What’s it all about Mattamy – QUALITY!!

alphainventions

“The person who writes that blog makes some hilarious conclusions sometimes to stir the pot.”

I found this on one posting and had a bit of a laugh. Although the writer might find some of my conclusions hilarious, I must state that I never knowingly print something wrong or something to stir the pot. I give the facts and let the reader decide. This posting was on the Stelamur Mattamy building being sold in Milton. There was a rumour that it was being sold to a feed mill, which was substantiated. People wondered if it was to be moved, which has since been substantiated by those in the area.  Someone put in a comment though that might have referred to the mill staying where it was.  I showed that it really referred to Wisconsin and not the Milton feed mill.

But, in my travels I have found others who have not lived the advertised Mattamy experience of peace and tranquility. Here are a few examples of those who have experienced Mattamy Horror.  More can be seen at HawthorneVillager.

Tanya H stated: “did you have a house inspector come out to check things? we did and out list was about 80…he found things that we never would have found- like the fact the insulation in the attic is only 11 inches and it needs to be 13.5 inches to meet R-40 specs. We used Andy Shaw from Halton Home Inspection.”

Glad they got the house inspector and I bet the following person wish they had.

Mommytotwins let us know:  “The latest if you can believe it is that I only just found out after three months is that they NEVER de-mastered our garden door and someone has been walking around with a key and full access to our home…we were told sometimes they forget the back doors so I suggest you all check yours, since we aren’t able to use them currently you might not have even realized it yet.

When I found TONS of water in my basement I was told to “keep mopping it up” we removed 10 gallons that night not counting what was soaked up by the carpet and I was basically told to stop being so picky that I’m causing other problems by making them fix current problems…can you believe it??? What did they do BUY the JD POWERS award for customer service…currently waiting for a reply from head office…no one seems to give a rats a** once they have your $$$$$$.”

Good advice on the de-mastering of ALL locks.  And she closes by saying: “and that’s just a taste of what they’ve botched up in our home “.

And Fillerguy: “can’t stress this enough. No matter what the sales person tells you, take your contract to a lawyer for review. and make sure to get a cap put on all charges (get your lawyer to do that).”

So, for those of you who have received the gift package, you should know that I am not the only one out there experiencing the pain of a Mattamy build.  My only regret – not getting a house inspector and, accepting the house with the illegal wiring, thus putting my children at risk.

And, speaking of gift baskets, I guess not all get them, at least according to this link. 

In closing, I’m going to let Matt and Janna have their say ( I wonder if they got a gift basket)

“We would be happy to ad ou story to the list of disgruntled although we doubt that will change anything. Mattamy’s Warranty Manager has been pretty good, but the members of his team are terrible. I won’t even mention the contstruction team as they were useless.

Mattamy’s biggest problem is that nobody check’s people’s work. You would think that Mattamy would come by and do a once over after people had done work in a house, but it is clear that this doesn’t happen.

None of our times are huge but some of the 70+ items on our 30 day included:

– Cracked and scratched kitchen cabinets. (we had to fight for them to replace the cracked cabinet and not just glue it together)
– Gouges in the vinyl railing on our porch (3 months later, still not fixed)
– Grout in master shower was mixed too thinly to give a lot of pinholes. They regrouted over the old grout with a different colour. When the warranty person came back he fought with my wife that it was the same colour.
– Master shower had small leak through the wall. Instead of cutting away the drywall and replacing it they simply rough patched it and left. Never came back to finish the job. It was such a bad fix that I decided to do it myself.
– Window vinyl cracked when the house settled – Warranty person used drywall compound to “patch” the vinyl. Had to call Manager to come out as he couldn’t believe one of his guys would do that.
– We had something under our dinning room carpet. The PDI person ripped up the carpet with his hands, found it was a rock, threw it to the side, and patted the carpet down with his hands.

Generally everything is done half *ss. I’m not an expert but it is clear that very few people with Mattamy do things the right way. Even the little things – like laying sod where you stagger the ends. Mattamy just throws it down and moves on. That seems to be the company mission statement.

We haven’t had any major issues but this is our new home and we expect a certain level of care to be taken. You don’t expect brand new cabinets to be scratched, tiles to be chipped, railing to be scratched. If Mattamy would have someone check over the work that was done each day the customer satisfaction would be MUCH higher. “

http://condron.us/index.php?i=6
condron.us

alphainventions

House Inspectors – How do you find them?

So, you’re in the market to buy a new home from Mattamy or another builder and you realize this will be one of the largest investments you will ever make. You’ve done the research and found a builder that seems to have a good reputation (at least through the ads and JP Powers) and you’ve looked over the glossy brochures that not only promise the world but, have the exact floorplan you need to ensure an enjoyable existance in your new shangri-la.

But this dream ends up being destroyed by builder indiffence to poor quality and illegal construction and you know Obama and Harper won’t bail you out on this one.

For a re-sale you have the accepted practice of hiring a house inspector to take a look at your potential palace and ascertain whether it will be the house from hell or, your future castle.  In terms of a new house, builders aren’t too happy to have a professional help you protect your investment.  They may let you have one attend the PDI with you but, that is optional.  You may or may not be able to have this safety put into your purchase agreement.  And, to ask that a house inspector be given access during construction in order to monitor various stages of construction is damn near impossible.  The government supports your having a PDI but how do you check framing, wiring, insulation etc when the house is finished.  Yes, I know, they sometimes let you do a frame visit but, in the grand scheme of things, how many of you are qualified to understand whether or not things are what they should be at that stage.  Most aren’t and even those so-called handymen aren’t up to snuff either.

No, you should force the issue of a house inspector for your own interest.  If they say no, then ask why and reconsider your investment of a lifetime with them.  Even Mattamy, 3rd time award winner with their pal J.D. Powers has problems – and illegal methods of selling homes.

I suggest you research a house inspector.  Do not take a recommendation from a builder or real estate agent on a house inspector.  That is obvious.  No, look towards referrals by trusted friends who have utilized the services of a house inspector and can show you what they did.  Get other referrals as well and if you want another place to check, go to the following associations and see what is in your area.

Buying a new house is like buying a condom.  Can you afford the failure rate?

 

American Society of Home Inspectors

Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors

International Association of Certified Home Inspectors

Ontario Association of Home Inspectors

 

 —————————————————————————————–

http://condron.us/index.php?i=6
condron.us

alphainventions

Life in Mattamy Land – not always so good for the children

A visit to the Hawthorne Village blog will show you that not all are happy in Mattamy land.  One person had 196 items in their PDI.  Now, you might say they are being too critical of the workmanship but, to find that many issues makes one wonder what is behind the walls that you can’t see.  As well, JD Powers consistently rewards Mattamy Homes top prize as a builder.  With what I am reading, I start to wonder just how bad the rest of the builders must be when Mattamy is considered the best.

In the blog, Bajan had a number of issues but brought up a very good point.  Mattamy talks about family etc but, have you lived in a house where the workers are doing major repairs and you have small or infant children.  Try and send them out into the yard to get them out of the way when the lot isn’t sodded yet.  And, can you imagine all the dust, etc that your infant is breathing in while the workers sand, cut and otherwise fix all the things that should have been fixed.  Major health issues that are driving people out of their new homes.

Another reported that:  “Plus, we closed Oct 30th, 6 days later, first born baby on Nov 5th. It got so bad and annoying, that we moved in with the in laws for 7 weeks (and I gave them the keys). For having the keys for 7 weeks, they have accomplished 3 things! “ 

They accommodate Mattamy by moving out for 7 weeks and only 3 things are done.  Nice to be paying for a home you can’t live in.

thepdiguy offered the following good advice:  “When dealing with warranty forms i.e 30 Day, Year End, don’t forget your dates. All repairs except seasonal should be resovled within 120 days of submission. If repairs are not completed by day 121 you have 30 in which to involve Tarion by contacting them. At day 150, if you have not contacted Tarion they can consider your lists resolved and offer no assistance with any issues left on your warranty forms.”

These dates are very important as the builder can walk out on repairs if your not diligent in following the legislation.

Hailian1 stated the following :  “Other than the dozens of items on my 30 days list, I am still waiting from the very first day the Mattamy to come up and put my HRV hose into the vent. Right now my HRV vent is till open and so is the kitchen vent. There are just open holes in the wall and water pours in on the rainy day. It’s not just only the loss of heat, animals, small creatures, mouse, rats , raccoon any thing could come inside but does Mattamy care?. And yes I have reminded them of the situation millions of times. What’s the point of having HRV if it sucks in the air from the a basement not the fresh air from outside. ”

This issue of holes in the walls is something that occured in our subdivision.  I had to foam in the holes myself.  My neighbours didn’t and it took awhile for them to rid themselves of the mice that took refuge in their basement.  Mattamy never did come back and fix the holes.  This occurred in several homes on the streets.  Hey, we come in and rip up the farmland, so where do you think the mice will go – a nice warm cozy basement.

And people wonder why I recommend a home inspector for a new home. 

itsajeepthing found out the hard way.  “the drywall problems are a pain because they make such a mess when they are repairing/tearing out walls and ceilings. We had a bunch of walls that had to be completely torn down, and new stud framing put in. They tore so much stuff out that they had to put a garbage bin in our front yard. They were in our house for about 4 or 5 weeks just for major things like wall re-framing, re-drywalling the walls and ceilings, etc. The layers of heavy drywall dust on everything was a pain in the ass to cleanup after. We had to tear out the carpets on the second floor there was so much dust in them. We replaced the carpets with hardwood. Even today you can still see a fine layer of drywall dust on the floors if they go unvacuumed for more than a couple days. “

I know of what he speaks.  A new hard drive later, our house really never got clean from the drywall dust for quite some time.  If I’d had a home inspector monitoring the construction, maybe these issues would have been resolved prior to me moving in.

 

 

http://condron.us/index.php?i=6
condron.us

alphainventions

CHMC looks at home inspectors

For those following my blog, you’ll know that my main point of interest is that you SHOULD  hire a home (house) inspector when you buy a re-sale or new home.  For a re-sale, people find that very obvious.  But, why would anyone want to hire a home inspector for a newly built home?  There shouldn’t be any problems should there?  I mean, we have government building inspectors and warranties.  Well, if you’ve read my blog and also viewed the comments from other homeowners, you’ll see, that no matter the builder, there is potentially problems.  Even top grade builders like Mattamy Homes have built lemons and treated people in a negative manner.  Ask the people in Bracebridge, Ottawa, Florida and Oakville.

You know the old adage about only a fool represents themselves in court?  Let’s face it.  We’re not all in the construction industry and, yes, we may be handy but, we aren’t qualified to review all the issues in a new home .  Do we really want to argue with the builder’s professional help on issues that we are  not trained in at the last ditch PDI?  No, I don’t think so and, that is why a home inspector should be hired.

The CHMC (Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation) itself discusses home inspectors and what you should look for.

1. “Should I hire a home inspector to inspect my new home?A pre-delivery inspection (PDI) may be a requirement in closing the purchase of a new home. During the pre-delivery inspection, the homebuyer and builder inspect the home to ensure both parties are satisfied that the conditions of the sales agreement have been met, any outstanding work, and warrantable defects or deficiencies, are identified. If you do not feel that you have the knowledge to judge whether or not your new home meets the conditions set out in the agreement you could retain a home inspector to help you. Note that some builders have policies concerning who may be present during the pre-delivery inspection so it’s best to inquire with the builder during the negotiation of the sales agreement whether or not this is possible.You should also be aware that pre-delivery inspections are fairly specialized and not all home inspectors have experience in this area. If you have permission from the builder to bring a home inspector to your PDI, enquire if the inspector has the knowledge/experience to conduct this type of inspection. ” 

    

 

 

 

This link has a lot of good advice on what to look for when hiring a home(house) inspector.  Take a look at it before deciding on what to do.  If a government agency that regulates housing has a positive spin on home inspectors, I think you should take another look at hiring one.  It’s always nice to have someone in your court when you are trying to get fair treatment from a builder and the facts to back up your argument. 

Heed the advice of the CHMC – ”

It’s often said that one of the most expensive and important purchases you will ever make will be your home. However, unlike the guarantee a buyer receives with most purchases, there’s no money-back guarantee or return policy if you’re not satisfied with your recently purchased home. Once you buy a home, you’re on your own to maintain it, repair it, anticipate problems and pay the bills. This is why it’s best to know as much as you can about potential problems before you make the commitment to buy.”

Problem is, you’ve already bought the house before you inspect it.  So, maybe ask the builder to allow access by a home inspector during the construction.  I’m sure Mattamy Homes feels strongly about their quality.  Why would they refuse??

http://condron.us/index.php?i=6
condron.us

alphainventions

Mattamy – will the windowsill support the pie?

I saw a Mattamy Homes ad recently in the Toronto Star where they ask the question: “What does the word ‘home’ mean to you?”.  They answer with, “The pie on the windowsill” and talk about swings, snowmen and baseball sized holes in the basement window.  They close with a “home means security and family and laughter”.

 

We see the power of advertising and awards but, it seems that JD Powers has no problem giving awards to a builder that sells homes with illegal (code) wiring; sells homes in Ottawa where they didn’t have permits to do so; and, has recently pled guilty to doing illegal landfill in an ecologically sensitive floodplain (nothing about this in the Toronto Star).  A company that promotes “green” homes is the same company that starts construction on land fertilized with human waste (against provincial policy) and is guilty of ecological insensitivity.

 

Now, we know that they can’t be the only builder that does so but, do you really read a lot about other builders?  Not really but, I am sure they have their faults.  Maybe it is because the other builders put more effort into ensuring the consumer is dealt with properly, not with bully boys and legal threats or, illegal breaches of code that are forgiven by inspectors who work for a town that accepts large donations from Mattamy Homes.

 

Mattamy has shown itself to run roughshod over consumers in Florida, Bracebridge, Ottawa and Oakville and still get away with it.  Fortunately the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority had the willpower to make them accountable for their lack of environmental concern and the fact that their actions could have impacted negatively on a lot of people in the future.  Something the Town of Oakville didn’t do but the council and mayor still accept donations.

 

I don’t know about you but, my family did not experience security and laughter when we closed with our Mattamy Home, contrary to the advertisement.  The help of a house inspector might have prevented what happened or, at least, assisted us in getting properly served by someone paid by us to build a proper house, one I’d be proud of putting an apple pie on the windowsill.

 

http://condron.us/index.php?i=6
condron.us

Mattamy – They’ll get you “one way or another”!!!!

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll have seen how Mattamy Homes has ignored people’s complaints, used shortcuts to further their business, sold homes via illegal (code) wiring authorized by Town of Oakville officials – a town that has received large donations and, a plethora of other faults that just seem to be overlooked by everyone from JD Powers to government officials. Some put people’s lives at risk but, it seems Mattamy is blessed with some immunity.

I received a letter from a homeowner in the Ottawa area who has some issues with his house, issues he has brought to the attention of Mattamy but, it seems they have pressed the ignore button on him – no flowers for him I guess. But, we also see another side of Mattamy in his dealings. Prior to a development being turned officially over to the municipal jurisdiction, the developer/builders are responsible for road maintenance etc. That is why you see the “USE AT OWN RISK” signs to limit their liability. But I say, once they have sold the house and allowed residency, they have some responsibility to ensure that the homeowner can safely get to their house. Not so Mattamy!!! Seems you can disappear in a pothole on their roads and it is “Driver Beware”.

So, before you drive down a Mattamy built ‘ROAD OF DOOM”, you might want to read the attached letter. (and, there are pictures).  Oh, and Steve and Wayne (you’ll meet them) – seems they play “Good Cop – Bad Cop” in this little scenario.

Mr. Steve Chochrane.
About a month back my bumper on my 2009 Honda Civic was cracked due to the huge dip in the entrance to our community. There was a mattamy truck parked in the way so I had to go around which is when I bottomed out and hit the sewer bump that was sticking up. The entranceway is in incredibly bad shape and is steadily getting worse with each day.

I had called customer care and spoke with you (steve chochrane), where you empathized with me and then told me to call warranty. During this breif conversation you were helpful and agreed that the road needed fixing and that mattamy would fix my car. I then proceeded to call warranty where I got an answering machine. I left my details and received a call the next day almost 24 hours later. This is where I spoke to Wayne, he was rude and immediately told me that I would have to go through my insurance. I immediately told him that if i were to do that, that I would have to pay a fairly hefty deductible and my insurance rates would go up, to say nothing about the black mark it would leave on my insurance. He then told me that there is nothing he could do about it, and when I told him about our neighbours simliar problem where mattamy paid for their broken vehicle, he told me that there is no way they paid for it. Calling me a liar is not good customer service.

For all the problems we have with our home what with the 15 nail pops in a 6 inch radius, and the top and bottom doors having to be replaced, wasting who knows how many dollars on heating costs and the hardwood having to be replaced for the third time, I think it’s time mattamy did something positive. Instead of ignoring me and my wifes repeated phone calls perhaps you could get this problem fixed. We have called Honda and have been given the quote of $450 for the bumper and another $450 to have it installed and painted. I have attached photos of the bumper and of the roads.

When I spoke with you steve you agreed that the roads were in incredibly bad shape and needed to be fixed, when I spoke to wayne I was told that mattamy didn’t deem the roads need to be fixed! I’m getting opposite answers from the same company. I want my bumper paid for and I will do what it takes. Even if that means going door to door in this neighbourhood and finding others who have suffered vehicle damage due to the shoddy entranceway. Not only did wayne say the roads were fine, but he asked me why I didn’t use the other entrance. But if the roads are fine why should I? We live in a community with constant construction, big trucks driving in and out all day, did someone fail to budget road fixes? If i have to go to the newspaper I will, If i have to contact Jan Harder and see what the city can do, I will. Please just come good on one thing for us. Your roads damaged my car and it’s only fair that you take responsibility for it. Wayne told me the only way I would get anything out of mattamy would be to hire a lawyer. I don’t think it needs to come to that. Thank you

 

Am I the only “village idiot” out there?

I received the following comment on my blog:  Déjà vu in Bracebridge or, same old, same old……...  It is an exact copy.

1.      Who ever runs/ maintains this site is an idiot. You are a disgruntal homeowner who probably had unrealistic expectations for what you purchased. I believe I have seen numerous references to the “bullies”, refering to Mattamy. The only bully here is you. Visit a construction site, speak with the municipality before you condemn the way you do.

Best of luck and enjoy your life

Comment by Anonymous — December 11, 2008 @ 10:04 pm | Edit This

Well, in terms of the treatment I received from Mattamy Homes, I’m certainly not the only idiot in the village I guess but, it is obvious that Mr. Anonymous has not bothered to read my entire blog or, he would realize that I have in fact visited many construction sites, spoke to the Town of Oakville on multiple occasions and I did not have “unrealistic expectations” for what I purchased.  In fact, I only wanted them to follow the law.  I guess Mr. Anonymous feels that is unrealistic.  The bullies, that is another story.

Just for the record, I am not the only one who is disappointed at Mattamy Homes doing illegal wiring in order to close the sale.  These resulted from my “speaking with the municipality”.

Mr. David Humm, former Director of the Town of Oakville Building Services Department is quoted as follows: “It is noted that in your earlier letter to Genstar, you were under the impression that your furnace had been inspected and passed at the time of occupancy.  This was not so and had an inspection been called for at that time, a recommendation of not to occupy would have been made”.

Well, contrary to Mr. Humm, there was an inspection notice on the furnace from the Town Inspector stating the furnace had passed.  In addition, the Mattamy Homes’ employee pointed to this permit when I inquired about the wiring and he stated that the furnace had passed and that the wiring was legal.  I don’t believe this is an “unrealistic expectation” on my part but one of a concerned buyer looking at a safety issue that would affect my family.

 

I have found a copy of a letter from Garry Davis, Manager of Inspection Services, Town of Oakville to Mayor Ann Mulvale where the following was expressed:

 “Mr. Naismith was extremely upset at the unprofessional dealings his builder had exacted on him.  Especially at issue was the way electrical wiring had been placed between his dwelling and the neighbour’s.  Expressing agreement that (although under Ontario Hydro Jurisdiction) this was an unacceptable practice and I would place Mattamy Homes on notice with a written letter that this is unacceptable practice and the Town of Oakville will expect due care and diligence if a temporary electrical hook-up is again required between any units.”

He goes on: “In conclusion, I will be corresponding with both Mattamy Homes and Ontario Hydro regarding the electrical situation.  I would recommend a meeting with Mr. Naismith who has expressed that he wishes to meet with you.”

I never saw this report nor the comments to Mattamy Homes or Ontario Hydro until I forced the issue to Council and, I am unaware if Mattamy Homes was ever placed on notice regarding this “unacceptable practice”.  I should note that Mayor Ann Mulvale never passed this report on to me, nor did she contact me.  But, she was actively engaged in requesting donations for a worthy project from Mattamy Homes at this time.  I don’t know if this had any bearing on my case though.   This illegal wiring practice could be deemed dangerous under the electrical code and, could have caused injury or death to the occupants of the building or workman using the pathway.  There was no signage on this illegal wiring and in the event of rain, water could have flowed along the wire and into the house, causing a short at the connection.  In the event of a death or injury, we would be looking at Criminal Negligence charges being considered in that they failed to do their duty in this wiring situation and it resulted in an injury or death.  But then, “a what if” is worth less than a donation in the Town of Oakville’s books.

 

So Mr. Anonymous, I hope I have cleared up your concerns and showed you that I was not a “disgruntal homeowner who probably had unrealistic expectations for what you purchased”.

 

I am a disgruntled homeowner who fails to see why Mattamy Homes can commit crimes (illegal wiring, illegal dumping, illegal construction on land fertilized with bio-solids) in order to sell houses and, the municipality you wish me to speak to does nothing about it – not even a public apology. 

I am sure there are other idiots in Bracebridge, Cambridge and Ottawa who are also disgruntled by the way Mattamy Homes has bullied them in regards to sales and expectations.  Those are on record, a record that is not reflected in accolades that firms like J.D. Powers shower upon Mattamy Homes.  As I stated in an earlier blog, awards don’t tell the whole story.  And donations go a long way.

But then, if I’d hired a house inspector, these problems may not have happened.  Unfortunately, the builder can refuse to allow you to put this into the purchase agreement and thus protect your investment and, both the Town of Oakville and Province of Ontario refused to pass any by-law or legislation to allow you to do this.

Mattamy Homes – you’d think they’d learn

I recenlty read a blog called, “Moving into Seaton Creekside” , which discusses future Mattamy development in the Pickering area.  Appears Mattamy is trying to push through council the right to start some construction, without final approval of the plans.  I mean, didn’t they learn about this stuff with the Ottawa fiasco?  I see they are only mentioning that they are going to sell homes but I guess they haven’t started yet, thank god. 

I quote the following from the blog: “Mattamy on the other hand says, “well the land is for building homes and shops so let us get to now because its ours and we gonna dig it up and tear it down all the same!” while wagging their tongues at city officials.”  Seems rather arrogant in my book but then, Mattamy Homes, as you have read in my blog has historically got what they wanted, until they hit the brick wall in Ottawa. 

It would seem that those 3 JD Power awards have gone to someone’s head in that they think they can just tell councils to do what Mattamy wants.  Arrogant to say the least.  Hope the bulley boys don’t attend the October 20th Council meeting and try to pursuade the elected officials to bend over and submit.  At least in Oakville, council got donations for certain projects and Milton got money for free transit.  I wonder what Pickering will get?

Mattamy Homes – how do they shape up with other builders?

I did my own JD Powers style survey today but, before you look at the results, I must admit they are not as scientific as what JD Powers would have done (or expected that they did) but, I found the results interesting.

I did a google search on “company name PROBLEMS”.   I.E. Mattamy problems.  If I got no response from google (I did for Mattamy), I would then add the word “builder”, especially if I got things totally unconnected to the builder in my first search.  These results are only on a 1 page search and the numbers do not reflect multiple problems discussed in a forum, just the one hit on the forum.

Based on this, I got the following results:

1. Mattamy            4
2. Ballantry            1
3. Minto                 1
4. Brookfield          1
5. Arista                 1
6. Great Gulf          0
7. Daniels Group    0

It is interesting that the company that got the highest award from JD Powers for customer satisfaction had the largest number of problem entries on Google when I searched builders.  For the record, I did not include any complaint that I might have posted.

As you can see more than Mattamy Homes do have problems and therefore I would still consider hiring a house inspector to monitor construction.  Just that with some builders with more problems, you might get more value from hiring the house inspector.

Mattamy Homes – another viewpoint

Appears Mattamy Homes is still living up to their JD Powers customer satisfaction award – yeah right. 🙂

Go to this link and see the real Mattamy Homes attitude in action: ATTITUDE