Don’t let your builder hide behind that “One Year Warranty”

Between changes in the 10 year tax abatement, over ambitious developers and stucco defects, new construction in The City of Brotherly (Sisterly) Love is a hotly contested subject.  If you own a new construction home, or know someone who has, odds are you have seen a “one year warranty” from the builder.

Homeowners typically rush to get their “final checklist” ready for the builder when it gets close to the first anniversary of the purchase, and feel that if something major goes wrong after that, then they are completely out of luck.  No matter if your builder provided you with a one year warranty or not, the law is the law, and Pennsylvania recognizes a 12 year statute of limitations for construction defects, as long as you are the original buyer.

What constitutes a construction defect comes down to two warranties: (1) the implied warranty of habitability and (2) the warranty of reasonable workmanship. 

If you bought a newly constructed home and it just seems as if the problems never stop piling up, be it the foundation, major leaks, or stucco, please give me a call to discuss what options you may have to hold the builder accountable.