Not every problem faced by the white hats and consumers of the manufactured housing industry can be connected to a brand that is a member of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). Palm Harbor manufactured homes has enjoyed a largely favorable reputation in the manufactured home industry for years. Additionally, it must be noted that far more costly conventional builders have customers who experience problems as or more serious than the ones alleged in this report, as a mainstream and trade media report linked here reveals. Those disclaimers plus items for fairness, accuracy, and balance noted, this MHProNews Masthead report, analysis, and commentary will focus on a problem that Cavco Industries (CVCO) – Palm Harbor’s parent company – upper management declined to directly address when this publication asked them for comments on this specific issue reported by KZVT CBS 10 in Corpus Christi, TX earlier this week.
The following two “CBS 10 Troubleshooter” video reports were filed by reporter Andrew “Andy” Liscano. Per the KZVT 10 website, “Andy Liscano is co-anchor of Action 10 News at 5:00PM.” “While his emphasis is on investigative and Troubleshooter stories, he also reports on city hall, the courts, police, spot news and breaking news.” The veteran journalist “Before transitioning to news, Andy was an award-winning sportscaster in cities from Miami to Los Angeles.” He has been with the CBS 10 team since 2007.
The quotations that follow are from CBS 10’s website from the respective linked report, where additional information can be obtained.
CBS 10 Troubleshooters: Taft Couple Want Alleged Construction Flaws on New Home Repaired
By: Andy Liscano
Posted at 4:32 PM, Apr 04, 2022 and last updated 2022-04-04 19:59:34-04
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Taft couple bought a $220,000 manufactured home a few months ago, however, they’ve pointed out several construction flaws that they want repaired. While they have reached out to the company that sold them the home, nothing has been done, so they’ve called the Troubleshooters for help.
Doug and Stephanie Holder call their new home their ‘forever’ home for their family. A 2,400 square foot home on three acres of land that they moved into in February.
But they said they called us because they wanted to show us the flaws in its construction. Flaws they’ve been asking Palm Harbor Homes to repair, repeatedly, yet no repairs have been done.
As Stephanie puts it somewhat emotionally, “we’re basically begging for help. None of this is our fault. We had nothing to do with the set-up. We paid people to do it. They were supposed to be qualified to do it.”
The Holders claim their electric bill has tripled in cost, their water bill has increased, their Smart toilets keep running, and dust blows into their home through openings in the doors.
In March, the Holders sent an email to Palm Harbor Homes “demanding a resolution”.
They’ve contacted their mortgage company, their insurance company, their windstorm insurance, which is nearly $900 a month; and it doesn’t look like anyone’s willing to help them.
The Troubleshooters spoke with Alex Darley, a Palm Harbor general manager, who referred us to Josh Christian, another general manager. We also spoke with Marcelo Benavides, another manager, who told us we weren’t being told the whole story, and urged us to call Donna Wilkie, a Palm Harbor corporate retail support manager
Colleen Rogers, senior vice president of marketing for Palm Harbor Homes, contacted the Troubleshooters on Monday.
She…claims Palm Harbor Homes has tried repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, to contact the Holder’s to get this resolved.
So the next step, according to Rogers, is the Holders need to contact the Texas Department of Housing and Consumer Affairs, to set up a time and date for all three sides to meet at the home to determine what the issues are.”
It should be noted that the Texas Department of Housing and Consumer Affair (TDHCA) is Texas’ contact for “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program is available to resolve disputes among manufacturers, retailers, or installers concerning defects in manufactured homes.” The dispute resolution program is a consumer protection that was part of the upgrades provided under the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA or sometimes referred to as the 2000 Reform Law). For more on consumer protections and retail consumer shopping tips, see the two video with additional text reports linked below, which were produced in conjunction with the “PissedConsumer.com” website and our MHLivingNews.com sister-site.
Returning to additional information from Liscano’s CBS 10 Troubleshooter’s follow up report.
CBS 10 Troubleshooters: Taft Couple Want Alleged Construction Flaws on New Home
Repair Part II
Quoting from their Part II, with the balance of the CBS 10 report found at this link here:
“The inspection found a total of 14 necessary repairs, including:
- Washer drainage system not connected to the main drain.
- Front door allows elements into the home. Missing outdoor door trim.
- Several nails popped out of outside panels.
- Several nails pushed in too far creating a hole left by nail head.
These are among the same issues the Holder’s pointed out to us when we met them in April, when Stephanie was near tears when she told us “we’re basically begging for help. None of this is our fault. We had nothing to do with the set-up. We paid people to do it. They were supposed to be qualified to do it.”
The TDHCA Inspection Report gives the parties involved 30 days to make the necessary repairs.
That would be sometime next week.
In the meantime, the Holder’s have filed a police report with CCPD alleging their signatures on the contract were forged.
“We did not sign off on those. Those are not our signatures. They wanted to get their money. They got their money, and we’re left with a mess,” Stephanie said.
CCPD confirms to the Troubleshooters they’ve begun an active investigation. ##
Additional Information, More MHProNews Analysis and Commentary
MHProNews contacted William C Boor “Bill”. President/CEO of Cavco Industries Inc (CVCO), who according to Bloomberg has been at his current position since “4/2019-PRESENT.” Boor is not from the manufactured housing industry, who per that same sources was previously: “Chief Executive Officer at Great Lakes Brewing Company.” Cavco is the parent company to Palm Harbor Homes (PHH). Palm Harbor became part of Cavco, per their own website, in 2011. Boor came into his present position due to the fall-out from the drama created by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe into Cavco and their prior president, CEO, and chairman, Joseph “Joe” Stegmayer and the companies alleged violations of SEC regulations.
Boor and another official with Cavco both declined commenting on the CBS 10 and other Cavco Industries related consumer complaints controversies that have come to the attention of MHProNews.
An informed source has told MHProNews the following via an emailed statement:
“Meanwhile on the Holders and Moore front:
1) PH [Palm Harbor] is on site today conducting work pursuant to the Texas deficiency report. That was quick. Doug sent me images. Busy bees over there.
2) Steven Moore is also having work done on his “La Belle” model less than 10 miles away as well apparently- also pursuant to Homer Zamoras report.
3) Andy Liscano’s second piece was undoubtedly helpful as well.
All of these things are good news.
The fight must continue however for the ones who don’t know help is out there.”
In addition to the points above, sources tell MHProNews that there are reasons to believe that the outreach by our publication to Cavco CEO Bill Boor and another Cavco executive may be playing a role in getting the Holders’ work addressed. That noted, the TDHCA deadline and other regional news have obviously been key factors in this unfolding drama which has now potentially turned into a criminal investigation.
As disclosures, MHProNews holds no position in Cavco or other tracked stocks that are part of our Daily Business News on MHProNews reporting on manufactured housing connected issues. That said, this writer for MHProNews’ personally knows several professionals at Cavco, including mid to higher level management positions. Based on input from others in the Cavco family of brands, some of what is occurring with the firm which has close ties to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) are repulsive to them. They believe in having happy customers but are often ‘stuck’ doing what upper management commands on a given situation like that of the Holders and several other consumers in and beyond Texas who have come to MHProNews’ and MHLivingNews’ attention.
Having provided Cavco’s leadership with several days to respond to this specific consumer complaints and related fraud/forgery charge alleged by the Holders, MHProNews and/or our sister-site will be providing coverage on developments as they are warranted. Stay tuned.
To learn more about controversies related to Cavco, see the linked and related reports. ##
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‘Starter homes are extremely hard to come by’ – USA Today Asks ‘For First-Time Homebuyers Are Starter Homes Becoming Extinct?’ Facts, Analysis, Viewpoints from Manufactured Housing Vantagepoint
In a roughly 1250-word article, Terry Collins writing for USA Today on 5.2.2022 has arguably done the manufactured housing industry a significant favor. Yet Collin’s report, entitled “For first-time homebuyers, are starter homes becoming extinct?” never used the words, “mobile home,” “manufactured home,” “manufactured housing,” “off-site built homes,” “prefabricated homes,” or any other terminology that refers to factory building vs.
Cavco's Market Cap Fall; Paul F Marten, Manufactured Home Pros Plug 'New National Trade Association to Represent-Advocate for Disfranchised of Our Industry;' MHI-DOE-MHARR Regs, plus MHMarket Update
Cavco's Market Cap Fall; Paul F Marten, QYND Properties, Manufactured Home Pros Plug 'New National Trade Association to Represent-Advocate for Disfranchised of Our Industry;' MHI-DOE-MHARR Regs, plus MHMarket 5.11.2022 Update, REITs, mobile home park investing, manufactured homes, production, factories, retailers, dealers, finance, brokers,
Stay tuned for more of what is 'behind the curtains' as well as what is obvious and in your face reporting that are not found anywhere else in MHVille. It is all here, which may explain why this is the runaway largest and most-read source for authentic manufactured home “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. "Tony" Kovach - for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He's a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC's and/or the writer's position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
Fact Check, Darren Krolewski, MHInsider Claim on 2019 Louisville Show Attendance
Darren Krolewski, Co-President at MHVillage and publisher of their MHInsider magazine made another bold claim in their most recent issue. As regular and close readers of MHProNews fact-checks may recall, a problematic claim was made in their prior issue too, and no known correction of that factual error took place.
