It’s pathetic when you have to provide incentives for people to take common sense actions. Everyone knows the building codes need to be updated. Just do it. This is tantamount to paying kids to take school seriously by offering cash incentives. The country is on a downward slope.
The saddest thing is that the states that do have building codes are not strictly enforcing them. Our organization receives complaints from homeowners who have been HADD by their builders all the time. Homeowners who have been given certificates of occupancy when clearly building code violations exist. FL is a good example. They allow builders to hire “independent” inspectors. DUH!! Who do you think the inspector is working for? Not the city, the insurance industry, and certainly NOT for the home buyer. Building codes are only as good as the enforcement of them and we have learned that they are not being enforced in many places.
We have attempted in the past to enlist the assistance of the insurance industry to no avail. Instead they seem to be in the pocket of the NAHB. BIG MISTAKE!!!
I agree it’s a ‘sad commentary’ that the industry doesn’t build at least to meet codes, voluntarily. We’ve seen opposition from groups like the home builders associations, when there’s a proposed toughening of codes.
Enforcement is a huge issue. Many newly built homes have code violations, sometimes serious ones. Home buyers can’t rely on codes or enforcement to ensure a safe, well built house. Self regulation by the construction industries has failed again and again. Families can be destroyed financially from serious construction defects, and there is little legal recourse, contrary to popular opinion. In reality, most people cannot even sue a builder due to mandatory binding arbitration clauses that can result in private kangaroo courts, and no public record of problems. Even if they retained the right to sue by avoiding the arbitration clause, suing is still expensive and there’s no guarantee of collecting.
There is less and less incentive for the industry to do the kind of quality work that needs to be done. In disaster prone areas this is even more important. I don’t know if this bill will work but I can guarantee you that if a new law is passed but not enforced, it won’t help. Enforcement is critical and punishment must be more than a “fine” which many builders view as a “fee,” a cost of doing business, and they just keep making the same mistakes/shortcuts.
What’s sickening is any kind of legislation proposed to hold the construction industry more accountable is immediately attacked by the industry which plays the “affordability” card. Shortcuts seem to be profitable for the builders, but there’s nothing affordable about shoddy construction for the citizens.
It is about time the insurance industry finally accepted that building disposable JUNK isn’t the right way to do things.
It’s pathetic when you have to provide incentives for people to take common sense actions. Everyone knows the building codes need to be updated. Just do it. This is tantamount to paying kids to take school seriously by offering cash incentives. The country is on a downward slope.
The saddest thing is that the states that do have building codes are not strictly enforcing them. Our organization receives complaints from homeowners who have been HADD by their builders all the time. Homeowners who have been given certificates of occupancy when clearly building code violations exist. FL is a good example. They allow builders to hire “independent” inspectors. DUH!! Who do you think the inspector is working for? Not the city, the insurance industry, and certainly NOT for the home buyer. Building codes are only as good as the enforcement of them and we have learned that they are not being enforced in many places.
We have attempted in the past to enlist the assistance of the insurance industry to no avail. Instead they seem to be in the pocket of the NAHB. BIG MISTAKE!!!
I agree it’s a ‘sad commentary’ that the industry doesn’t build at least to meet codes, voluntarily. We’ve seen opposition from groups like the home builders associations, when there’s a proposed toughening of codes.
Enforcement is a huge issue. Many newly built homes have code violations, sometimes serious ones. Home buyers can’t rely on codes or enforcement to ensure a safe, well built house. Self regulation by the construction industries has failed again and again. Families can be destroyed financially from serious construction defects, and there is little legal recourse, contrary to popular opinion. In reality, most people cannot even sue a builder due to mandatory binding arbitration clauses that can result in private kangaroo courts, and no public record of problems. Even if they retained the right to sue by avoiding the arbitration clause, suing is still expensive and there’s no guarantee of collecting.
There is less and less incentive for the industry to do the kind of quality work that needs to be done. In disaster prone areas this is even more important. I don’t know if this bill will work but I can guarantee you that if a new law is passed but not enforced, it won’t help. Enforcement is critical and punishment must be more than a “fine” which many builders view as a “fee,” a cost of doing business, and they just keep making the same mistakes/shortcuts.
What’s sickening is any kind of legislation proposed to hold the construction industry more accountable is immediately attacked by the industry which plays the “affordability” card. Shortcuts seem to be profitable for the builders, but there’s nothing affordable about shoddy construction for the citizens.
It is about time the insurance industry finally accepted that building disposable JUNK isn’t the right way to do things.