Creative Homes
Ripoff Wet Basement

Please note this complaint depicts my version of the events and is true to the best of my knowledge. I am sure Creative Homes has their own version and I highly recommend that you contact them for their side of the story.

I contracted with Creative Homes to design and build a custom home for my family in their Blueberry Knoll development in Norton Massachusetts. Shortly after moving into our new home we experienced a basement full of water. The basement floor was covered in large cracks and the water was percolating in. Creative Homes installed one sump pump and claimed that it solved my water problem. Within the first year the problem re-occurred several times. Creative Homes installed a second sump pump and the problem continued. Next, they claimed that their use of continuous footings under the lolly columns was damming the water and preventing it from reaching the sump pumps. They decided to cut pathways between the footings and for the third time claimed that they solved my problem. Please note, they never mentioned that their decision to utilize continuous footings was in direct violation of our approved blueprints and therefore was a breach to our contract.

Per Creative Homes request we provided a punch list of issues at the one year inspection. On that punch line was a line item that stated Water in basement. How do we know the problem is resolved? I wanted assurance from Creative Homes that I did not purchased a lifetime of basement water problems. Creative Homes assured me that they solved my problem. As this problem occurs sporadically throughout the year, I had no way to dispute this claim. I took Creative Homes' assurance as their oral commitment that they had indeed solved my problem and if it was not solved they would do the honorable thing and stand behind their product.

The next spring and every spring thereafter, I've had a basement full of water. I called Creative Homes and was told by Bill Griffith that as my warranty had expired, I was on my own even though one year earlier he personally assured me that Creative Homes had solved my problem and would stand behind their product. Creative Homes felt no legal or moral responsibility to fix the problem that they created and failed to properly rectify during the warranty period. Please note, given that this problem has occurred every spring and sporadically throughout the year since we moved in, leads me to conclude that Creative Homes' claim that recent changes in the water table is causing my problem. This has been an ongoing problem to the same degree since we moved into our Creative Home.

Recently I became aware of that fact that my contract with Creative Homes, via the approved blueprints, explicitly states that the footings are to be individual 30 x 30 by 10, unless otherwise noted. The blueprints specified continuous footing on the walls only, not the lolly column footings. As Creative Homes took it upon themselves to use continuous footings on the lolly columns, I feel that Creative Homes breached the contract. Had I been aware of this breach 12 months ago, before the statue of limitation expired, I firmly believe that they would have been liable in a court of law.

My neighborhood was exclusively developed by Creative Homes. As they sold themselves to me as an expert builder/developer having recently developed 300 homes in the area prior to mine, I had every reason to believe that they would take every precaution to ensure that they delivered a high-quality home. I have a cranberry bog on my front lawn and a pond behind my house. One of my nearby neighbors who moved into their Creative Home several years before construction on my home began was still experiencing basement water problems until Creative Homes recently assisted them with the installation of a perimeter drain system. As Creative Homes knew about this issue and the water surrounding my home before construction on my home started, they had an obligation to offer me additional protection. For example, they offered to install a perimeter drain system in another of my neighbor's home for a nominal fee during the construction process of their home.

I am very concerned that the water is eroding the steel lolly columns which will likely lead to a major structural failure, mold is growing which will eventually lead to health problems for my family and I've lost the use of 1/3 of the space in my home. I was promised a high-quality home for my family and was assured that Creative Homes solved my problem while it was under warranty. I want Creative Homes to do the honorable and morale thing and stand behind their product and their assurance (oral commitment) that they solved the problem so that my home is safe, healthy and fit for its intended use. I have several quotes from local, leading basement water-proofing companies for approximately $10,000. I want Creative Homes to pay this amount to have this problem finally rectified.

Company: Creative Homes
Country: USA
State: Massachusetts
City: North Easton
Address: 187 Washington Street
Phone: 5082383307

  <     >