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Article Courtesy of The
First Coast News
By Anne Schindler
Published April 16, 2016
JACKSONVILLE - Jury selection began Monday in a construction
defect case that pits hundreds of local condo owners against the nation’s
largest homebuilder.
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The lawsuit alleges that
D.R. Horton violated Florida Building Code when it built the
240-unit Heron’s Landing complex on Beach Boulevard. The
lawsuit, filed in 2013, specifically cites widespread
construction defects, including cracked stucco, leaking roofs
and improperly installed balconies. A handful of subcontractors
are also named as defendants.
The case is unusual because construction defect claims are
typically handled in secret. Virtually every modern sales
contract prohibits home or condo owners from suing in open
court, and instead forces them into a closed process called
arbitration. But this case was filed not by individual condo
owners, but by the Heron's Landing Condominium Association – a
body not bound by individual sale contracts.
First Coast News reached out to D.R. Horton’s local office and
its corporate headquarters in Texas for comment, but have not
heard back yet. |
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Condo owners at Heron's Landing claim widespread
construction defects at the Beach Boulevard complex.
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Because there are multiple defendants in the case, the Duval County Clerk of
Court summoned an extra large jury pool—150 potential jurors to fill six seats,
with four alternates. A jury is expected to be seated tomorrow. |
