Two Years Later, No Fix For Moldy HouseHomeowner Plans To Live In Tent

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Two Years Later, No Fix For Moldy HouseHomeowner Plans To Live In

Tent

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local & id=4126156

By

KGO-TV Bay Area

CA.

Apr. 28 - KGO - An Oakland fire lieutenant says he's had enough and

is ready to pitch a tent to make his point. Holmes found his

dream house was full of mold and all he wants is for a builder to

fix it. But several years after he first discovered the problem,

Holmes' house is still unfit for his family to inhabit.

Holmes, homeowner: " This was our dream home that turned into a

nightmare. "

This two-story house was supposed to be where Oakland Fire Lt

Holmes and his wife raised their three young children.

Holmes: " This was not a fixer-upper. It wasn't a free

giveaway. It wasn't bought on subsidy. I paid good money for the

house. "

The house Holmes bought new three years ago for $690,000 is now just

a shell, gutted to the studs. That's after he discovered water

leaking into the walls, through the roof and under windows. And,

where there's water &

Holmes: " This is mold, stakibatrus, or known as black mold.

We've had penicillium, aspergilius. "

Initially, D.R. Horton, the Texas-based company that built Holmes'

house was very responsive. They sent workers, identified problems,

stripped the house and promised to rebuild it in four months.

Holmes: " That four months turned into two years.

Since May 2004, Holmes' family has lived in a nearby rental, paid

for by D.R. Horton while the firefighter paid the $4,000 dollar

monthly mortgage on his empty dream house.

At one point, Horton did offer to buy back the moldy house at market

value, but Holmes declined, saying he didn't want to move his kids

to a new school and fearing the higher interest rates and taxes that

would come with buying another new home.

Now that Holmes is threatening legal action against the

builder, the builder's informed him that they will no longer pay for

his family's temporary housing, effective this weekend.

Holmes: " We're going to pitch a tent here in the house. We're

going to get space heaters and we're gonna camp out here in the

house until something's done or until we can figure out what else we

can do. "

Late this afternoon, a representative from D.R. Horton issued this

statement, " We have been and remain willing to repair the Holmes

house, but we have never been given permission to do so. We would

welcome the opportunity to work with the Holmes to resolve this

matter in an agreeable way. "

Holmes insists he's been cooperative with the company from the

start.