‘Nightmare at the Elms’ : 30 Homeowners Picket Their Builder, Claim Repairs Aren’t Being Made

Patti Bretza used to laugh at her neighbors when they complained about imperfections in their new homes in Trabuco Canyon. But when a water-soaked portion of ceiling fell on her 10-year-old daughter, she wasn’t laughing.

“This house has been nothing but a disaster,” she said. “It’s been like a nightmare here.”

Bretza and her husband, John, were among 30 homeowners in the development named Trabuco Highlands Ranch who picketed Saturday at the sales offices of the builder, William Lyon Co.

The homeowners said they expected small imperfections in their $165,000 to $203,000 homes, but that the faulty workmanship went beyond that. They complained of cracked and warped walls, loose roof tiles, leaking water pipes and windows that let in sand, dirt and cold air.

‘Fears Unwarranted’

William Soto, senior project manager for William Lyon Co., admitted that the company’s customer service department is behind schedule in making repairs requested by the homeowners, but he said the majority of the 175 families in the development are satisfied.

Builders in California are required to repair all defects in homes within a year of sale, Soto said.

“If they (homeowners) are concerned that we will not stand behind our commitment, their fears are unwarranted,” he said.

Saturday’s demonstration was the second in two months. The purpose of both demonstrations, homeowners said, was not to discourage people from buying the homes but to alert buyers to potential problems.

Kirk Chittick, manager at the sales office, said the picketing had turned some potential buyers away.

He said that when customers asked about the demonstrators, he told them they were “upset homeowners.”

Nobel Mandili, a computer network consultant who said he has waited three months for warped walls to be repaired, is organizing a survey of homeowners. “I’m taking the lead in this because I see these people sitting here for three months complaining and getting nothing,” he said.

Patti Bretza blames poor workmanship on her daughter Kristy’s injury.

On Feb. 16, Kristy noticed water dripping from the ceiling of their downstairs bathroom, said Bretza, whose home is in an area called The Elms. When Kristy began poking at the ceiling with a yardstick, a portion of it fell and hit her in the face, causing her to slip and strike her head on the bathtub, Bretza said. Kristy was knocked unconscious, Bretza said, and was taken to the hospital, where she stayed for three days.

Injured Child on Picket Line

Kristy, who still complains of headaches, picketed Saturday with a sign that read: “Nightmare at the Elms.”

Soto said William Lyon Co. was not aware of the severity of the injury and had not been contacted by the Bretzas.

Walter Burgin and John Jones, building inspectors for the Orange County Environmental Management Agency, inspected the Bretza home Thursday. The water that caused the ceiling to collapse came from a leak in the upstairs bathroom’s plumbing, they said.

Burgin said it is common for new homes to have some minor imperfections during the first few months. But if he had to live in the Bretza home, Burgin said, he too would complain.

The inspectors said the homes in Trabuco Highlands Ranch had to pass nearly 40 inspections before owners moved in. Most of the problems, Burgin said, are “cosmetic.” And many can be blamed on subcontractors who “build as fast and as cheap as they can with minimum (quality),” Jones said.

Kathy O’Brien, who lives with her daughter in a 1,600-square-foot home, said she had to make several calls to the company before repairs were made, and that some complaints have been ignored.

“They kept telling me they were going to come over and then I would never hear from them again,” she said. “Why am I paying these astronomical payments when I have to wait months to get my problems fixed?”

Joan Gelert, a service manager at Trabuco Highlands Ranch, said the company has hired six more repair workers to address the complaints.

“We are aware of the workload we have,” she said. “And we are making an effort to get the job done.”

Soto said William Lyon also has been notified of the complaints and has made it clear that he also wants the homes repaired as quickly as possible.

But Ted Stevenson is so upset about his home that he put a recording on his telephone answering machine that says: “Our beautiful home in The Elms is a complete disaster and not just the usual new-home boo-boos. . . . I would think twice before buying a William Lyon home.”

“Buying this house was like buying a lemon,” Stevenson said. “This house is a lemon--a Lyon Lemon.”

The Stevensons, who paid $203,000 for their 2,400-square-foot home, said nearly half of the dry-walls were warped and had to be replaced. They moved in five months ago but have not unpacked because they are waiting for more repairs to be made, Carolyn Stevenson said.

“We moved here because we liked the area and we liked the school and we liked the home,” she said. “We don’t want to move out. The whole thing is that we want this house built right.”