Builder Sues: Alleges Home Inspection Fraud

[hausdok]

By Steve Green - Mon, Mar 16, 2009

A homebuilder claims a Las Vegas company is fraudulently offering free home inspections as part of a scheme to induce homeowners into filing construction defect claims and lawsuits.

William Lyon Homes Inc. last week sued M.C. Mojave Construction, also known as C D S Construction Design Specialists; and two men associated with the companies, Charles Partington and John Wilson.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleges the defendants have violated federal and state laws by offering the inspections in developments built by William Lyon and deceiving homeowners into believing the inspectors are working for or with William Lyon.

William Lyon, formerly known as Presley Homes, says it has been building homes in the Las Vegas area since 1995 and has built such projects as the Kingsway Ridge, Ebbets Ranch and the Belvedere communities.

To read more in the Las Vegas Sun, click here.

To download a copy of the lawsuit, [url'http://media.lasvegassun.com/media/pdfs/2009/03/12/wlyon.pdf"]click here[/url].

[Chad Fabry]

I read this article and hemmed and hawed over whether to post it. Nevada is a licensing state and it doesn't say whether the two scammers are actually home inspectors.

[Brandon Whitmore]

Chad,

I'm not sure if you read this:

"The lawsuit alleges that neither Partington nor Wilson are licensed to inspect homes, but have nevertheless been offering inspections of homes built by William Lyon."

[SonOfSwamp]

I read this article and hemmed and hawed over whether to post it. Nevada is a licensing state and it doesn't say whether the two scammers are actually home inspectors.

Just guessing, but it's plausible that the two inspecting guys aren't doing what their state calls home inspections.

Here in assbackwards Nashville, some ultra-hungry HIs are selling what most HIs would call pre-listing inspections. But they're calling the jobs "assessments" or some such, they're skirting the state definition(s) of "home inspection," and they're charging about a buck and half to do the jobs.

Best I know, there's nothing wrong with doing a "walk-and-talk" or such like for the purpose of alerting would-be buyers to defects. Simply put, if these guys can actually find and prove defects without breaking the state law, they're doing their customers a pretty good service. And, better yet (IMHO), they're regaining their freedom from the bureaucrats, lobbyists, and meddlesome gov't types in general.

WJ