We found an internet ad from Fairmont Homes and it directed us to Kingdom Homes of Belpre, Ohio as one of their retailers and we believed that they were endorsing him as a good dealer of their homes.
So we ordered a new double wide home from Kingdom Homes on september 18. We dealt with both Cheryl Howerton salesperson and Joe webb owner and paid an initial downpayment of $10,000 dollars.
We received a specification sheet from the Fairmont Homes factory and the owner of Kingdom Homes said it would save us $4000 and factory delays because of excess paper work so we then paid another $73,303 as full payment for the home.
Shortly therafter we received another specification sheet with our latest upgrades and this sheet had a assigned serial number to the home, we were told by Kingdom homes to get the foundation ready because we can expect delivery and setup in 6-10 weeks on the farthest we should wait.
We borrowed additional money from the bank explaining if we pay upfront it would save us $4000 and we had the excavation, foundation and septic put in and we were going to get stone on the foundation but Joe webb of kingdom homes said we needed to be ready and promised all along the home was ordered from the factory and that he was behind getting other homes setup and he would get to us as soon as possible and the rain was terrible so we didnt push it.
Well I finally tried to call Kingdom homes on their 800 number and it was disconnected and I became suspicious so I called his regular number. He told me he was having employee problems using the phone and had it shut down a while. I again asked about our home he said it will be there soon.
I called the factory at 800-777-8787 and asked for the general manager and I got a Brian Cira and I asked if my home was ordered he said no we dont have one ordered but yet they had supplied foundation plans plus a specification sheet with a serial number. He also said we know Joe is having some problems but we are working with him, and he also said KIngdom Homes is a third party retailer saying they are not responsible for our home or money.
I finally went to see Joe at Kingdom Homes, I asked for my money back and he said he didnt have any money and said he had a run of bad luck. I informed him not to try to take me for over $80,000 dollars and he said he is trying to get a loan to pay me back. Another lie.
I have since found out he has taken money and downpayments from about 14 other families and didnt deliver their homes.
I again called the factory about 2 weeks later and asked this Brian Cira how he could advertise Kingdom Homes knowing he is ripping off peoples money by drawing them in using the Fairmont Homes product to attract customers allowing him to take their money expecting a Fairmont Home in return Cira told me they are not the Ohio Attorney General or the better business bureau making it sound as if Ohio doesnt shut him down they didnt care.
But shortly thereafter they removed him from their website advertisement.
At last visit to Kingdom Homes at 1:30 in the afternoon I went there to talk to JOe Webb the office had a closed sign I knocked on the door and tried the knob it was locked but there was a dog barking inside.
I then went to the Washington County Ohio sheriffs office to file a complaint on Kingdom Homes and while there I was called by a deputy moon and was told to stay off Webbs lot while he is closed or I would be arrested for tresspassing and I was also told by Deputy Moon that Joe Webb said if I wanted further information to have my attorney contact his who's name is Simms and Dillon of Parkersburgh West Virginia and who's phone number is 304-420-0963.
I tried to contact them leaving 2 messages with a secretary and they never returned my call. I also found out that the Washington county Ohio sheriffs department had an investigation and several of us families were not even contacted in february that there was a problem with Kingdom Homes.
At last they told me it looked like either breach of contract or bad business but they were going to look into other charges, we need all the help we can get, my wife is legally blind and I had a very serious work injury in 1998 and use a brace and a crutch and we only wanted a nice home with no steps to have a more comfortable life.
All of the other families feel the factory should also be liable for this terrible tragedy to our families as they advertised this Kingdom Homes dealer and sent out foudation plans and specification sheets and especially ours had a serial number assigned.
Now we have a loan to pay and we have no new home.
Please help, I have contacted the better business bureau, the FBI, the Ohio Attorney General who said they had at least 10 other complaints. They have assigned a man named Jeff Simmons to investigate this case, please help us if you can.
We have cracks in our foundation and concrete floor because the home was not set as it should have been to hold the block down and no heat caused floor cracks.
Also we lost several thousand dollars in interest if the money was in a savings or bond account, and my wife has been very sick since we found we may not get our home or our money.
Michael
Barnesville, Ohio
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