Speaking of the shelf upon which Consort is building...

See, I suspect that building on this shelf led to many of my problems with the house. When Consort artificially created an even surface over a drainage route, they created a recipe for damaged property. With the rear half of the home resting on an artificially created mound THAT HAS PITCHED AND FALLEN AND SUNK, the home on this artificially created mound will naturally shift. Just plain physics, I'm assuming.
So, when the back of the lot drops dramatically, naturally anything that was supported by this former mound will also shift--in my opinion. Thus, the issues with our home interior: misaligned walls, floors, gaps between the same, fireplaces blowing drafts from their frame (not the inside, Consort, not the inside--nothing to do with the flue as per your genius construction manager), ice and frost forming all over fireplace exterior, ice on bedroom walls, cracks in the foundation--clear through--that occur exactly where the land splits and falls, etc.

Coincidence? I think not. Isn't there an old saying about too many coincidences NOT being a coincidence?

PS: The last two images are of the ice and frost-covered fireplace. Every single person to whom I show these fireplace photos is astounded--NOT ONE HAS EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. Again, I assume that Consort either built on land they shouldn't have, and/or is TOTALLY inept.

Seems that Consort Doesn't Want the Word Out

Seems that Consort has blocked me from comment on their Facebook page. Apparently the truth about their business practices as related to my lot, my home, and my situation is difficult for them to swallow. No worries, I have this blog--and other avenues for publicity. In my opinion, Consort is just one more greedy and unscrupulous corporate entity in a string of greedy corporate entities seeking to make a quick buck. From the financial industry to the mining industry to oil/gas companies, to builders and construction--greed and deception are the motivators. Corporations seem to be driven by these mantras: How can we make the most buck? How can we make the fastest buck? How can we pull the wool over the eyes of unsuspecting buyers? How can we do the minimum and make the most? How can we take advantage of the building boom (now over) and build as much as possible, as quick as possible, with no thought or duty to ethics or quality. (I heard that bonuses were given to the home contract workers--painters, e.g.--for finishing as quickly as possible.)

It's the corporate entity versus the little guy.

Where are the good business practices? Where is their concern for my damaged home and lot--and related permanent LOSS OF VALUE? While they rake in the profits, I've lost the comfort of home, and the security of a good and wise investment.

Greed is NOT GOOD, Consort.

Again, homes built on a drainage route??

Build Your Home Here? Didn't Think So.

So, these are some images of the lot line that connects to my property. If you follow on past this large drainage structure you would reach the road that has buckled, and cracked, along this same route and contour. Seems the problem goes on for a loooong way. How can Consort fill these lots? They can't. Why not? Look at the large sewer in the middle of the picture--this large concrete drainage pipe. Look at the pictures of the road previously. All of this is necessary drainage, natural drainage. To fill these lots up to prevent this drainage, as Consort seems to think would be a grand idea, would impair the ability (and necessity) of the land to drain properly. The large aquaduct/sewer/drain with the stones surrounding is actually on a lot being offered for sale (incredible!!) and connects along the natural route to my lot and others in the opposite direction. Again, THESE LOTS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OFFERED FOR SALE. OUR VALUE IS LOST.

Something else I've recently noticed: Consort building a "market home" two lots over from my north side. At first I scratched my head, wondering why a market home on this flooded area? (They already have another market home for sale for almost 2 years now.)Then, AHA!, it clicked. The market home is being built upon a parcel of land that had sunk, and flooded so extensively (again, on the route of drainage), that there was a pond on the same. A pond deep enough for ducks to swim and graze. I can only assume that after showing this lot to potential buyers month after month, all all balking (rightfully) at the flooded parcel, they decided it would be better to just go ahead and fill that big pond up with some mud, and quickly build a market home. Thus, hoping for a better chance to sell it. Of course, this lot is on the natural drainage route, with a sewer just adjacent, and will very likely continue to drop and flood as mine has.

I, fortunately, took pictures of this pond some time ago and will be posting those as well!

Finally, notice the picture of my lot and the severly angled island of landscaping. You can be sure that my landscape designer and I didn't purposely intend to bury a maple tree 15 inches deep in a drainage route, nor did we think it would be artistic to build an island tilting deeply on its side.

What a Lost Lot Looks Like

These photos--some from October of 2009 and some more recent--illustrate what is occuring on our lot. Unfortunately, they don't do the problems justice. But, nevertheless, it's worth documenting so that potential buyers understand that when Consort tries to sell them a lot along this line, Consort is, in my opinion, attempting to sell a lot--and an entire stretch of land--that should NEVER be built upon.

Photos show the backyard, as well as the adjacent lots where the same pattern of drainage exists--also visible is a drainage sewer.

The photos with the painted stakes (white in some, white with orange streamers in others) illustrate a shelf created. From the top it drops suddenly about 15 inches straight down, as though pulled from underneath.

Let's follow the route of the natural drainage

Seriously? Consort wants to just "fill this in" with a little more mud? They're either incompetent, unethical, or both.

Here we see the street (near the tennis court), several lots down. Notice that the buckling in the street and sidewalk? Yep, that follows all along the straight line of the lots up to and including our property--and beyond. This isn't a "one lot" problem as Consort seems to think--this stretches all along the line.

Beware, or you'll suffer value loss as well.

A Consort Home Fireplace

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.