ComplaintsforCore Homes, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I contracted Core Homes LLC to add a second driveway at my home and they unfortunately did not complete the work to my liking. The job was done during a heavy rainstorm, which they informed me would be fixed with a concrete resurfacing product if I paid the full amount agreed for the work prior to completing the repair. After paying them, they went back on their word and refused to fix the driveway until I signed a warranty/agreement that was incorrectly drawn up and was restrictive in its language, preventing me from objecting to any aspect of the job that I could be unhappy with. I have asked them several times to adjust the warranty/contract to fairly cover both parties best interests but they have ignored my concerns and continued to bully me into agreeing to their terms.

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  The driveway agreement stipulated full payment after the concrete slab was poured. While the concrete was poured on June 30, 2023, the customer withheld payment over concerns about structural integrity due to a brief rain. We agreed to provide a written and transferrable warranty to address this concern. Payment was finally received on 8/11/2023, and the warranty was delivered on 8/14/2023. 
  
  With respect to the job quality, the brief rain that occurred during the concrete pouring, lasting approximately 20 minutes, did not pose a risk to the structural integrity of the slab. This assessment was confirmed by both the concrete manufacturer/mixer and the concrete finisher. The customer's complaint now primarily pertains to the aesthetics of the slab.  
  
  At no point did Core Homes engage in any "bullying" behavior. Our intention has always been to satisfy the customer's concerns by offering complimentary resurfacing services and providing a written warranty, which still remains available upon signing of the warranty.

  Customer response

  09/07/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Core Homes LLC is not describing the conditions of the finished product correctly nor are they truthfully describing the conditions on the day the concrete was poured. We have live video of the effects the rainstorm had on the concrete slab the day it was poured, along with photos of the final product and have expressed our concern on numerous occasions to Core Homes but it has seemingly been ignored. Additionally, I have made several attempts to communicate to Core Homes the need to adjust the document they have drafted as a warranty in order for me to move forward with signing it, but they have ignored these requests and have simply said I need to sign this document "as is" that I don't agree with in order to move forward with the repair they've previously agreed to do. I have email documentation of all of this, as does Core Homes. 

  Like I have communicated to Core Homes in writing several times, if the document they've drafted is indeed a Warranty, then I should have the choice to sign it upon completion of the work. Their response, which again has been confirmed in writing, is that I must sign this document in order to have them finish the work. Furthermore, we also have in writing the email from Core Homes stating that I need to pay the full balance of the job prior to even seeing the Warranty document and of course having them complete the work. This is a textbook example of a big company bullying its customer and repeatedly ignoring the valid objections and requests made. It is my understanding that this sort of treatment is commonly received by the customers of Core Homes, many of which are my neighbors, and I hope that my efforts to bring this treatment to light will encourage others to come out and tell the truth about the treatment they've received when making honest assessments of the work that should be completed properly by licensed professionals.

  Attached are photos of the slab that was poured for your review and to document clearly the lack of quality in the finished product.

  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  

  Business response

  09/16/2023

  We have successfully executed the concrete work in accordance with the terms outlined in the agreement between Core Homes and this customer. It is worth noting that concrete is an exterior surface subject to exposure to environmental conditions, including occasional rainfall.
  
  Our warranty pertaining to concrete is exclusively focused on structural integrity and does not encompass matters related to aesthetic preferences or concerns. Nevertheless, as a gesture of goodwill, we are extending an offer to resurface the customer’s parking pad at no expense.
  
  In light of the customer’s adversarial and contentious interactions with our Core team, we insist on formalizing the concrete structural warranty through a signed agreement.  Upon execution of the agreement, we will complete the complimentary resurfacing of the concrete. 

  Customer response

  09/22/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: again, we are not getting an accurate description of the events that took place on the day this job was done; and furthermore, the need to label me, the customer, as adversarial or contentious is just wrong, when I am simply relaying the assessments provided to me by 3rd party concrete professionals and also a Construction Lawyer whom is based in Chattanooga and has a history defending residents of **** ****** against Core Homes.

  Core is claiming that they've tested the slab's integrity, yet I have never given permission or seen Core Homes or any subcontractor they've hired do anything more than a visual inspection of the concrete slab. There has been no core sample taken, never has there been a hammer test done to measure the strength of the surface, yet Core has repeatedly assured me that the slab is fine and it's perfectly normal for the surface of the slab to constantly wither away (dusting), in addition to the top layer which has clearly washed away and hardened along the sidewalls of the slab, exposing the aggregate in multiple parts of the driveway.

  Secondly, the description of a light rain on the day the job was done is simply not true and again points to the dishonesty willingly displayed by Core Homes. According to the national weather service on the date of 6/30 in the zip code of ***** we had a brief heavy rainfall period between the hours of 11:53 am - 12:53 pm where a total of 0.8 in of rainfall came down in 1 hour. To put this in perspective, 0.8 in of rainfall within an hour equals 2x the amount categorized as a "very heavy rain" by the National Weather Service. Again, I have video footage of the top layer of the slab washing away on the day it was poured and assessments from multiple 3rd party professionals assuring me the job that was done was incorrect and should be redone.

  Last but not least, an agreement was made with Core Homes that was confirmed by email. At no point did I review or sign an actual contract, or pay a deposit, prior to the work being done. In addition to this, I made several attempts via email to get a timeline from Core on when the driveway would be poured and never got that firm timeline. Instead, the sub-contractor hired by Core showed up at my house on a day I was traveling and pressured my wife into agreeing to move forward with the work despite the lack of notice. Again, I want to reiterate that all of my concerns are rooted in the assessments provided by multiple concrete professionals and other Construction related professionals, none of this is emotion based. Furthermore, I would also like to reiterate that I have made several attempts to express my concerns to Core Homes that have either been ignored or I have been misled to pay the full balance on this job before the work is done and I was fully satisfied. I am also now being forced to sign a warranty that again I object to several parts of in order to move forward with the "good will" Core has apparently agreed to provide.

  If my concerns are not properly and honestly addressed, I will be moving forward with legal action.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

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