Homeowners At New San Jose Subdivision Endure Construction Woes
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- Workers clambered up high ladders to work on top or even the sides of homes in the Communications Hill neighborhood, in a brand new subdivision in South San Jose.
And the reason for all the activity may be that KB Home executives, including vice president of operations Daniel Auten, came to the neighborhood to look things over and speak to the people who recently purchased these homes.
But he left before homeowner Stefan Najmi could speak to him.
So Najmi spoke to us.
"The tile is missing there. I don't know if it's bare or they just came to fix it," Najmi said. He pointed out how exterior tiles keep falling off the sides of homes causing neighbors to have their driveways and porches taped off as danger zones.
Najmi says his own home is poorly finished with seams that don't match up and sink fixtures that are the wrong size causing splashes. He said rats have already infiltrated his home through large gaps in flooring that he had to fill with aluminum foil.
"Only carpet is covering this gap," Najmi said.
Najmi paid well over $1 million for the home. He said he's sending KB executives a letter.
"Basically," Najmi said, "I'm asking the vice president to pay attention to details of construction."
The KB Home executives on scene would not agree to an on-camera interview. But off-camera, one KB official denied that mistakes were made.
"It's just the nature of business," he said adding, "Some things don't go as you planned them."
In a statement, KB said it is addressing the falling tile problem, saying:
"KB Home has hired a third-party expert to inspect exterior wall tile at Communications Hill. Upon completion we will promptly implement the consultant's recommendations to make certain our homeowners are completely satisfied with their KB Home purchase."
Michael Kennedy is a construction attorney who has represented several KB homeowners in other communities over 20 years.
"If you have one problem, you start investigating. Very often you find a whole host of other problems," Kennedy said.
He says construction issues, such as these, are often caused by workers who are rushed.
"The market is so red hot, builders are rushing to get the homes on the market and sold," Kennedy said. "And they're moving quickly, using some novel construction techniques like what we have here, and that's leading to some problems."
Kennedy also said it is rare for homebuilders to implement a comprehensive fix for common construction issues within a community, preferring to spot fix problems for the people who complain the loudest.
