Article
and Video Courtesy of ABC ACTION NEWS
By
Carson Chambers
Published
August 7, 2012
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VIDEO
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MANATEE
COUNTY, Fla. - The problems started with a leak inside his new condo.
Now
Armando Oyola-Delgado lives like he's in a hospital contamination zone.
"It
actually is so the mold doesn't cross into here," he said,
unzipping a plastic sheet that hangs at the sliding glass doors inside
his condo.
But the worst part of it is beyond
the curtain on his back deck.
"I went through the floor right
there," said Oyola-Delgado pointing upwards where he
says he stepped through the ceiling from the 2 nd
floor.
Oyola-Delgado bought his home inside Willowbrook in East
Manatee County in 2006. He says that leak has ruined his
home and the homebuilder, KB Home, is to blame. But his
closing contract won't let him sue.
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"They'd come out, tear it apart, put it all
back together, rainy season, water fall," he explained.
The structural problems are not just Oyola-Delgado’s
problem. Manatee County building inspectors spent the day tacking-up
warning posters and telling a handful of homeowners parts of their condos
are unsafe.
"He said the handrails were not good which
means they could give way if someone leaned on them or he said that the
decking seemed to be giving a little bit under, you know, walking on
it," said John Barnott, Director of Manatee County Building and
Development Services.
Teresa Jones says KB homes fixed her leak years ago but complains the
latest problems with her neighbors recently cost her a contract on her
home.
"People walked away. Yeah, so it's
disheartening," she sad.
When we contacted KB Home a spokesperson says the
Willowbrook HOA is suing the homebuilder. The HOA President did not return
our phone calls.
KB Home also sent ABC Action News a statement: “KB
Home is committed to customer satisfaction and has been working diligently
to resolve the issues. The Willowbrook Association recently presented KB
Home with a claim on behalf of its members and we have worked with the
Association to inspect their concerns and look forward to fully and fairly
resolving the homeowners’ concerns.”
Tell that to Oyola-Delgado who's still living behind
a curtain.
"Buy it back. Sayonara. I'm done with you guys.
You're done with me. You're happy. I'm happy. I'm gone. You know,
hopefully they don't continue building like this," he said.
The county told Oyola-Delgado he can live at his
condo at his own risk. They also say they have a dozen more inspections
lined-up for next week.
If you want an inspection, you can call the Manatee
County Inspection Division at 941-748-4501 ext. 3874.
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