhounding had been done. The frustration here is that the builder gave his verbal commitment to rockhound and seed, did not do the job and the BIA can't hold the builder accountable for reneeging on his promise to the consumer. It has been quite frustrating dealing with 3 Pillar Homes. When Zenios was confronted with all of these problems, we were told, "I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WORK OF MY SUBCONTRACTORS." Yet, it is written in the contract signed with 3 Pillar Homes that I am not to deal with the subcontractors. So, the consumer is at the mercy of the builder on the cheapest bid, yet they are not responsible for the work they do? To top it all off, Zenios chose to verbally attack and degrade my wife when he was confronted with these issues, a serious lack of professionalism. No legal action has been taken yet, but it appears we are headed down this road. Please feel free to view the 3 Pillar website for all this great customer service they promise and great building quality. I have pasted some of their quotes. We are deeply honored by the trust you place in us to build your family home. We uphold that honor through the integrity we bring to the building process. Our commitment to quality is evident through the state-of-the-art building techniques and craftsmanship we blend into each home. Providing an in house architect and a structural engineer allows us to build homes that are both aesthetic and functional in design. Our dedication to building a superior home begins with our professional team which includes a structural engineer, an in-house architect, experienced production supervisors and a well trained sales department. We are also committed to cultivating an atmosphere of mutual respect and open communication. This commitment assures every home we build achieves complete customer satisfaction. We have also taken the liberty to file a complaint with the state attorney general's office believing it to be similiar to the current complaints of contractors defaulting on repairs after monies have been exchanged. I hope you find this story worth pursuing as we are not seeking any kind of monetary gain, rather, consumer awareness is a goal as well as getting these problems fixed. My wife and I have been dealing with this 3 Pillar Headache for 18 months. We just want the problems fixed. We are not complaining about a nail pop, a bad paint job or any other minor problems. We are complaining about Major problems as mentioned above. We want the problems fixed and for 3 Pillars to be out of our lives.
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