After all these years, I just came across this website. Like so many of the reports I just read, I can realate to so many. My husband and I were deeded an acre of land cut out from my parents. Like so many I've read about, Jim Walters took out 1.4 acres instead. Also, after staking off the location, somehow when the foundation work began it mysteriosly was now encroching on my parents land. (Which we found out much later).
Our story included the typical shotty work, terrible contractors etc. (framer crew even used my mobile home as their office to call the manager to complain about not being paid on time and refusing to continue work until they did so). That was the first clue things were not going to go smoothly. To this day it's difficult to find a 16" centered std on any wall!
Of course warranty work is nonexistant once you sign the papers to take possession to move in, which we were all but forced to sign. We actually built our home in 1986,90% completed and we finished ourselves. The purchase price at that time was $52,000.00. As most young couples, we wern't savvy to their disceptions. About a year later we ran into some$ trouble and had to pay some payments late. BIG MISTAKE!
If late at all we were called immediately and constantly harrassed and threatened with foreclosure. Every time we were asked when we could pay our payment, they always demanded it the day before the date we told them. THey even came to my home once and upon my return I found where they had left their business card inside on my table. Fed up we eventually moved out and rented a home, loosing our land and all just to keep our sanity.
IT was sold and they did the same thing to the new owners until they moved out as well. We checked into purchasing it back (new purchase price was now $37,500.00). Our salesman knew all about our situation, revealing to us that the employee that had harrassed us out of our home had since been fired because it was discovered that once he got the owners to leave, he was purchasing the homes himself at the reduced prices.
Our salesman called to let us the news that management would approve our purchase but wanted for us to pay $45,000.00 rather than the asking price of $37,500.00 (the previos owners had also paid $37,500.00). Of course I refused. Our salesman pushed the sale through to us for the asking price because he felt it to be an unfair practice which he was "let go" for.
IMy heart goes out to the rip off report who's son actually took his own life over Jim Walters practices and threats. We have lived in our home now since 1989 with a 20 year mortgage, yet our staement is now showing a principle balance of $8.900.00. Do the math! Our home should be paid off this year but it won;t be with the balance they are claiming. I feel that old feeling coming back of the fear of having to go through the same red tape and BS I am sure is about to happen, now that we are inquiring into this.
I asked for a payment history from them about 3 years ago and got nothing. So I guess it's time to gear up for a fight. I have heard about how they will try to foreclose once you get close to payoff. To be quite honest in this economy and the layoffs in our area, it;s pretty scary to know what could be about to happen. We have too much equity and sweat equity in this home now to ever give up again.
It's hard to read the stories in this column because I really had thought the problems with JimWalters/Mid State Homes was in the past. But as I read the reports I can see they are the same as 20 years ago.
If I incur the problems with Mid State that could possibly happen, I will be looking into any CLASS ACTION SUITS OUT THERE IN TEXAS.
Contact me if you have a similar situation please.
Trl
Brazoria, Texas
U.S.A.
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