Residents Complain About Builder to City

A group of residents from a 2-year-old Thousand Oaks townhome complex asked the City Council for help this week, alleging that the builder performed such shoddy work that homes were being flooded and cigarette smoke from nearby apartments was coming out of neighbors’ electrical outlets.

Representatives of the Corta Bella apartments in Newbury Park explained to council members that although city officials had intervened on their behalf--by asking the builder, Patriot Homes, to make improvements--no repairs had taken place.

“I just don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night and walk through a swamp in the middle of my house,” said Mark Moore, who added that he has had flooding in his apartment.

Megan and Ray O’Neill, a young couple who moved into the complex eight months ago, told the council that they had asked if the apartments were separated by concrete walls because Megan was allergic to cigarette smoke.

They were told that there were, but after moving in, they soon smelled smoke in their apartment and began to notice smoke coming out of the wall sockets and other spots. They had to put tape over all the outlets, they said.

The O’Neills contend that the building was built irresponsibly and must violate city codes. They reminded Thousand Oaks leaders that this was not the first time the city has experienced such problems and asked the council to take action immediately.

The Groves, another recently built Thousand Oaks apartment complex, was plagued by similar complaints about poor construction, and city officials were forced to step in.

Council members unanimously agreed to consider more serious action against Patriot Homes--including fines and placing a 24-hour inspector at another project the builder is planning--unless improvements are promptly made at Corta Bella.