Problems With Oakwood Dealer

[Cleda Stephens]

Our new home was set on our lot May 7 2002. The dealer promised a porch and ramp for my disabled husband. After numerous calls and complaint to Better Business Bureau, to this date we do not have a satisfactory ramp. One was built (TOO STEEP) days to get it torn down and another rebuilt (IT IS A MESS, CURVES IN AT THE BOTTOM) 4 foot at the top and 3 foot at the bottom. We have had numerous other problems, refrigerator, air conditioner, wet carpet, bath not hooked up for a month. My life has been a nightmare for three months now. I am speaking of the dealer at Barboursville WV. I want everybody to know what a terrible experience this has been. The house itself may be fine but repeated lies and excuses don't cut it. I hope everybody doesn't have the trouble we have had and I see no hope in sight of this mess being resolved.
Cleda

[rmurray]

Have you called the corporate office customer service lines....Have you talked to the district manager....Have you talked to the lender...All these talks should be done with a rational, professional attitude...Basically calling and cussing them out will not get you very far..

It is obvious that you have run in to a local manager with little skill...now he will be covering his posterior...not worried too much about you...You need to go over his head...closer to the top the better..

Unfortunately coorporate owned stores in general have a problems with good local managers....Of course..there are some good ones out there....but...there are far more job scared inexperienced managers in every large coorporate sales organization in the business...

Posting here will get you some sympathy...but will not solve your problem...If your husband had hurt himself on that bad ramp...you would have owned a large chunk of Oakwood...Upper managment would have realized this...

[Millie]

Please let us know what happens on this. Before I buy a manufactured home, I'd like to see how easy it is for m-h homeowners to get problems resolved. Good luck!

[Cleda Stephens]

Well another week has gone by and no one has been sent to repair this awful looking ramp even though the dealer manager came out and looked at it and promised to send another man out to see what he could do about it this week. The longer this goes on the madder I get. I am writing to Greensboro NC at this point.
Cleda

[Peggy]

Mrs Stephens, I'm not an attorney but I DO know that handicap requirements are a real HOT button right now. I hate to recommend that anybody whine to the Feds but you might want to contact some federal bureaucrat (don't know which office - it may be under HUD) about this. The Americans With Disabilities Act comes into the picture somehow. I'm surprised your local building inspector passed this home with the unacceptable handicap ramp. If an accident occurs and hubby gets hurt - there could be a big lawsuit (like Mr. Murray said). Why don't you call the chief building inspector of your county/city and tell him all this? A certificate of occupancy (do they issue these on manufactured homes?) is not supposed to be issued until everything meets building code and it sounds like this ramp does NOT meet code. I'd be ringing the inspector up Monday morning. I work in the building dept of a small municipality and I can assure you that they will take this seriously. If they don't - call your city council person or county commissioner (the building inspector's boss) and you'll get some action. In the meantime, be very careful on that ramp. Please keep us posted.

[aikanae]

i agree with the above poster. you have an advantage getting your complaints resolved (so use them!) you can contact several state agencies including ADA (they have other resources as well) office reguarding disabled. it's sad to hear that a contractor/home agency is so ???? (clueless) when it comes to basic requirements for accomidations. that is a hot spot since a number of homes are being marketed because of their "universal design standards" that site built homes haven't come up to par with (and can make changes for accomidations faster - supposedly).

[Cleda Stephens]

Hello and thanks for your recommendations. It is quite apparent that this dealer could care less about our concern and has shown us no consideration whatsoever. Just this evening I had to take my husband to VA Hospital, didn't really need to call 911 this time thank goodness. I did write to Greensboro NC and await to hear from them. Mr Goodall, the dealer had once again told us someone would be here today August 8 2002 but once again NO ONE CAME NO ONE CALLED. I am about ready to see a lawyer. Better Business Bureau and i are staying in contact by email. Thanks everyone here for your helpful advice.
Cleda

[Cleda Stephens]

Well here goes again. Since my last post finally on August 14 2002 the dealer manager sent a fellow out but seems this time this fellow Toney was only told to put up rails on the unprotected side. My husband explained to him what needed to be done, then he returned to his boss telling him that the ramp needed to be torn down and rebuilt. His boss again told him to come back out and only put up rails, that was all he was going to do. At this time my husband was on the phone demanding to speak to someone higher up and finally got to speak to a Mr Campbell. Another 24 hours later my husband received a phone call from Mr Campbell on August 15 2002 stating that they were willing to remove this mess from our property and give us the $1,000.00 to hire someone to build a decent ramp by specifications. Now we will see how long that takes but I am not about to hold my breath until I see the check etc. I hope my posting here will be proof of what transpires in this case. Needless to say by this time my husband was outraged and indeed did call the WV ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE. When Mr Campbell suggested sending an inspector out I am sure Mr Goodall did not want any inspector sent out here to see what a disgusting mess we were presented with and three months a stress, worry and aggravation.
Cleda

[Cleda Stephens]

No they did not come out to remove the ramp nor did we receive the $1,000.00 as promised even though my husband called and told them he had a "REAL CARPENTER" ready to go to work this morning/
Cleda

[Cleda Stephens]

August 20 2002 a crew from the Oakwood Dealer in Barboursville WV finally came and removed the porch and ramp and my husband was handed $1,000.00 in cash. Today we now have a beautiful porch and ramp that is well built and we are so grateful for the resolution of this problem. Just one other problem the crew that took down the ramp with a chain saw sawed into the vinyl on the front but made no effort to fix that. Now I will have to try to get that fixed.