A PAIR of new homeowners have been left distraught after they claimed their newly-built dream house was riddled with defects and faults.
In March 2023, Tom and Katie Webster of Oxbow, North Dakota, which borders Minnesota, closed on their new home, worth around $1.1 million.
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As the couple looked to move into the mansion, they told Valley News Live that their dream come true had “turned into a nightmare.”
“From the day we signed, it was one thing after another…after another…after another,” Katie told the outlet.
'DOZENS OF FAULTS'
More than a year after the couple closed the deal on the home, they claimed dozens of projects still remain to make the house comfortable and liveable, such as fixing dented siding, crooked walls, or poorly installed windows.
The issues have appeared to affect nearly every square inch of the house, as the Websters said they saw the flooring put in backwards, walls erected incorrectly, and flooding caused by heavy rain.
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Photos also show footprints from workers that walked around in poured concrete that hadn’t fully dried as well as large cracks in concrete slabs or finishings inside the home.
One image also showed pieces of tape placed over gaps in the construction.
Tom, a retired veteran who previously owned a home inspection business, told Valley News Live that it was “crazy” having to watch the workers redo their work so many times.
“It’s just crazy because I was paying them to watch and supervise their work, but really, I ended up having to watch many times,” he said, adding that his knowledge of home inspections helped them keep things in check.
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“Had we not had that knowledge, we would’ve been in an even worse situation.”
In total, the couple claims there were 87 faults found inside the home by an inspector.
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The issues haven’t stopped with the construction.
The Websters told the outlet that in their purchase agreement, the lot had been listed as measuring to around 41,000 square feet.
However, when they attempted to install sprinklers, documents show that their lot size was in fact 32,000.
Additionally, the couple said they had been promised a dual zone heating and cooling system but have yet to have it installed.
We can’t keep putting more money into this.
Katie Webster
FINANCIAL WORRIES
With all the alleged issues, the couple is now worried how the seemingly never-ending repairs will impact their savings.
They received a VA home loan for the home, but are now at risk of losing some backing for the funds, Valley News Live reported.
“The quality of work is what really saddens me because we’ve put our entire life savings into this home, expecting this to be our forever home, and right now, we just don’t believe that’s the case anymore,” Katie told the outlet.
“We can’t keep putting more money into this.”
WANTING ANSWERS
The home was built by Fargo-based construction company Spire Custom Homes.
Spire Custom Homes considers customer complaints and warranty work to be matters between itself and its customer.
Spire Custom Homes
The couple claims they have had little communication with the company despite their complaints.
When contacted by Valley News Live, one employee for the construction company told the outlet that no one was available to comment on the issue.
However, Brandon Block, general manager, told the outlet, “This is not my problem.”
The Websters have been in contact with the North Dakota Attorney General and have hired a lawyer to pursue potential legal action.
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So far, the couple has sent at least one demand letter to contractors who have worked on the home, in the hopes to have them fix the dozens of alleged faults.
Spire Custom Homes has since released a statement insisting the company has been in contact with the Websters for over a year.
But, they said they “will not litigate customer complaints” in the media.
“Spire Custom Homes considers customer complaints and warranty work to be matters between itself and its customer,” told Valley News Live.
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“To be clear, Spire and the customer who was featured in the media recently have been in ongoing communications about their home for more than a year and Spire will continue to communicate, perform warranty work, and meet its duties as outlined in the parties’ contract and pursuant to the warranties to which its customer is entitled.”
Spire Custom Homes did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
