A Premium for Sound Homes?

So, the California Building Industry Assn. is complaining that too many homeowners are suing builders who build and sell unsafe homes, which raises builders’ insurance premiums (“Builders Sound the Alarm on Insurance Premiums,” Dec. 30).

If builders want to avoid lawsuits for shoddy construction--and subsequent increases in insurance premiums--they should build homes safely.

When they make mistakes, they should promptly and completely repair their mistakes to avoid further, and more expensive, damage.

We hear from homeowners throughout California who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on new homes only to discover severe leaks that lead to toxic mold, unsecured chimneys that render fireplaces unsafe, beetle-infested studs and other consequences of unsafe construction.

Homeowners who discover safety problems due to shoddy construction face a financial Catch-22: They generally can’t afford to fix the problem having just scraped together the cash to buy their new home; they can’t afford to move out and pay their mortgage and rent; and they can’t sell their homes for full value because they must disclose the construction defects. Often, their only recourse is a lawsuit.

Builders who repeatedly flout health and safety codes should pay additional insurance premiums [because] they raise the cost of doing business.

Insurance premiums act as an incentive to obey the law and take responsibility. Builders of the most expensive consumer product most of us will ever buy should be held to a higher standard, not lower.

KELLY HAYES-RAITT

Santa Monica

Hayes-Raitt is a consumer advocate with the HomeSafe Campaign, a Santa Monica-based coalition.