ComplaintsforHigh Ground Homes, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I'm filing a formal complaint against High Ground Homes, the builder responsible for the construction of our new home purchased in November 2023. Our experience with High Ground Homes has been profoundly disappointing and frustrating, marked by a series of issues that have persisted despite our best efforts to address them. Upon initially moving into our new home, it became immediately apparent that there were numerous issues requiring attention. Despite being assured of a one-year warranty, only a small fraction of these issues have been adequately addressed, leaving many unresolved to this day. The builder initially attempted to shift blame onto a former employee, absolving themselves of responsibility. However, it has now been about a year since that employee's departure, and High Ground Homes has made little effort to rectify the outstanding issues, despite our repeated attempts to bring them to their attention. The quality of the construction has been shockingly poor. One particularly concerning issue is the water damage we discovered in our walls, which has led to the growth of black mold. Upon consulting with a professional roofer, it was determined that improper casings were installed, resulting in water seepage. Despite presenting evidence of this to High Ground Homes, they have attempted to shift blame onto us, suggesting that the installation of our washer caused the issue. However, independent professionals have confirmed that the root cause lies in a roofing defect, which High Ground Homes has neglected to address. In light of the gross negligence and disregard demonstrated by High Ground Homes, I am seeking the assistance of the Better Business Bureau in resolving these matters promptly. We have exhausted all avenues of communication with the builder to no avail, and we are left with no choice but to escalate this complaint to your organization.

  Business response

  06/12/2024

  We appreciate the opportunity to respond and resolve this complaint.  The home involved was completed in November 2022.  Between November 2022 through August 2023, at least 8 different subcontractors completed work at this property.  (This ranged from sheetrock/texture, paint, electrical work, plumbing, door repair, ***dow cleaning, etc.)  This does not include all visits made by the builder and his superintendent.  No email, text or phone communication had been made by the home owner  until 2 days prior to their one year warranty expiration.  At that time, a punch list was submitted.  Please see attached email correspondence. 
  Regarding the black mold, faulty roof, gross negligence and independent professionals called out to the property:
  Approximately a year after moving in, the clients contacted Shane about a water leak in the laundry room.  Shane immediately notified our plumber.  Upon inspection by our plumber, the washing machine was leaking from the supply line (hooked up by homeowner, not the builder) and caused a leak on the wall directly behind the appliance.  Once the water line was tightened properly, no further leaking was reported.  No further requests for additional assistance needed.  At no time were we ever contacted by another roofing company, insurance company or repair company regarding any additional repairs or services needed.  There was ONE leak on ONE wall directly behind an appliance that we did not install 

  High Ground Homes is happy to schedule any remaining WARRANTY items at the home owners convenience

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  In reference to the water leak, please refer to the letter from the plumber who actually repaired the water leak.

  ****** Plumbing was contacted by Mrs. ***** to address a leak behind her washing machine. No mention of a roof leak at any time. This leak was 100% caused by a loose supply line to the washing machine which neither High Ground Homes nor ****** Plumbing installed. There is no way the damage behind the washer was caused from a roof leak. If there was a roof leak there would have been extensive water damage the ceiling, especially with the record rainfall we had in Amarillo last year. There is no damage to the ceiling which is absolutely where you would see a roof leak.

  When I went by and went over the punch list on November 13, Mrs. ***** showed me the damage to the wall behind the washer. She said the plumber had fixed the leak (as referenced in the letter from ****** Plumbing) and she then expected me to fix the wall damage caused by the leak.  It's not my responsibility to fix something we didn't cause. There was never any mention at any time of a roof issue until she needed something else to blame for the leak so it wouldn't be her fault. Mrs. *****, then had a roofer come out 5 months (According to his letter) after ****** fixed the actual leak, where he put some caulk around some flashing and said that is what caused the issue. This is ridiculous. I won't address this issue again.

  If Mrs. ***** would like to schedule a time for the repairs to be made which we agreed to on our walk through, I would be happy to, as I stated in my previous response. She has my number. 

  Customer response

  07/02/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:  The builder continues to incorrectly state that the water leak, addressed by ****** Plumbing, was solely caused by a loose supply line to the washing machine, which neither High Ground Homes nor ****** Plumbing installed. The repairs were made to the clean out cap on October 31st, and I do not know how to make this any more clear. I am unsure why the builder keeps going back to the water supply line when this is NOT the issue. However, the builder refuses to take responsibility for the actual issue at hand, including warranty matters that need to be addressed.

  Initially, we believed the repairs made by the plumber on October 31st had resolved the issue. It was only later, upon encountering more issues and seeking further evaluation, that we discovered additional water damage originating from a faulty roof. A professional roofer subsequently confirmed that the mold growth and ongoing water issues were linked to deficiencies in the roof's flashing.

  Due to the conflicting accounts between the roofer and the plumber, we were compelled to hire a home inspector at our own expense. This decision was necessary after the builder's refusal to conduct an independent investigation into the ongoing issues. The inspector we hired was a Texas licensed inspector from *** Home Inspection to conduct a thorough evaluation. This inspection, governed by the Texas Real Estate Commission's Standards of Practice, revealed that while the roof leaks were caused by damages to other areas of the home, they were not directly responsible for the mold growth. Instead, the mold issues stemmed from improper plumbing installation within the utility closet, where a poorly installed filter allowed ongoing water leakage.

  Attached for your reference is the detailed Texas home inspection report, which thoroughly documents and outlines the findings and substantiates our claims. The report was provided to us on July 2nd, and we now have concrete proof from a non-biased party and state-certified and licensed home inspector.

  At this time, the builder has continued to not take responsibility for the issues that took place during the build of our home, which have now led to further issues. The builder's response is a clear indication of the lack of integrity he takes into his builds. It is getting us nowhere going back and forth; we have now provided the most accurate proof one can give, which shows the leak is due to an issue that occurred during the build, as well as an issue that was brought up within our one-year warranty.

  We urgently request that the builder takes immediate and comprehensive steps to rectify these issues as outlined in the inspection report. This resolution is critical not only for restoring the structural integrity of our home but also for mitigating the serious health and safety concerns posed by the ongoing mold infestation.

  If the builder continues to refuse to fix these issues, we will have no choice but to pursue legal action, using this correspondence as evidence, and close this case as unresolved.
  We appreciate the BBB’s attention to this matter and respectfully request that our rejection of the builder’s response be considered alongside the supporting documentation provided.

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Purchased a new build from High ground homes on March 23, we had to have bedroom wall replaced and was never repainted. Ceiling is cracking in livingroom. Shane said he would come over to look at but has yet to do so. Rain had came in and due to them not sealing front windows. Floor boards were slightly damaged and Shane said he would fix it but didn't. Brick on back fireplace has cracked all the way down and has not been fixed. Apparently he has let go of all his employees and will not answer calls.

  Business response

  09/05/2023

  I have been in contact with ******* ****** about the issues with his home. I was unaware of the issues listed by ********. My superintendent at the time informed me that all issues had been corrected. This employee is no longer with my company. I responded immediately the next day anytime the ****** family contacted me with any complaints about their home. I have also spoken with Mr. ****** after being notified about the complaint and told him I would pay for any costs he incurred with any home repairs.

  Customer response

  09/13/2023

  I have reviewed the business’ response and accept this resolution. Shane has promised to take care of the invoices that we had to pay out of pockect for the warranty repairs that were done.

• Initial Complaint

  10/15/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We started a process to build a home with High Ground Homes, and they have not finished a lot of their work. We have moved in and have taken over the loan with the promise of them sending their subs in to finish the list of things that need to be finished. They have made every excuse not to be at the house finishing their work, yet are continuing building on with all of their other homes. I have contacted them multiple times but haven't had much progress with them. And sometimes don't even get a response back the first time I text. Out of the whole list attached below in texts. The texts are between Shane (the partner and owner of HGH) ***** (my husband) Trever (supervisor for HGH) and me. The only things that actually have gotten finished after our constant request are the doors closing a little better, the grout touch ups, and hanging mirrors. We have lived in this house since the first week of July. Since then, HGH has made quite a bit of progress with the other homes of theirs.

  Business response

  11/23/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 16, 2021/11/23) */ We take full ownership and pride in all the homes we build and put customer satisfaction, flexibility, and service first. High Ground Homes is available with our subcontractors Monday through Friday 7am through 7pm to meet all our customer's needs. We continue to work with this customer to ensure all work is completed and this customer's expectations are met based on their available schedule. Consumer Response /* (2000, 18, 2021/11/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) We will accept if this company can follow through with their work. We will continue to work with High Ground Homes to resolve the outstanding items that need to be addressed/finished properly.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩