We are hoping someone in the neighborhood can help us understand what Village is doing (or not doing) with our cracking and heaving basement. They have spent the last year and 1/2 monitoring our basement, saying once the movement stops they would make repairs. And now, they say the basement doesn't meet the requirements in the Warranty Manual and are not going to do anything. Has anyone else had a good or bad experience getting their basement repaired? We know we are not the only ones in the neighborhood to have problems. If you have any information or know of anyone who might, please help!!!

By Carrie & Greg Houck

Keep a paper trail

Document everything, beginning with when they commenced their 'monitoring'. If it is in writing, and you should ALWAYS get it in writing, you have no problems...and it will hold up in court if you unfortunately have to go that route. You have a 10yr. structural warranty, so get your own engineer to certify the problem, including current settling/soil expansion percentages, there are state requirements for builders based on these readings. And finally, don't let them get the best of you...keep on them.

It seems Village realized they had a problem after replacing several basements (and they did, there's no way to hide the dumpsters and machinery involved in this process, so yours should be no exception), then did everything in their power to avoid rectifying the situation with any remaining homes with similar problems to avoid the cost involved. Opinion only, but based on information from neighbors with these exact problems. We have a structural wood floor, as they should have done with all the homes to begin with, and have no basement problems. We have had other problems, and yes, had to 'fight' to get these resolved, up to THREE years after moving in!

FYI...illegal to put flyers in US postal mail boxes...I'd suggest the front door or garage door handles in the future, you can get fined excessively for this, at the very least.

Hope this helps.

By Resident

Basement Replacement Criteria

We at Village Homes are committed to fulfilling any and all of our responsibilities and obligations according to the terms of the original agreements made with homeowners, and according to the terms and conditions as set forth in the warranty manual provided to each buyer at the time of contract.

We are sorry if the cracking in your basement doesn't meet the minimum guideliens and requirements for replacement according to these documents. If , in fact, the movement has stopped and the cracking does not meet the criteria as set forth in the warranty booklets, there is no obligation for replacement at this time.

However, your neighbor is correct in that you do have a 10 year structural warranty, either with Village Homes or with an outside Warranty Company. The criteria differ between a Village Homes Strutural Warranty and that of Residential Warranty Corporation. Please check your records to see which one you hold. (Village Homes became self insured a couple of years ago, because we believed that the criteria in the RWC Warranty were becoming unfairly stringent.) However, whichever company holds your warranty does have an obligation to you - WITHIN THE TERMS OF THE COVERAGE - for 10 years from your date of closing.

Please remember, that most soils in Colorado are expansive in nature. This is precisely why Village Homes obtains reports on all of our properties, prepared by reputable soil engineers, before ever commencing construction. It is also the reason that we always follow the recommendations of those engineers. (It is this research and the resulting recommendations that determine the need for structural wood flooring systems.) It is also important to remember that Village Homes does not represent basement space as ''habitable'' The intent is to use it for storage.

None the less, we empathize with your frustration. We encourage you to reread the relevant documents provided to you, and encourage you to contact us again, if you feel that your concerns are within the parameters set forth in those documents.

Should you need any copies of misplaced documentation please call Carol Hadd, the Village Ambassador, at 303-795-1976; she will be glad t send you replacement copies.