Robert Barbato (RB) and David Klain (DK), 2 builders who comprise Crawford Development and its subsidiary, Savoy Homes, have not honored their contract with me to build my home in their development called Brownstones at Guilford Reserve. The city of Carmel issued a Certificate of Occupancy for the unfinished home, and based on a contingency contract with RB and DK that stated the home would be finished in 30 days, I moved into the unfinished home in April. After accepting full payment from the bank, RB and DK abandoned the project, and all promises and warranties have turned out to be false. I have spent nearly $35,000.00 in legal fees trying to get RB and DK to honor their contract. Klain has skirted taking responsibilty by declaring bankruptcy and Barbato refuses to cooperate with the arbitration process, as spelled out in our contract.
The work accomplished has been described by several contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and architects as the worst example of home construction they have ever seen. I need nearly $150,000 to repair and finish this $375,000.00 home. The home has no equity, and the whole neighborhood is deteriorating. Most homes are collecting water damage due to improper roof construction and the absence of appropriate flashing. There is widespread mold growth. Existing homes are unstable, bricks are cracking, walls are sagging, and roofs and walls are leaking. The neighborhood comprises wide open unfinished homes with missing garage doors, open front doors, broken and missing windows, a stagnant retention pond, unpaved streets, crushed and cracking sidewalks, and a broken down dump truck full of trash. The Home Owner's Association (which pays insurance and some utilities) is on the verge of bankruptcy. Barbato won't pay into it what he actually owes, and there aren't enough home owners to keep it afloat.
This has been going on for 18 months, and the situation is only deteriorating. Neither my personal insurance company nor the Home Owner's Association insurance will cover damages caused by builder negligence. The builder's insurance company will not cover damages, saying they only cover the PARENT company (Crawford Development), not the EXTENSION of the parent company, called Savoy Homes.in other words, there is no funding for honoring warranties.
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