SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, a group of Redmond homeowners represented by Hagens Berman filed a lawsuit in federal court for the Western District of Washington against Shea Homes, Inc., alleging that the California-based homebuilder acted unfairly and deceptively in building, marketing and selling homes specifically marketed to elderly buyers.
The complaint, filed by attorneys Steve Berman with national class-action law firm Hagens Berman and Dave von Beck of Levy – von Beck & Associates, was brought on behalf of more than 950 plaintiffs who together own about 600 homes built and sold by Shea Homes at Trilogy at Redmond Ridge, a community for elderly residents.
“We believe that what Shea Homes has done to outright ignore building codes and the well-being of innocent homeowners is inexcusable,” said Steve Berman, lead attorney representing the group of homeowners. “This widespread faulty construction and deception alleged in the complaint has led to what we believe may be the largest lawsuit ever brought in Washington in terms of the number of plaintiffs seeking damages on an individual basis against a homebuilder.”
The lawsuit alleges that Shea knowingly ignored architect plans and building codes by omitting required exterior waterproofing components such as metal flashings intended to prevent water intrusion and rot damage. According to the complaint, Shea’s omissions and misrepresentations to Trilogy homebuyers have caused each home to suffer tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
The 89-page complaint includes photographs of rotting Trilogy homes, and garages with puddles of groundwater. The complaint also includes excerpts of internal Shea emails in which Shea employees appear to mock homeowners. In one email, a Shea customer service representative states that the quality of Shea’s homes provides them with “job security.” Images of the damages have been posted at www.hbsslaw.com/cases-and-investigations/cases/Shea-Homes and www.levy-law.com/articles.
“This isn’t the first time Shea has been accused of trying to deceive homeowners,” von Beck said. “Shea has been sued twice before for violations of the Consumer Protection Act due to concealed defects at Trilogy at Redmond Ridge.”
A class-action lawsuit filed in 2010, which Shea settled in 2011, sought damages for mold. A second class action came against Shea in 2012.
The complaint alleges that Shea conducted secret investigations into its rotting homes as far back as 2007. According to the complaint, these investigations concluded that columns on hundreds of Trilogy homes were rotting internally from the day they were built, and that other wooden elements were rotting and detaching from houses. During this time, Shea allegedly told homeowners that the problems were not construction-related, but were due to inadequate homeowner maintenance.
“Shea’s track record is piling up, and it has recently scheduled meetings with homeowners in what we see as a belated attempt to salvage its reputation and avoid paying damages,” von Beck said. “We believe that this latest strategy is no more reliable than the weatherproofing on Shea’s homes – it is too little, too late.”
About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with offices in nine cities. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List seven times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com.
About Levy – von Beck
Levy – von Beck is a Pacific Northwest law firm whose practice includes homeowners’ rights, defective construction and Consumer Protection Act violations. For more about the firm, visit http://levy-law.com/.
