ComplaintsforSmith Douglas Homes

• Initial Complaint

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am having several dead spots in my lawn front and backyard due to the company, burying building materials, such as wood, bricks, glass, plastic metal in my front and backyard. Upon spending over $1000 and numerous lawn treatments it was found that the dead spots are caused by the materials that were buried in the ground by the builder.

  

  Business response

  07/03/2024

  We have received ******************** concerns on his yard.  ****************, the homeowner, closed on his home in December of 2022.  Management has reviewed the pictures of the yard taken at Homeowners Acceptance Walk (day of closing).  Yard looks to be in good condition - with various spots beginning to green up already.  The homeowner was made aware, at minimum, at HOA Walk (if not multiple times throughout his process) that landscape and sod are not covered post-closing.  The homeowner signed off on a document reviewed by himself and the warranty representative from SDH which stated a few common items not covered post close, one of which was landscaping.  This document was signed and dated 12/8/2022.  It is suggested to all homeowners they hire a lawn maintenance company to treat their yard and watering recommendations are given.  Once the home is closed the condition of the yard is out of the control of SDH and not warrantable.  **************** states he is aware of this in his email to SDH dated 7/1/2024.  In regard to debris the homeowner claims were buried in the yard, SDH works diligently to ensure home sites are as clean as possible, however this is a new construction community with numerous homes being built simultaneously.  There is no way to ensure, despite our best efforts, that every piece of material is cleaned up, but it does not typically affect the sods' ability to grow as enough topsoil is provided to promote root growth.  In addition, this home being over 18 months post close we cannot even guarantee where / when the material came from.  The homeowner's claim was and is denied as being covered trough SDH for the reasons mentioned above and reiterated below:

  -Home is over 18 months OOW

  -Warranty guide specially states landscape / sod is covered post-closing

  -No yard concerns noted at HOA Walk, everything was signed off on

  -Warranty guidelines Top Items **************** Close document was signed by the homeowner, which again outlines landscape / sod is not covered

  -SDH made every good faith attempt to clean homesite, and 18 months later there is no way to tell where debris came from or when 

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Flooding yard due to drains in a retaining wall behind our house.A drain was put in the yard of our neighbor to the left but not in our yard.Our yard floods on the right side every time it rains, due to the drains in the retaining wall, to the point where the ground is black and grass will not grow. I had someone from SDH come out and look at it twice within the 1st year of purchase and nothing was done. Our yard is just a black dirt pile now that gets worse with each rain. We think SMH should be responsible for placing a drain to get rid of the excess water in our yard. I am sure our neighbor to the right would agree. Her yard is also black with no grass due to the same issue.

  

  Business response

  06/11/2024

   

  As it states in our warranty book, and the document you signed at closing.
  Landscaping: As we have no control over the conditions and level of care given to your yard
  once you take possession, the health and survival of all landscaping becomes the homeowners.
  responsibility at closing and is not warranted.
  SDH is not responsible for the retaining wall we did not build it; you need to get with your HOA.

• Initial Complaint

  06/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I bought my brand new home and closed on May 14th. Alot of the things that were supposed to be completed at new home owners orientation were not addressed such as cabinet scratches, damaged shingles, drywall repairs, paint splattered on windows and many other things that were actually documented by my private inspection. ******* stated he would come back to address things;however never completed all things and I had to make several communications more than one time to have things addressed.

  

  Business response

  06/11/2024

  
  
  
  Our CM went 6/6/2024 and 6/10/2024 and completed the items she listed.

  Customer response

  06/11/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My home was built in 2022. As of today, my floors are buckling, the shingles are coming off my roof, and a diseased tree has been planted in my front yard. My home is beautiful, but I fee like I was given a lemon on a bad lot. We have documented issues with our yard, due to how it was dug out during building. I have complained about the tree, but the person who said he would replace it is no longer with the company. The shingles on the roof aren't covered under the warranty (I have no idea what is), and the floors are supposed to be covered as well; I am unable to get that resolved either.

  

  Business response

  05/31/2024

   

  I have reached out to the homeowner, and she has agreed to meet with me Tuesday June the 11th to discuss the claims she sent in.

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased home in Aug 2023. Spoke with builder and developer about hill and silt fence on property behind ours. Was told it was only temporary and would be addressed with a permanent means to control the potential for erosion and de-stabilization. The pictures of the river of silt are from the first week of moving in. We immediately contacted SD warranty and our builder. The silt fence has been abandoned for 9 months now, with countless emails, texts and phone calls to Smith Douglas warranty representative *********************. I was originally told they would handle it, they were sending out professionals etc. Then I was told it was working as designed. Then I was told that its not their problem its the homeowners responsibility. During this time, the original 6" x 6" erosion trench on the hill has now become a 3ft x 3ft deep trench. The hill has been collapsing, as recently as today an entire chunk fell off and deposited around 3+ wheel barrels full of silt behind the fence. The fence itself is rotten and growing mushrooms/ decomposing, and our back yard and side yard have been full of silt.After being told it was my responsibility I invested ******* contracting a professional company to build a creek bed to try and contain the silt from traveling down the entirety of my side yard ruining my grass. Since SD has abandoned the fence completely, and any responsibility of the unstable berm of mud they left, the fence has obviously completely failed and blown out, along with the trench collapsing and the property behind me hill disappearing.I have spoken with Jasper **** planning and development and have a meeting Monday with the mayor. They have admitted this builder left everyone with a cluster. The roads, the drains, the erosion, the signs it goes on and on. I challenge anyone to drive through ****** Preserve during a rain and investigate the run-off nightmare first hand if they think the homeowners are exaggerating.

  

  Business response

  05/26/2024

  SDH has examined homeowner's concern and is prepared to help address the matter.  However, our intended remedy requires access to a neighboring property, owned by someone who is uncooperative.  As a result, the governing authorities in ****** have advised us that the only recourse that our lot 162 homeowner has is to file a civil suit against their neighbor.

  Customer response

  05/29/2024

  Due to the business requesting I proceed with litigation against my neighbor on their behalf before they satisfy their obligation to remediate the property damage occurring on my lot I cannot confirm nor deny that they have provided me with an acceptable solution.

  I reached out to SDH to validate that the neighboring property has in-fact legally restricted them from addressing the erosion on her hill and the most I have gotten is thats what Ive heard 

  seeing as I will be investing yet more money on litigation before SDH will correct the erosion I want to see their action post-litigation.

  also Not sure why SDH is not suing neighboring property owner for a prescribed easement to enter the property and address the is*** they left. They are wanting me to *** her for them.

   

  

  Business response

  06/05/2024

  As I stated in my first response the remedy requires access to a neighboring property, since than I have called and left a message on 6/04/2024 to the neighboring property owner awaiting a call back, also e-mailed 6/5/2024.

  Customer response

  06/10/2024

  SDH is working with us and the uncooperative neighbor to try and come to a resolution. I appreciate their commitment in this issue and am encouraged by the steps that have been taken recently to remedy. 
  hopefully we will have an acceptable solution soon. I am trusting SDH to perform the necessary and appropriate repairs once they are able to access the offending property.
  
  

  

  Business response

  06/12/2024

   

  I stated in my first response the remedy requires access to a neighboring property, since then I have called As and left a message on 6/04/2024 to the neighboring property owner awaiting a call back, also e-mailed 6/5/2024.
  Since then, I have received and email back from the homeowner that is adjacent to their home on 6/10/2024, the homeowner said he would get with his wife and let me know when they both could meet with me, so hopefully soon I will have access to their property and see if we can come to a solution.
  

• Initial Complaint

  05/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was in the process of purchasing a Home with Smith Douglas builders. I was required to pay ******* Money as a show of interest in a particular home. But also I had to apply for a mortgage. Applying for mortgage takes time and after some days my lender told me that they will not be approving my (mortgage). Smith Douglas told me that they will not be refunding my ******* money which was over $2000. Their argument was that my mortgage needed to be processed as quick as possible. I had no control of how long my loan will take to process. Smith Douglas timeframe for me to clear the loan or know the verdict from the lender is ridiculous. 7 days is not enough. I need them to refund my money and not take advantage of educators like me

  

  Business response

  05/21/2024

  We appreciate your concern and bringing this to our attention. However, this situation was managed within the agreed terms of the home purchase contract signed by Dr.*****. Our standard purchase contract, including the one signed by Dr. ************** that the buyer deposit is non-refundable unless a formal loan denial is received within the seven business days of contract execution.  Dr.*****s loan denial letter was produced/received outside of that timeframe. The denial was also produced by a non-preferred lender, and as a gesture of good will, Smith Douglas gave Dr. ***** the option of re-doing an application with one of the Preferred Lenders so he could try to continue moving toward closing and keep his deposit intact. Dr. ***** declined that offer, and we have retained the deposit per the terms of his home purchase contract. Should Dr. ***** wish to continue in a home purchase agreement with us in the future,we will allow for the transfer of the deposit for a period of up to 12 months from the date of the termination of the prior contract.

  Customer response

  05/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 21544905
  
  Smith Douglas claims that the situation was managed within the agreed terms of the home and the contract signed. They clearly understand that obtaining loan approval within seven days is unrealistic. By imposing such a short timeframe, Smith Douglas takes advantage of people, knowing full well that lenders cannot typically decide within that period. Consequently, I could not proceed with the purchase because the lender's decision came after the stipulated seven days had passed. Furthermore, Smith Douglas suggested using their preferred lender, but I wanted to choose my own. Their actions are unacceptable and morally unethical, particularly due to their intentional deception and trickery in handling these matters. This conduct raises serious concerns about their business practices and their regard for potential homeowners, making the home buying process unnecessarily stressful and unfair.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Dr. Kabah

  

  Business response

  05/30/2024

  Dr. ******************* business days for conditional lender approval is common in our industry and has been the timeline we have utilized to contract, build, and deliver over ****** homes. There is nothing deceptive or unethical about this timeframe, which was clearly set forth in your purchase agreement. Should you decide to build another home with Smith Douglas Homes, we are happy to honor your deposit toward that purchase.

  Customer response

  05/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 21544905
  
  Smith Douglas,
  Most builders refund the ******* money to maintain ethical standards and avoid exploiting home buyers through contracts like yours. I committed over $2,000 with confidence that I would secure the loan, which unfortunately did not happen. Both your salesperson and my realtor were aware of my situation. My realtor, who has successfully helped many clients purchase properties, also believes it is fraudulent on your part to withhold my ******* money. There is documented communication from my realtor to your company regarding this issue. The refusal to refund my ******* money feels like an unethical attempt to take advantage of my situation. I request that you reconsider your stance and refund the ******* money, upholding the integrity that should be expected in the home-buying process.

• Initial Complaint

  05/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  As a resident of the **************************, my home sits directly adjacent to the work site where Smith Douglas is currently undertaking a construction project, I have experienced significant inconvenience due to the ongoing work. Over the last two years, the construction has not only been a source of continuous disturbance but has also caused considerable damage to my property. Specifically, my patio furniture and equipment have been ruined due to excessive dirt, debris, and exposure to chemicals from the construction site.I understand that construction can be disruptive and that some disturbances are inevitable. However, the level of debris and chemical exposure, which has led to the need to completely replace damaged outdoor property, is beyond reasonable expectations for adjacent homeowners.I have reached out to Smith Douglas in a sincere attempt to resolve this issue amicably. I have requested reimbursement for the damaged goods, hoping for a prompt and fair resolution without resorting to legal action. I believe in maintaining good community relationships and am hopeful that Smith Douglas will address this issue in a manner that reflects both understanding and respect for affected homeowners.This review reflects my current situation, pending a satisfactory resolution. I am optimistic that Smith Douglas will take swift action to rectify this matter, thereby demonstrating their commitment to community values and customer satisfaction.

  

  Business response

  05/16/2024

   

  After visiting **************** and looking at the properties adjacent to the new development, I did not see any disturbance to anyones home. There for SDH should not have any responsibility for this claim.

• Initial Complaint

  04/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My house was built by Smith Douglas 5 years ago in ************, **. As a new homeowner, I was happy to be in a new home but in just a few short years I have become frustrated with the quality of workmanship that was used to build my home. I am requesting communication from the builder because up until this point, there has not been much response or whoever I have made contact with does not have the authority to make a decision. I have made requests for issues such as roof leaks and the most recent issue is the cracking of the Allura siding. I have a roof leak that has caused damage to the sheetrock in my home. When this issue was brought to the Warranty Department's attention, I got a response with the Roofer's information and that they were typically good about helping get stuff resolved but could not guarantee that there would be no charge to have these issues resolved. This should not be my responsibility as a homeowner to coordinate with subcontractors that had poor workmanship during installation. The siding issue is a concern for me as we have noticed that there are 10+ boards that have cracked in 5 years. The siding was installed with trim nails. Exterior siding should be installed with either galvanized or stainless-steel exterior nails. Note that none of the boards that are defective are on the lower parts of the house where a mower could have done the damage. Since I have had ZERO luck with the warranty department effectively serving me as a homeowner, I figured it would be best to reach out to the manufacturer and see if they have a response or solution to the siding cracking issues I have noticed. I have attached their response below stating that the reason for cracking was due to faulty installation. My neighborhood is also experiencing a large number of sing holes and a solution to those needs to be resolved before someone is tragically hurt or killed. I was overpromised, oversold, and underserved. As a consumer, I would avoid Smith Douglas Homes.

  

  Business response

  05/14/2024

  I reached out to the homeowner today 5/14/24, he agreed to scheduling and appointment with myself and a Allura rep to come and inspect the siding, I told the homeowner as soon as the rep confirmed a date I would let him know.

  Customer response

  05/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 21638821
  
  I am rejecting this response because I have still yet to receive any effort from the roofing contractor to make it by to take a look at the roof. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  05/22/2024

   

   

  The Roof has been repaired; the homeowner told me they would take care of the interior damage. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Poor workmanship.

  

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  This home is 3 years out of warranty, and I have not received anything from this homeowner in over 2 years, if they would like to contact me at SDH Warranty I would be willing to discuss any concerns that they have.

  Customer response

  04/11/2024

  Thank you for the response. 1) My husband submitted within the 1st year the requests to have several issues fixed. 2) When he followed up, he was told they never got it. Okay, let's give it that it was 2020 during COVID but, to say he never contacted them within the year was a not true. I wrote a FB post on their page in 2021 speaking of the poor workmanship. 3) When they came finally, the 1st floor window was supposedly fixed, no it still had the same issue. 4) Our bedroom ceiling has cracks and obvious is seems to be pulling apart. My husband was just recently, within the last month in a half, told this is not something that could possibly be covered under warranty. How is it that a 4 year old home could have such damage? 5) When they came to finally push in the nails coming out the wall after the first year because they said we hadn't reported anything--not true--the gentleman told us the main bathroom's shower head was installed too low. 6) We pointed out corners of the walls where the drywall is obviously pulling apart. The issue is the workmanship is subpar. We also pointed out in the walk through of the shingles over the garage was not positioned properly, very obvious, never got fixed. 7) Part of the wood--top part--patio area on the left side of the house is rotting because the way the placement of the gutters. Sadly, the response from Smith Douglas is to say we have failed to report or that it is out of warranty. The issue is the poor workmanship. We aren't looking for anything more than for quality work. This home cost more than $300,000. For the work done, it shouldn't have cost that much. 

  

  Business response

  04/29/2024

  I reached out to this H/O 4/29/24 and made and appointment for 5/9/24, to go and look at the items on the pictures that he sent.

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Bought a house 1 year ago this month. 6 months after moving in, it was discovered that smith Douglas never passed the rain water drainage inspection for the county. So they came back and dug a deep trench/easement in my backyard. Now causing erosion on both sides of the easement, as well as loss of my backyard. I wouldve never bought this lot if I knew I was going to be in this situation. This is builder negligence, and to now try and pin the expense on me is shady. The only response I can get from both warranty specialists is that they dont cover landscaping or erosion.. However this wasnt an issue when I closed on the house. It only became an issue when they came back after 6 months and dug this easement. This shouldve been identified before selling the lot.

  

  Business response

  03/28/2024

   

  I met this homeowner on 3/28/24, and we are working on a resolution with the homeowner.

  Customer response

  04/01/2024

   
  Complaint: 21473803
  
  I did meet with Smith Douglas Reps on 3/28 and are pending a solution to the issues at hand. We discussed a small retaining wall to hold back the hillside. Something about 3 ft tall, as well as a dry river rock bed for the water to flow where sod is currently placed which is also causing erosion. If both ideas are truly honored as a solution, I believe we will be resolved. 

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  Smith Douglas Homes representatives visited homeowners on Thursday, 3/28/24 located at ******************************************* / Lot 106 in the ******************* We noticed the following two conditions: minor erosion along the bottom of the slope located at the rear of the property and minor erosion along the sodded drainage swale slope near the rear concrete patio starting, due to lawn mower blades close ground contact.
  
  Smith Douglas Homes would like to restabilize the bottom of rear slope with re-seeding and matting for permanent stabilization. The sodded area of the drainage swale (near the rear concrete patio), SDH would be willing to regrade and re-install new stapled sod.  The homeowner would be required to water and maintain this re-seeding and re-sodding thru permanent establishment.
  
  Addressing homeowners statement regarding the regradingof the drainage swale It is correct that Smith Douglas had to regrade the drainage swale along his drainage easement. Cherokee County required drainage easements to be certified by a professional engineer. The drainage easement had been altered since the issuance of final plat to Certificate of Occupancy.Smith Douglas Homes was required by Cherokee County to adhere to storm water ordinances and regulations.

  Customer response

  04/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 21473803
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This response is 100% unnaceptable. Just another reason why people need to steer clear from Smith Douglas Homes. Trying to put the blame on the homeowner and the county, instead of taking accountability for their mistakes. The county didnt change the storm drainage requirements in the middle of the subdivision being done. Smith Douglas just Failed to follow the requirements. Just like my lawn mower blades hasnt caused the soil to drop 6 inches in parts of my backyard, or caused the hillside to *****. I have rocks coming up through my backyard from the sod/soil dropping down. I shouldnt have expected an answer any different from this company, everyone Ive spoken to has tried to play the blame game on someone else. Sad their warranty specialists have told me they cant wait to get out of this neighborhood because of the amount of warranty tickets they have. Really shows the quality of worksmanship that they provide. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

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