Topics : COURTS : $27-Million Suit Cites Defects in Townhomes : Homeowners at 543-unit Diamond Bar complex say shoddy construction puts them at seismic risk.

Citing everything from leaky roofs to fire hazards to seismic peril, homeowners from the 543-unit Montefino townhome complex in Diamond Bar are suing the buildings’ developer, Presley Cos., for $27 million.

The homes, built in phases between 1982 and 1988, exemplify the worst excesses of the 1980s condo boom, said Lee Barker, attorney for the Montefino Homeowners Assn.

Presley Cos. refused to comment while the case is in litigation.

“In the late ‘80s there was a lot of shoddy construction because of the pressure to build homes,” Barker said. “The homes with the most trouble were built in the years when the market was white-hot, during the 1987 to 1988 period.”

Those problems include leaking roofs and windows, broken water mains and slipping bathtubs, as well as grossly inadequate safety provisions, Barker said.

“In a serious earthquake these homes will suffer far more damage than homes built to code,” he said. “The metal straps that connect the wood frames to the concrete slabs are not there or are improperly installed. . . . Under the stairway the fire barrier is missing, so people run down staircases into the fire.”

The alleged deficiencies have hurt residents’ abilities to refinance and sell their homes, added John Rafter, president of the homeowners association.

The homeowners group is conducting structural tests to determine the extent of the problems. Barker said he hopes the case will go to trial in 1995.