An Arizona couple's battle with a big-name homebuilder is heading to the courtroom after a year-long saga over alleged shoddy construction work on their new home. Jon and Jocelyn Engel's confrontations with Lennar Homes surged from frustration over "defective floors" and "framing issues" to a disputed countertop that failed to meet compliance standards, despite the builder’s efforts to repair it to the satisfaction of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC).
According to a report by ABC15, Engel's master bathroom countertop continued to show gapping, which Lennar argued in a petition was in fact within compliance. "At no time did Lennar not operate in a professional manner," the petition stated. However, the Engels experienced a worker from the building company using their backyard as a restroom, despite available facilities, which the family captured on an outdoor camera. When prompted about the incident and the ongoing repairs, Lennar's concise reply hinted at the legal entanglements: "We are unable to comment as this is pending litigation."
As the new home construction boom in Arizona underpins the increasing demand, Lennar Homes, along with other leading contractors such as D.R. Horton and Meritage Homes, finds itself at the epicenter of not only building but also accountability. These developments, rushed to market sometimes in mere months, have led to complaints citing poor workmanship - a majority of the infractions, as conveyed by RL Brown Housing Reports and verified by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Fueling this surge, the Phoenix Metro area alone saw some 22,222 new home permits cleared just in 2022. As identified by a recent piece from ABC15, Pulte Homes topped the list with 40 complaints, followed by Meritage Homes with 36, and Lennar Arizona with 29, all under the spectrum of their general residential contractor licenses. Homebuyers are advised to keep a vigilant eye for possible defects, never waiving the final inspection that could serve as a protective measure against subpar construction.
The case between Engels and Lennar now rests in the hands of the legal system, with an administrative law judge slated to handle the dispute in early March. This decision comes after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that homebuyers could take legal action against builders for hidden defects for up to eight years, even if those buyers originally signed off on waiving such rights. This legal precedent sets a new backdrop as Arizonans continue to navigate the burgeoning new home market.
