The following letter is from a resident of the Green Jade Estates subdivision in St. Louis, MO who has asked that his name not be published. He describes how he and 30 families tried to re-coup damages from shoddy home construction. His family had to abandon their home. The neighborhood families spent 9 years in the court system. [For more detail on what it can be like to try to re-coup losses and get justice, see this article on Intimidation By Lawsuit And Corruption To Force Silence.]

NeighborhoodNet has been receiving emails about shoddy home construction and questionable financing practices from home buyers in both Kansas and Missouri, along with letters describing the situation in other states. I believe our government agencies, including legislators, should be going out of their way to protect citizens from abuses. This is not happening in Kansas and Missouri. Note that the problems of this neighborhood were well publicized several years ago, yet the Missouri legislature has still not addressed the problem and one Senator says about such legislation "It isn't going to happen."

[If you wish to voice your opinions, these email addresses go to Kansas legislators (badhome@nbrhd.net) and Missouri legislators (badhomemo@nbrhd.net). The email addresses were established by NeighborhoodNet and HADD to ease communications between citizens and public officials. NeighborhoodNet also receives the letters, but will not publish them without the author's permission].

Here is the letter to the Missouri Senate. A similar one was sent to the Kansas House:

Dear Senator...

I'm very disappointed to hear that there is a possibility that Senate Bill 635, which was intended to protect consumers, will once again not even be passed out of committee. As a homeowner that had to abandon a house that was built on improperly compacted soil, I realize firsthand the importance of any legislation that will help protect home-buyers from incompetent or unscrupulous builders. My family, along with over 30 other families in our subdivision (Green Jade Estates) spent over nine years in federal and state court in an effort to recoup our damages. While we were successful to an extent by reaching settlements with many of the defendants, there were several defendants that were able to avoid their responsibility and were dismissed through judicial technicalities.

It is very disappointing to hear that there is a possibility that the legislators who are elected to represent the people of this state are siding with builders rather than the voters who actually elect them. Please reconsider your decision regarding this very important bill. While my experience with a bad builder may finally be over, it is vitally important that we protect future homebuyers from having to endure the type of situation that my family went through. My family was "lucky" that we were able to survive our experiences and eventually moved on, however many of the families in our subdivision weren't so lucky, experiencing bankruptcy and divorces as a result of what transpired with their first home. As a Missouri resident I find it appalling that Missouri currently is one of the worst states in terms of consumer protection for homebuyers. This is an opportunity to correct that situation and offer some long-overdue protection for home buyers. Obviously, due to my past experience with a bad builder, this issue will play a major role in who I vote for in the future.

Best Regards...
John V.
St. Louis, MO 63129