Arbitration covers for bad builders Tremont Homes builds for you
again and yet again!
When you buy your Tremont Home ... realize that in your earnest
money contract you are giving away your right to sue your builder.
If you do not find everything wrong with the subject property,( all
of the defects during your walk though) ... you are screwed. You
will need more than an average inspection to catch them. They do not
disclose defects, water intrusion, mold or faulty roofs. They do
however do a great job of hiding them. They seem to have contempt
for their own buyers. You will need an air quality test, moisture
tests, an engineering and architectural report. It may cost you a
little more up front, but maybe it will keep you from being homeless
in less than two years with a 30 year mortgage.
Tremont and Stature Construction have been thrown out of the Better
Business Bureau and used as the BBB's poster child for bad business:
As Tremont/Stature Construction. Be sure you find out who is
actually building the Tremont house no matter what their signs say.
These homes have the eye candy to entice you.
But we have houses with eye candy...and thirty year mortgages than
didn't last two years. Some have been empty for two or three years.
No one will buy them and they sit growing mold and deteriorating.
These men built Hyde Park Crescent and admit in their own sworn
testimony they knew all 44 houses were defective when they sold
them. They also knew these homes had toxic mold. but do not consider
that a problem.
They had many decks needing complete repair, leaks and other
problems on their Knox Street development.
Thomas Thibodeau and Jorge Casimiro and Armad Al Bana were the
general partners that bought you the 3 year old uninhabited Tremont
Tower on Yupon and Westheimer. Drive by that fiasco, please.
They were fired building the police station in Bunker Hill after the
job was 7 months behind and had $120,000 dollars worth of mold
remediation.
They were not allowed to register, yet another company with the TRCC
because of the problems, complaints and the fact that the head of
their legal department and warranty division was a convicted felon.
They have new projects all over town including. Memorial Park
Village 11, Sheller Street, 77007, This new projects is just laying
in wait for you in presale.
Jorge Casimiro remains on the Harris County Housing Authority: even
though he is being sued by many in Hyde Park Crescent and other
developments. These builders have on going cases in court and in AAA
arbitration.
Please check them out on the Internet under HOBB, Homeowners for
Better Building and HADD, Homebuyers against Defective Dwelling:
Both are national organizations that try to warn consumers. These
builders can also be can be read about under Tort reform, Ralph
Nader's web sight. Or Google my name Jordan Fogal.
Ask your Tremont salesman if Tremont houses are of such excellent
quality ... and built by such sterling individuals, why they need to
be protected from responsibility by arbitration clauses? Ask them if
they believe in their product will they sell you a home without one?
This group of individuals made." Contractors from Hell," in people
magazine and were the subject of a seven page expose in "Mother
Jones Magazine." Hopefully this information will assist you in
making a more informed decision.
"He will cheat without scruples, who can cheat without fear."
Thomas Jefferson
Tremont Homes
Arbitration and bad building's effects on foreclosure rates Fear
Factor Foreclosure.....
the rest of the story.
Are you sure your new home is protected? Are you sure your family,
will not join the growing ranks of the homeless? Are you sure you
understand arbitration and tort reform? Are you sure that the
American Arbitration Association, hasn't stealthily already entered
every phase of your life? Do you think you still have the right to a
trial by a jury? Do you still think you can sue anyone who wrongs
you? Do you still think frivolous lawsuits are those that happen to
other people? Do you tire hearing any more about big business
flagrantly squashing your rights? Do your eyes glaze over and your
mind shut down when you hear all these things? Are you bored by this
rhetoric? Is it all just to complicated for you to understand? I
understand.
But, please read on. Because you have been majority deluded,
confused and overwhelmed ... just so these things will slip right by
unnoticed.
If you have a new home, new car, a car lease, a Visa, Master Card,
American Express, Discover card, bank account, a cell phone, a
storage room, electricity or even an exterminator. YOU have given up
your seventh Amendment rights. You have given up your seventh
amendment rights, you cannot sue any of these people. Sounds crazy
doesn't it? Well, call any of them and ask if you have an
arbitration clause in your contract with them ... because you do.
We are bombard daily, with harassing telemarketers, a mailbox full
of trash offers and clutter ... our bills are stuffed with slick
adds and offers. We don't have time to read all this junk..... And
there in lies the problem. Big Business knows you don't. We are the
new hurried, fast food, drive by cleaners generation, the multi
taskers.... with more on our plates than we can handle. So big
business has used your over burdened life style to their distinct
advantage. You are screwed. Those little offers or things you think
are privacy propaganda, in your bills, they aren't, they say "if you
continue to use our services and do not pay off your account
immediately you are now accepted the following terms.....You have
now accepted arbitration ... and you didn't even read it.
Not one person in this country, is not bound by an arbitration
clause and the shocking part of it ... most don't even know it. But
you will, when you become one of the enlightened and destroyed. And
believe me you do not want to be.
Ignorance is bliss ... and you can remain blissfully unaware of the
dangers lurking, that threaten you, your family, your home and your
livelihood. But when it hits you, it will be, a rude awakening ...
like a two by four right between the eyes. AM I am trying to scare
you? You bet I am. Because many of us do not have the time to watch
fear factor, we live it daily. And, you may have just signed on for
a guest appearance.
Take your home for instance. You made your down payment. You make
your payments on time, you paid your property tax, you have
homeowners insurance. Your investment is safe. You are living the
American dream. Not so Kimosabie. You have rolled the dice with your
future, put all your money on the pass line, and you weren't even
aware you were gambling.
Example: You have a lovely new home, all decorated, a manicured
lawn, a place for your stuff, and somewhere to come home to. But
what happens if you start having problems with that new house? You
just call your builder for repairs right? What if he doesn't answer
your phone calls, faxes, or emails. What if the problem continues to
worsen ... as you try to get him to live up to his moral, and
ethical responsibilities. You say well I have a contract. And you
do.
Now..... you will take the time to read, all that raft of papers
that were shoved at you at closing. Uh oh...earnest money contract,
arbitration clause. Closing papers arbitration clause...warranty
papers arbitration clause.
Your foundation is cracking, your walls have lines that weren't
there before, the carpet is damp and your house is taking on a musty
smell. Your children begin to be ill and Fido's' hair falls out.
What are you going to do? Your wife is frantic. She is calling
neighbors, many experiencing the same sort of problems. Many do not
want to admit it and "patch up and dump." Some will get by with it,
until the new owner sues them. Yes, the new owner can sue you, just
can't sue your big builder. Big business, little business that is
how tort reform works.
And yes, you all paid to have your house inspected and had a realtor
and you called them all. You can start at the governor's office and
they will refer you into a vortex of time-consuming, catch 22's that
will make you crazy. You will end up lastly at the Heath department.
They can try to help you find temporary housing ... soon, or maybe
later....if you qualify and of course fill out the paper work.
You have now filled out paper work for every agency in the state.
You stay up all night filling out this waste of time. Then bleary
eyed drag yourself to your day job. No one understands. They think
you are a real putz and offer you their lawyer's phone
number...thinking you just are not smart enough to handle your own
affairs. Little do they know...yet.
They think they are not in any danger...and that you just do not
understand how to hand these things.
You call you insurance company...you know that agency that has you
safe in their out stretched hands. That agency you pay those hefty
premiums to each month. Guess what, substandard construction and
builder defects are not covered items.
You are on the phone with your lawyer, he has looked over your
papers, and informs you, YOU cannot sue your builder, you have
signed an arbitration clause.
You say, well lets arbitrate ... it is faster and cheaper and my
house is deteriorating as we speak, my investment is being
destroyed. He really doesn't want the case, but will take it for a
substantial upfront fee. He knows neither of you are going to be
happy with the outcome, so he gets his upfront. Many of these legal
eagles also have arbitration clauses in their own contracts. The
contract you must sign to have legal representation. And you have to
have a lawyer no matter what AAA arbitration tells you.
Your shower falls out. Black puffy balls are growing out of your
carpet. Your windows are leaking, your hardwoods have begun to
buckle, the children are sick, their eyes are all red, they have
constant sore throats, you are having migraines you think from all
the stress, your wife is crying, and her nose is bleeding ...and
your cat just died. ( Am I Exaggerating ... No unfortunately, I am
not.) I am just reliving part of what happened in our neighborhood,
compliments of our greedy, unethical, unscrupulous builder. He sold
us our homes after filing a lawsuit against the roofer and
subcontractors with no disclosure. Yes, I said, he sued ... the big
boys still have the right to sue, this only applies to you and me,
the little guys.
Arbitration is great protection for the mass builder. First, most of
you can't afford it and second if you can roll out 30 to 100,000
dollars it is still an unfair playing field. The builders team of
high priced, sleazy prostitutes can make chopped liver of you in
short order. They do this for a living. In our case, one of the
builders' law partners, was/is also a AAA arbitrator. You want him
to rule on your case?
Why didn't you repair your own house?
First you didn't think that was your responsibility, it was the
builders. Second you had no idea the amount of damage and third,
when you found out how many thousands of dollars it would cost ...
you couldn't afford it.
You hadn't planned on the down payment, the new drapes, the new lawn
mower and then repairs? TO A BRAND NEW HOUSE! Did you figure an
extra 20 to 150 thousand for that in your budget? Like us, you
probably bought a new home so repairs would not be an issue.
Well, guess what else you can't afford? You can't afford
arbitration. Nobody tells you what it costs. The American
Arbitration Association will not even give you a total cost, but if
you can't afford it ... they will be more than happy to send you a
form that authorizes them to just charge all their monstrous fees as
they occur, on to your credit cards. How ever many it takes. Do I
have you attention now? Do you think you have entered the twilight
zone. Well, welcome to our world.
Homeless in Houston
Jordan Fogal Please Google my name for more information or check out
HADD.org or HOBB.org, or tort deform
3003 Memorial Court #2407 Houston Texas 77007
713-802-9727
More of my builders incompetence.
This says it all message dated 12/10/2006 10:12:00 PM Central
Standard Time, jfogal281 writes:
Real Estate Auction
SALE ID 5694-23
3311 YUPON ST APT 419
Houston, TX 77006
N of Hermann Park. 1BR 1BA 1,025sf+\- condo. Built 2003. Tremont
Tower subdivision.
Sells: 11:30am Fri, Dec 15th
Inspection: 1-4pm Sun. Dec. 3rd & 10th and 2 hrs prior to sale.
Opening bid: $50,000
Williams & Williams and the Seller expressly disclaim any liability
for errors, omissions or changes regarding any information provided
for these sales. [SIZE=4]Potential purchasers are strongly urged to
rely solely upon their own inspections and opinions in preparing to
purchase property and are expressly advised to not rely on any
representations made by the seller [/size] or their agents.
jfogal281@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 12/10/2006 8:35:44 PM Central Standard Time,
jfogal281 writes:
Look at the appraisals on these properties still with the appraisal
district and the listings with realtors and then look at this
opening bid.$50,000.....just a bit of a discrepancy. This unit is
appraised at $316,000. Something is terrible wrong? I though an
appraised value was what something was worth or it's value..what it
would sell for?
The strange, orange, structure, Tremont Tower, and its 76, almost
empty units silently stand ... waiting for it's next humiliation. It
is now up for auction, the finally indignity. After three years of
problems, it is as if it has finally given up. Sadly, it was not the
building's fault. And there is enough blame to go around. The
General Partners: Tom Thibodeau, Jorge Casimiro and Armad Al Bana
continue to prove their incompetence, while bragging of their 67
years of combined expertise,
You need go no further than three blocks, to see another of their
fiasco's.
Hyde Park Crescent the upscale, luxury town houses starting at a
mere $350,000 thousand. Thirty-seven of these 44 homes are
defective. This has been testified too by Mr. Casimiro and Mr.
Thibodeau in sworn statements, where they sued the roofer and
subcontractors. Admitting in hardcopy and on video, not only were
units defective ... but they knew it and sold them with no
disclosure.
Mr. Casimiro goes on to state the 37 units had defective roofs, that
lead to water intrusion into the electrical systems, the walls,
ruined studs, plumbing, floorings, both hardwood and carpet.
Auctions were a common occurrence there too ... along with
monumental repairs... paid for by the homeowners, bankruptcies and
foreclosures. Some still stand empty, some have for over two years.
There are scores of families tied up in court battles and others
hung out to dry by the arbitration clauses stuck in the new home
contracts.
The same group was fired by the city of Bunkerhill after they were 7
months behind on the police station and had $120,000 dollars worth
of mold damage. Houston Chronicle (2/14/02 Kim Canon)
They have been thrown out of the better business bureau, and used on
the cover of the BBB bulletin as a prime example of example of bad
business. They received the dubious honor of Contractors from Hell,
in People Magazine and they were the subject of a seven page expose
in Mother Jones Magazine.
Yet ,they continue to build with the blessings and protection of the
city council, city inspectors, the courts. the DA, the Attorney
General, the TRCC and the legislature.
No one seems to care. We have "the builders protection plan"
here in
Texas. Bob Perry funds it. paid lobbyists protect it and everyone
cows down, and turns a blind eye... while builders run amuck
throwing
up 90 day wonder housing that will never last the term of the home
buyers mortgage. The historical society won't have to fight for
these houses they won't be around in a hundred years.
Our thanks, to the once sovereign Texas for all it's consumer
protection.
Jordan Fogal
Homeless in Houston
The final Descent auction Tremont Towers it tells it all
In a message dated 12/10/2006 10:12:00 PM Central Standard Time,
jfogal281 writes:
Real Estate Auction
SALE ID 5694-23
3311 YUPON ST APT 419
Houston, TX 77006
N of Hermann Park. 1BR 1BA 1,025sf+\- condo. Built 2003. Tremont
Tower subdivision.
Sells: 11:30am Fri, Dec 15th
Inspection: 1-4pm Sun. Dec. 3rd & 10th and 2 hrs prior to sale.
Opening bid: $50,000
Williams & Williams and the Seller expressly disclaim any liability
for errors, omissions or changes regarding any information provided
for these sales. Potential purchasers are strongly urged to rely
solely upon their own inspections and opinions in preparing to
purchase property and are expressly advised to not rely on any
representations made by the seller or their agents.
jfogal281@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 12/10/2006 8:35:44 PM Central Standard Time,
jfogal281 writes:
Look at the appraisals on these properties still with the appraisal
district and the listings with realtors and then look at this
opening bid.$50,000.....just a bit of a discrepancy. This unit is
appraised at $316,000. Something is terrible wrong? I though an
appraised value was what something was worth or it's value..what it
would sell for?
The strange, orange, structure, Tremont Tower, and its 76, almost
empty units silently stand ... waiting for it's next humiliation. It
is now up for auction, the finally indignity. After three years of
problems, it is as if it has finally given up. Sadly, it was not the
building's fault. And there is enough blame to go around. The
General Partners: Tom Thibodeau, Jorge Casimiro and Armad Al Bana
continue to prove their incompetence, while bragging of their 67
years of combined expertise,
You need go no further than three blocks, to see another of their
fiasco's.
Hyde Park Crescent the upscale, luxury town houses starting at a
mere $350,000 thousand. Thirty-seven of these 44 homes are
defective. This has been testified too by Mr. Casimiro and Mr.
Thibodeau in sworn statements, where they sued the roofer and
subcontractors. Admitting in hardcopy and on video, not only were
units defective ... but they knew it and sold them with no
disclosure.
Mr. Casimiro goes on to state the 37 units had defective roofs, that
lead to water intrusion into the electrical systems, the walls,
ruined studs, plumbing, floorings, both hardwood and carpet.
Auctions were a common occurrence there too ... along with
monumental repairs... paid for by the homeowners, bankruptcies and
foreclosures. Some still stand empty, some have for over two years.
There are scores of families tied up in court battles and others
hung out to dry by the arbitration clauses stuck in the new home
contracts.
The same group was fired by the city of Bunker Hill after they were 7
months behind on the police station and had $120,000 dollars worth
of mold damage. Houston Chronicle (2/14/02 Kim Canon)
They have been thrown out of the better business bureau, and used on
the cover of the BBB bulletin as a prime example of example of bad
business. They received the dubious honor of Contractors from Hell,
in People Magazine and they were the subject of a seven page expose
in Mother Jones Magazine.
Yet ,they continue to build with the blessings and protection of the
city council, city inspectors, the courts. the DA, the Attorney
General, the TRCC and the legislature.
No one seems to care. We have "the builders protection plan"
here in
Texas. Bob Perry funds it. paid lobbyists protect it and everyone
cows down, and turns a blind eye... while builders run amuck
throwing
up 90 day wonder housing that will never last the term of the home
buyers mortgage. The historical society won't have to fight for
these houses they won't be around in a hundred years.
Our thanks, to the once sovereign Texas for all the consumer
protection.
Jordan Fogal
Homeless in Houston
-----------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: (no subject)
Date: 12/10/2006 10:12:00 PM Central Standard Time
From: jfogal281
To:
action@aclu-houston.org
Real Estate Auction
SALE ID 5694-23
3311 YUPON ST APT 419
Houston, TX 77006
N of Hermann Park. 1BR 1BA 1,025sf+\- condo. Built 2003. Tremont
Tower subdivision.
Sells: 11:30am Fri, Dec 15th
Inspection: 1-4pm Sun. Dec. 3rd & 10th and 2 hrs prior to sale.
Opening bid: $50,000
Williams & Williams and the Seller expressly disclaim any liability
for errors, omissions or changes regarding any information provided
for these sales. Potential purchasers are strongly urged to rely
solely upon their own inspections and opinions in preparing to
purchase property and are expressly advised to not rely on any
representations made by the seller or their agents.
jfogal281@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 12/10/2006 8:35:44 PM Central Standard Time,
jfogal281 writes:
Foreclosure means home. Foreclosure means family.
Our story is in
Washington Monthly, has appeared in People Magazine, under
"Contractors from Hell," and a seven page expose in Mother Jones
Magazine. Google Jordan Fogal for more information.
Study: Texas riddled by foreclosures
Austin Business Journal - January 26, 2007
National foreclosure numbers are in, and they're not pretty.
Texas finished 2006 with a total of 156,876 foreclosure filings --
the highest aggregate total of any state, according to a year-end
report by foreclosure source RealtyTrac Inc.
No one mentions some of the reasons for foreclosure, like bad
builders, substandard construction, or arbitration clauses that
protect bad builders even bad lenders. No one mentions we no longer
have access to the courts. Or the ridiculous red tape stopping
victims and protecting builders by the Texas Residential
Construction Commission. The only reason for all these forecloses
that is mentioned ... is just stupid people. Mostly poor and middle
class hard working people, many first time homebuyers, and senior
citizens.
In the great state of Texas, are we going to believe that one out of
very 51 Texans is just plain stupid? Or are we going to look for the
truth. More importantly are we going to do something about it.
This sickness in the economy is because of greed and crooks. Not
stupid homebuyers and it has reached epidemic numbers and everyone
except the FBI seems not to notice. There is so much mortgage fraud
here in Houston, they have set up a special task force.
"Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs
of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against
being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle,
and fed and clothed like swine. -John Adams 1774
Below is an example of blind justice in Texas
Couple fights claim of faulty house in court
AUSTIN – In the beginning, Bob and Jane Cull thought if they just
wrote homebuilder Bob Perry a letter about all the defects in their
new Mansfield house, everything could be resolved.
That was 10 years ago.
A tortuous legal battle has carried the retirement-age couple
through the courts, to arbitration and now through the courts again
– all the way to the Texas Supreme Court. The Culls have won every
round, but their home has not been fixed, legal costs have soared
and the couple has postponed retirement plans.
"You think you can wake up from a nightmare and it'll be over," said
Ms. Cull, a physicians' liaison. Instead, the couple watches as the
home's defective foundation continues to move, some windows won't
open and more cracks form in walls, according to engineering
reports.
A spokesman for Mr. Perry said the case is built around an important
principle: whether arbitration or the courts will settle disputes.
But the Culls say their case against Perry Homes illustrates how
construction disputes can last for years without resolution and how
the system is stacked against average homeowners who challenge
homebuilders with wealth and political influence.
Particularly this builder: Mr. Perry is the nation's most generous
individual political donor. He has been a leading advocate of laws
to limit court awards against businesses and a financial benefactor
to politicians and judges. And he has funded Republican candidates
up and down the ballot in Texas, including more than $340,000 to the
nine justices that will hear the Culls' case.
Perry Homes spokesman Anthony Holm said the donations are
irrelevant.
"All we're trying to do is get our day in court," Mr. Holm said.
The Culls filed suit in 2000 to force repair of their house. But
they grew concerned a legal battle could take years and went to
arbitration instead, thinking it would resolve the issues quicker
and with less expense.
Mr. Holm said the switch was unfair to Perry Homes, which had spent
time and money preparing for a trial. He says the couple waived its
right to arbitration.
It is that legal question – "at what point in time does a consumer
waive their right to arbitration?" – the high court has been asked
to decide, he said. Arguments will be heard in March.
Consumer advocates say Mr. Perry has spent millions of dollars
creating a political and legal system tilted in his favor.
"It's not surprising that he showered tens of thousands of campaign
dollars on the Texas Supreme Court," said Andrew Wheat of Texans for
Public Justice, a nonprofit group that tracks campaign
contributions.
"What is shocking is that the judges who took all this money have
agreed to hear Perry's appeal of a lemon-home case – one that he
already lost in front of an arbitrator and two Texas courts," he
said. "It's three strikes and you're out in the Texas justice system
– unless you own the league."
Mr. Wheat's group receives financial contributions from trial
lawyers that represent people suing businesses.
Cracks in dream home
When they signed on with Perry Homes in 1996, the Culls thought they
were building their dream retirement home, with 2,800 square feet
and upgrades such as cedar closets and raised arches, in a new
subdivision south of Fort Worth. There was a golf course and a view
of the pond.
"I can remember sitting on the property before there was a house on
it, watching the sunrise, and thinking, 'Oh my, this is the place,'
" Ms. Cull said.
But the house was never whole.
"First we thought they'd bought the wrong-sized door," Ms. Cull
said. "Leaves and critters could come in. Roof supporters were not
staying attached in the attic; they were just hanging free. And
there were cracks in the walls and the tile was cracking."
The couple complained, but work crews simply patched the problems,
they said. Soon, they were sure their new $250,000 home had
fundamental defects, and they expected Mr. Perry to make it right.
Mr. Cull described himself as "a firm believer that people settle
their differences face-to-face and resolve things on a kind of
man-to-man basis. We thought this was something we could talk to Bob
Perry about over a cup of coffee and settle with a handshake."
He wrote to Mr. Perry, the first of many letters to come, outlining
the problems. Engineering reports, both by the Culls and by the
warranty company contracted by Perry Homes, concluded the foundation
was defective, he said.
Their house was now valued at perhaps only a third of the original
purchase price.
Eventually, the couple got a letter from the attorney for Perry
Homes, John Krugh, saying the firm had done all it was going to do.
Perry Homes had provided surface drains, patched the walls and
sealed gaps in the concrete, but made it clear it bore no more
responsibility for the Culls' problems.
In October 2000, the Culls filed suit against Perry Homes. But
before the case went to trial, the couple had second thoughts and
moved to have the matter decided by an independent arbiter because,
now in their 60s, they feared spending their retirement years in a
long legal battle.
The homebuilder resisted and both sides went to court. A district
judge, the appeals court and the Texas Supreme Court all ruled for
the Culls and directed that both sides go to arbitration.
After several days of hearings in 2002, an arbitrator directed Perry
Homes to pay the Culls more than $800,000. That includes the cost of
the house, punitive damages and legal costs. With interest, the
award would now top $1.3 million.
In a lawsuit, discovery rules govern how the two sides must share
information. The Culls' attorney says the couple got nothing in
discovery it couldn't have gotten in arbitration, but Mr. Holm says
the Culls got information the company didn't, and that the
arbitrator was biased against the homebuilder.
"There appears from our perspective to have been very real bias on
behalf of the arbitrator," said Mr. Holm. "And there is a real
question about when the plaintiff waived their right to
arbitration."
A district court rejected those arguments. Perry Homes took the case
to the appeals court, which also ruled for the Culls. The
homebuilder again appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, which has
scheduled a hearing for March.
The attorney for the Culls said he was surprised the high court,
which accepts a fraction of the appeals it gets, agreed to take the
case.
"I'm certainly concerned there's politics at play," said Dallas
attorney Van Shaw. "The law's clear. We're entitled to win and lots
of courts have seen it that way. So I can't reach any other
conclusion than it's politics."
Mr. Holm denied that. He said public disclosure of Mr. Perry's
contributions to all nine judges makes his legal burden more
difficult "because every justice there knows there's some kind of
donor relationship."
The court does not explain its reasoning for accepting a case.
Major donor
For Mr. Perry, questions about whether his contributions affect
public policy are common.
The Houston homebuilder gave more than $19 million to Republican
politicians in state and federal races in 2006, including $6.7
million to Texas candidates.
He is the largest political contributor to Gov. Rick Perry (no
relation). And in 2003, Perry Homes and other builders sought help
from the Republican governor to create a new state agency, the Texas
Residential Construction Commission, to settle homeowner disputes.
Builders touted the agency as a better way to resolve disagreements.
Critics called it another obstacle for consumers. For the rest of
the story see Dallas Morning News Jan.27,2007
E-mail
wslater@dallasnews.com