Consort--Are you KIDDING?!

Unbelievable. Words would be superflous as, after all, pictures are worth a thousand words.

Here we have the promised photos** of the lot across the street, and the problems related to Consort's screw ups. This home has been occupied for all of a week, and completed only weeks ago.

(Consort, seriously? Look at the sidewalk. GREAT job grading, compacting, dealing with the sewer line, and preparing the lot, Consort, GREAT JOB.)

**Photos were taken with permission.

Is Consort Trying to Conceal The Problems?

The holiday weekend is over, and more news about the shoddy, unethical builder, Consort Homes. What's new? I have to wonder if Consort is attempting to conceal the issues with the lots along this stretch--sewer to sewer, from one end to the opposite side of Paul Renaud.

Just a few days ago, I was working in my lawn when I had the opportunity to meet the person who purchased the market home under construction two lots to our north. She complemented me on my landscaping, and we started a conversation about the lots--and the problems on mine, as well as along the entire run. She was more than surprised to hear of this--it seems Consort didn't tell her of the issues. No shock really, they haven't exactly behaved with integrity. I may be wrong, but I believe that there is a "duty to disclose" by the seller, once they are aware of critical issues. I'll be putting my law degree to work and looking into this.* (This post is written by the daughter of the homeowner.)

For now, back to the market home purchaser--I showed her the drop in our lawn, she connected the dots to the sewers, I showed her the drainage duct to the south, explained that Paul Renaud had buckled, that the sewer pipes were abou 18 feet down. She asked if it was a grading problem--I explained, "oh no, it's not the grading, it's that these lots likely should not be built upon, especially in their current state." Take a look around, most builders do not sell land over these lines for homes, but rather keep them outside of the buildable area. I again reiterated the likely 18 foot drop. Consort, however, was/is greedy, and wants to squeeze as much as possible on as little land as feasible.

The new purchaser mentioned she would talk to one of the construction supervisors--I'll call him Jonesy for the purpose of this blog. What she doesn't realize is that Jonesy will say anything, lie through his teeth if need be, to sell the home, and convince the seller all is okay. Jonesy still maintains that ice inside my home is "normal", eg. I can only conclude that he is either inept or intentionally misleading.

My greatest surprise at this point? That Consort's legal counsel isn't advising Consort to behave within the BOUNDS OF THE LAW. I understand that as their attorney he has a duty to zealously represent his client's interest, but he also may not turn a blind eye to knowing falsehoods, misrepresentations, and guilty acts.

Not to mention INTEGRITY? ETHICS? I'm wondering if the Missouri Builder's Association would be interested in this case.

I'm still waiting for Consort to offer just compensation for value lost. I hope that the words in this blog, and our spreading the word mouth-to-mouth, will reach and protect potential purchasers. If they lose even one buyer, they lose an average of $250,000, maybe more. Maybe then Consort will understand the gravity of what they've done.

Unethical? Gross Negligence?

Another thought occurred to me: Consort KNOWS now about this situation, they know about the problems with these lots, they MUST know that the land is poised to collapse further due to the depth of the sewer line and failure to properly prepare the land across a span of 10 lots, including the road known as Paul Renaud. They know that there are now homes on these lots at risk of structural damage. KNOWING all of this, they continue to offer these lots for sale? It's too late for compacting--and the know it.


(How would I make my case that they know? Well, Mr. Ed Petras, "Pepe," is a fan of this blog--so there is no denying that they are aware of, and seemingly indifferent, to the very real issues here. Should anything happen, on my lot or elsewhere, there will be no pleading ignorance--they know.)

How is it possible that Consort is (1) Constructing a market home directly over this sinking land as I write this, and (2) Offering these lots for sale knowing, or should know, about the risk of property loss, damage, even, God forbid, injury?

Greed? Lack of business ethics and integrity? Lack of regard for legal concepts? Carelessness and stupidity? All of the above is my guess.

Jackpot--FINALLY, Someone opens up the sewer!

Consort, GO TO HELL. Mr. Petras, and all construction managers lead the charge down. I've just had a landscape architect at my property, and finally someone who understands the situation. FINALLY, someone who opened up the sewage line in order to assess the depth, and related drop, and if my lawn was finished sinking. The expert's assessment? THE LOT ISNT EVEN CLOSE TO THE END OF ITS DROP...in fact, it can be expected to finish dropping after it reaches the depths of the sewer line: 18 TO 20 FEET!!!!!


Did you hear that Consort? PLEASE TELL ME HOW IN THE HELL I AM SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH A HOME BUILT ON A LOT THAT WILL SINK UP TO 18 OR 20 FEET?! My theory regarding irreparability has also been confirmed. At this point, it is a lost cause. Consort was grossly negligent in their failure to properly compact not just my lot, but the entire string of lots--even to the street--under which rests the sewer line. The entire back stretch of these lots should have been compacted in stages all the way down to the 18 to 20 foot level.


Consort was correct that compacting was missing--but what Consort failed to admit was that it is impossible to remedy the situation as it would require compacting to 18 feet along the entire stretch, and thus destruction of existing built lots, as well as the destabilization of the homes. Consort knows this and has deliberately concealed this information.


Another point, as the lot further sinks, we can reference the well-known theory that nature abhors a vacuum. As a void continues to build below, it is obvious that the soil from the entire lot will shift, thereby impacting my home. I believe it already has. The house, indeed, may not have any "structural damage" YET (the issues I now have inside could be the fault of shoddy construction), but it will!


I've begun notifying my neighbors of the situation--and this blog--and will continue working to get the word out--whether by fliers, signs, ad space in local papers, and/or local media assets.

Consort...once again, ignoring the issue

Today I received a letter from Consort's attorney, we'll call him Vito for the sake of these posts. Vito wanted to remind me that Consort still stands willing and able to perform some work outlined previously. The funny thing is, Consort still pretends (I say pretends because to say otherwise would suggest that they are totally inept--and, frankly, that's scary)that the issue with our lot can be "repaired" by "adding some soil."

How they fail to comprehend the problem is beyond me. They simply do not want to acknowledge the extent of the issue, its irreparability, and the loss of value. Again, this HOUSE CANNOT BE SOLD. I have lost a significant investment. My lot has fallen--drastically--across the entire expanse north to south, and most severely across half the east-west orientation. IT HAS REVERTED TO ITS NATURAL DRAINAGE ROUTE as it follows the path to a large drainage tunnel (images posted previously) and sewers. In addition, the entire pitch of the lawn has changed as a whole.

Let me reiterate, perhaps Mr. Petras will pass the message along, $18,000 worth of landscaping has been installed that is now either sinking, cracking, dying, falling, flooding, etc as a result of the drainage issues on the lot. If their construction manager truly believes that adding some soil will fix this problem, I am frightened at Consort's lack of understanding and skill in this business. As I noted before, a natural drainage route cannot be "fixed"--IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SOLD AS A BUILDABLE LOT. This steep drop now on our lot, and the cracking apart of our land, is indicative of a natural drainage route--visually apparent across at least 8 lots, and across a side street and on towards the community tennis court. Adding soil to my lot will not remedy the issue as it will again, in time, drain out from underneath. Consort doesn't want to see the situation for what it is--they simply want the cheapest "fix"--very likely in the hopes that I stop putting my story, and the story of these lots, "out there."

At this point, I have decided to retain an independent home inspector--as well as, very likely, involve my mortgage company, as well as a landscape architect. With the home having lost its marketability, it's a must that I inform the mortgage company of issues with their collateral.

Oh, and one last thing, Vito has to be joking if he thinks that I would allow the same construction manager who believes that it is "normal" for ice to form on my fireplace mantel. The construction manager once said "these homes are built so tightly"--uh, huh. That's why 20 degree winds and ice were flowing out from my master bedroom wall and frost and ice dripping from my fireplace. His suggestionh was (seriously!) to close the flue.

I've lived in other homes--I've never had "insulation disappear" or ice form on walls. I have never seen a flue (whether open or shut) lead to ice formation. NEVER IN MY LIFE, NEVER IN THE HOMES OF FRIENDS. What kind of crappy construction is it if, as Consort says, high winds "just blew away insulation from my attic?" Do they think I am an idiot? And this is a "tight house?" How is it possible that I lived in a home for 20 years previously and never saw ANY of these problems. Consort has never offered me an honest explanation. Vito, maybe you can? Why doesn't Consort do the right thing for once?

Do they really think that I trust them, after such obviously shoddy and what I believe to be dishonest practices, to "repair" anything? Come to think of it, I have pictures of some of their earlier "repair" work on a wall cap upstairs--a drunk monkey could have done a better job. I have curved walls in my kitchen--with countertops pulling apart from the wall on the curve. (Of course it pulls off the wall--the countertop is straight and the wall is curved. No amount of caulk is going to make that work.) I have crooked walls, curved walls in my bathroom. A fallen lot and ICE ICE ICE. A real estate agent has already told me that this house CANNOT go on the market, it CANNNOT be sold.

Hey, doesn't everyone dream of waking up to walls covered in ice in their new home?) Way to go, GREEN BUILDER!!

Buyer Beware-Consort Homes-Countryshire

We've started this blog as a way to get the word out to potential buyers re: the severe problems inherent with our Consort home. See this as "a buyer beware" to potential buyers in the Countryshire Manor development, premium lots.

We've had tremendous problems with our lot and in our home, and plan to detail the same through images on this site.

As an overview: Over half of the back of the lot sold to us seemingly sits over a natural or other sort of drainage ditch--while Consort admitted to the developer not having compacted the soil properly, the bigger issue, I suspect, and in my opinion, is that this lot and those surrounding should very likely never have been sold. The lot has sunk steeply, creating a drainage ditch of its own, a "shelf" in the land, and large cracks in the backyard making it impossible to mow, or safely utilize, destroying the design of $18,000 worth of our landscaping, with flooding on each side. Consort's "idea" for a "solution" was to suggest, this time around, proper compacting. Compacting will not remedy this issue--the earth is being pulled from below--and Consort refuses to compensate monetarily for the loss of property value and what is now, basically, worthless land in the rear.

While Consort seeks to sell the lots adjacent and down the entire street line, it is visually apparent that there are big issues with land sinkage, and sewers and drainage ditches catching water down the same line. Take a look around other developments--most builders will NOT sell this area of land for homes--they fill it with large boulders and count it "outside" of the land sold to buyers. Forget even trying to re-sell our lot/home in this state. We'll be putting signs and notices on our property to warn potential buyers of the possibility of value loss. I'm sure Consort will remove this post, but I'll continue to get our message out there one way or another.

Stay tuned for pictures and more discussion on the way Consort has "responded" to our nightmare.