By: Brittany Morehouse
CHARLOTTE,
N.C. – The North Carolina housing market has been booming as of late,
but one nonprofit group says new homeowners need more protection.
“In
the face of defective construction, homeowners have virtually no
ability to protect their investments,” said Rob Thompson of the North
Carolina Public Interest Research Group.
NCPIRG is pushing for a homeowners’ bill of rights.
“Homes
are the nucleus of our society. They’re where North Carolinians raise
their children and build their families,” Thompson said.
“Unfortunately, homeowners in North Carolina don’t have the ability to
protect the most important investments of their lives.
The bill of rights would include a measure that would require contractors to own a license for building.
“It’s
very easy to get into this line of work – a hammer and a business
card,” said Tom Bartholomy of the Better Business Bureau.
It
would also hold builders accountable for defects for up to 10 years,
something that would have helped Bill Richardson. His concrete
foundation began splitting after the six-year mark and he was left to
spend more than $8,000 out of his own pocket to fix it.
Homeowner
Chris Gilbert says county code inspectors also need to be held more
accountable. He says his missed a list of violations and a state
inspector later deemed his house unacceptable.
“We
thought that we were protected,” he said. “We thought if a county
inspector came in, he’d see any code violations and make the builder
build it right.”
Homeowners
who want to check on the qualifications of their builders are urged to
call the Better Business Bureau before they buy.
