Some homeowners picketed Pulte Homes Saturday, claiming their houses are rotting out from underneath them. Protesters gathered outside the newest Pulte Homes subdivision in Apex to picket the Walden Woods subdivision.

Several homeowners in that neighborhood say they are dissatisfied with "the poor construction, workmanship and service" of their Pulte homes.

Jim and Irene Manuel say that since moving into their Pulte home, they have experienced leaks through the roof and walls of the house and say their walls are rotting from holes in the house's siding. They claim the house has serious structural defects that reflect poor construction. The couple says they haven't used one of their upstairs bathrooms in over three years because of the safety risks.

The Manuels say that despite their repeated complaints, the Pulte company fails to repair the problems properly. The company refused to buy back the family's house three years ago. Now, the Manuels are suing Pulte, seeking compensation for the house and for their frustration.

The Pulte Corporation says it is aware of the problems with the houses, but declines to comment pending the litigation.

The following article was taken from The Apex Herald, dated Thursday, August 3, 2000

Frustrated homeowners walk picket line
Area residents express anger with Pulte Home Corp.

SHAWN DALEY
EDITOR

Over the past several years, Knightdale residents James and Irene Manuel have experienced numerous problems with their house built by the Pulte Home Corporation.

Frustrated in their many attempts to have those problems rectified, the Manuels and several other angry homeowners took a new approach in the on-going saga by walking the picket line.

The homeowners picketed Saturday afternoon in front of the Walden Woods subdivision on Highway 55.

According to the Manuels, the idea was to warn other potential homeowners of their history with Pulte.

"We have to try to extract ourselves from a situation so we have to be as creative as we can," Jerry Manuel said while standing near the picket line. "But we also want to advise other people who have not yet bought a home."

"We can't tell you that every Pulte home is bad or give you the percentage. At least we can give the information that there are unhappy homeowners that have experienced problems with the homes they bought and very great difficulty trying to extract themselves out of that."
The Manuels decided on picketing in Apex because of the town's rapid growth and Pulte's strong presence.

"Cary has lost its room so you (Apex) are getting the people," Irene Manuel said. "We are just trying to inform an unsuspecting homeowner who may end up in a situation that we are in. This isn't something we asked for."

Larry Lippincott, city president for the Raleigh Division of Pulte Homes, is looking to reassure potential homeowners of his company's commitment to homeowners.

“If anyone in the Walden subdivision has a problem, or any other subdivison, 'I want them to give me a call. I will personally look into the matter"
-Larry Lippincott
City president for the Raleigh Division of Pulte Homes

"We attempt to address and respond to all of our warranty matters in a timely fashion," Lippincott said.

"If anyone in Apex has a concern or problem, I would encourage them to call me (677-0122, ext. 123)."

Lippincott stressed that customer satisfaction is Pulte's top priority and said the Manuels' problems were an unfortunate situation.

"We like satisfied customers and that is our number one goal," Lippincott said. "It's unfortunate that this person has a problem and we are going to work to see if we can get it settled.

"If anyone in the Walden subdivision has a problem, or any other subdivision, I want them to give me a call. I will personally look into the matter."
Pulte is one of the largest homebuilders in the nation with houses in 27 states and three countries.

Their corporate headquarters is located in Bloomfield, Michigan. The Manuels claim problems with their seven-year-old house began less than a year after buying it.

Among the problems are a leaky roof, leaky walls and several structural inadequacies.
"We've been trying to get resolutions the standard way," Jerry Manuel said. "But if you have a small set of problems you have to put up with them trying to get out there. We've experienced delays that way.

"We've also gotten different versions on what they are going to do depending on who you ask."

And if the problems are major ones, adds Manuel, the company's response remains slow.

"We've gotten a lot of broken promises in combination with cases where someone will try to make a repair but doesn't address the problem," Jerry Manuel said. "It's been very frustrating and it gets amplified when you don't have just small problems.

"We have a 16-page engineering report that details problems externally, internally and structural."

Irene Manuel said that when a repair is made, it isn't done correctly.

"We've had problems since the first year of owning our home," she said. "They have done repairs and rebuilt portions of Our home.

"They're just not correcting the problems and when they do make corrections they are just not adequate in repair."

Some of the picketers who were in Apex on Saturday are currently involved in litigation with Pulte.

That, says the Manuels, can become a very expensive route, especially when facing a major corporation.

"We aren't here because we haven't attempted every other means," Irene Manuel said. "To file a lawsuit is a big step for all of us as homeowners."

"We have better ways of spending our Saturdays," said Jerry Manuel.

The Manuels have their own web site at www.NCMoneypit.com. They are also contemplating more picket lines if interest from the public grows. "if you are frustrated," Jerry Manuel said, "this is the way to come.