Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

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Kiersten

Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by Kiersten » Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:41 am

I posted this here once but someone deleted it and I cant figure out why.

I purchased a new home just going on 5 years ago.

We have had several problems with the plumbing fixures BREAKING, first time was with in 2 or 3 months of living here - and it caused extensive flooding at the secondary bathroom end of the home - and in one of my kids bedrooms, and flooded the 'belly' of the house.

They 'fixed' it by replacing what broke in teh wall, and simply vacumed up the water and let the water out from under the house.

THey never did put an access panel in.

The same pipe broke again just a few months back causing a slow leak and very bad damage to the floor under the tub and between the bedroom wall and living room wall (mold growth, damage and rot to the dry wall).

Now this week a pipe broke in the wall of the master bath and is causing damage up the wall, with mold etc.


Also the fixture to the icemaker (water line) broke the week we moved in and caused water damage, mold staining coming up under the linolium flooring.


Is there any kind of LAWS ? We went back to the manufacture who blantantly told us we were 'out of warranty' - and our insurance co won't touch it stating "it is maintenance issues".

I am VERY concerned about the level and smell of mold/mildew in my sons room from this!

~Kiersten Barnes

rmurray

Re: Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by rmurray » Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:22 am

First thing to do is check your water preasure...sounds like it is too high..if it is over 50 lps..you need a pressure valve in the water line..
This should have been installed when the home was put in..high water pressure is not the fault of the home..your owners manual should cover this point...


There is no such thing as a "lemon" law for a 5 year old home...just as there is NO lemon law for a 5 year old car...BUT...with manufactured homes..HUD does require he home to have been built to code..and there is no time limit if there is a HUD violation...I doubt you have one..but you can check out this HUD web site for info..

http://www.hud.gov/complaints/manhousing.cfm

Now..for the matter of insurance...bursting waterline are usually covered by homeowners insurance...There are 2 kinds of homeowners...

full comprehensive..which covers anything accidental and sudden..such as your problem.....

the other..usually cheaper priced insurance is named peril insurance..it will only cover specific items listed in the policy...read you policy if this is the type of insurance you have...there is 1 company out there that covers nothing but fire..of course its price is cheap..most named peril policies will cover bursting water lines...but not all..

SHIRLEY LINCOLN

Re: Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by SHIRLEY LINCOLN » Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:47 am

I was told that if you have any kind of a problem with a health issue that you are not responsible for then you can go to the Board of Health in your local community and they will make sure that something gets done.

It seems to be the responsibility of the Mobile Home Manufacturer to me, but that should be determined by the Board of Health. MOLD IS A HEALTH ISSUE.......

You can also contact the Main Office either by E-mail or by telephone - describe your problem - and see what they say. The way Internet is today, I'm sure that they would not want you to send thousands of E-mails out discrediting their brand of Mobile Homes. You can do more harm to them then they would think it would be worth.

I noticed that you did not mention the brand name of the Mobile Home. I am in the process right now of looking for one, and I would sure I stayed clear of that Manufacturer.

Let me know if you get any results from the info that I have given you.

Shirley Lincoln 10/29/04

rmurray

Re: Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by rmurray » Fri Oct 29, 2004 8:32 am

I have never heard of a health department who has any standing in the case of a water leak in a 5 year old home..manufactured or built any other way...

There is a point where homeowners have to take some responsibility....At least HUD has no time limitation on HUD violations...try that with the local building inpsector on a site built home..

michelle mckinney

Re: Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by michelle mckinney » Tue Aug 02, 2005 6:44 pm

hello,i know how you feel i live in florida i also have mold and mildew in my 1997 mh it is a fleetwood and the roof is leaking i cant getting help either if we dont get help soon....we are going to have to move also our insurance company wont help us either....do you have any advice i would really appreciate it i hope things r getting better for you....michelle mclinney

David Oxhandler

Re: Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by David Oxhandler » Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:03 am

If you home is a 1997 then the warranty expired some time ago. What ever happened before is really not as important as what is continuing to happen to your home. If you don't stop the water intrusion your problem will grow worse and more expensive to correct over time.

If you had purchased a new car that was that long out of warranty and the brakes failed you would no doubt have them fixed. Take charge of your problem. Call a few local roofing contractors for prices and get the roof repaired now before any more water gets in.

Janet Smith

Re: Lemon Laws on Mobile/modular homes?

Post by Janet Smith » Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:54 pm

I found some serious issues with my 2002 Schult two years after I bought it in the form of a slow leak between the inner and outer wall in one place caused by poor roof construction. And HUD even agreed with me when I pursued it that they had violated code. But Schult, having been bought out by Oakwood, who filed bankruptcy four months after I bought the home, got off scot free because they protected themselves in this underhanded way. So I have to pay for everything myself on this home that supposedly still is under warrenty.

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