BRADENTON, Fla. -- Frustrated homeowners confronted KB Home's regional president Wednesday, pleading for the corporation to buy their "lemon" homes back.
Many homeowners at the Willowbrook Townhomes have been plagued by water intrusion, mold, and failing structures since they closed on their units between 2007 and 2010.
As 10 News reported last week, KB Home may have known about structural defects, and kept them from home-buyers, before closing. The company said it would not buy homes back, but would stand by it's 10-year limited warranty and make repairs.
"We've been doing work in here since the inception of the community (in 2007)," said George Glance, regional president for KB Home. "Clearly, it's less than ideal....but now we're taking action."
After dozens of repairs to the townhomes, KB Home struck a deal with the Willowbrook HOA to use a new contractor of the association's choice. But owners of the homes in the worst conditions, including Armando Oyola-Delgado, refuse to participate. They say KB hasn't been able to fix issues of mold and failing stucco despite repeated efforts, and now it's too late for their soggy structures.
10 News has been investigating how the complex was built, but former KB Home employees have declined on-camera interviews because their severance documents prohibit them from ever making public comments about their former employer. Which means, short of the law compelling the former employees to testify, homeowners at KB Home communities may never know the truth about how the complexes were constructed.
Find 10 News Investigator Noah Pransky on Facebook or follow his updates on Twitter. Send your story tips to noah@wtsp.com.
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