Lesson 3
- A builder may have a 30+ year history of good reviews, then a few recent complaints or even lawsuits. How can that be?
In our example, Tim Byrom started Brint Construction in the 1980’s, and he probably built many fine homes. When we contracted with them in 2016, Brian Byrom (one of the sons) told us that Tim was in the process of retiring and giving the title of General Manager to Brian. It is our opinion that Brian Byrom just wasn’t up for the task. (For one example of why we believe that, CLICK HERE to read one of the email chains regarding the leaking roof, and decide if that is the level of service you would expect from your builder)
There have been at least two lawsuits filed against Brint Construction, Inc. in the last two years, (as of the time of writing this in April 2023)
How can you know if your builder has been sued? The county where your builder resides, or the counties where he has built, should have online records of filed lawsuits. Our example is CLICK HERE for Galveston County. Then click on the link Civil and Family Case Records, click on the button for Business, enter the name of the builder you are learning about, our example is “Brint Construction, Inc.” (NOTE: You need to know the exact legal name of the business, or you could miss important info).
BE AWARE: Not all issues and complaints result in a lawsuit. IMHO many homeowners may get to a certain level of frustration and just throw up their hands and accept things as they are. A lawsuit can be very costly and lengthy.
Does a lack of lawsuits mean you are OK? Not necessarily, but it is a good indication. Multiple lawsuits SHOULD BE A RED FLAG!
TIP TO AVOID THIS: Learn about the company you may be choosing. Then also learn everything you can about the person or persons that would be running your project.