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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Caution to future homeowner hopefuls
Know your builder
Dear Readers: My
office receives
quite a few calls
concerning new-home com
plaints. To illustrate an
extreme case, two of my
clients have kindly autho
rized me to tell their story
to educate all of you.
My clients decided the}'
wanted to build their
“dream home” for retire
ment. They contracted with
a distant relative of theirs
from Atlanta who styled
herself a general contrac
tor. They did not check ref
erences or run background
checks. Mistake number
one.
A construction contract
was signed and a construc
tion loan secured. Believing
that their home would be
completed in a reasonable
amount of time, they sold
their existing home and
moved into a temporary
apartment, moving their
excess personal affects
and furniture into storage.
Mistake number two.
Believing that their rela
tive/builder was honest and
industrious, they signed off
on requisition draws from
the construction loan with
out checking on progress,
without visiting the work
site, and without making
sure that everything was
proceeding on schedule.
Mistake number three.
Unbeknownst to them,
they were signing off on
requisitions for work not
completed and materials
not delivered to their job
site. By the time they came
to hire me, checks had been
bounced, subcontractors
went unpaid, schedules had
been broken, revised, and
broken again.
Their spacious home was
TOYS
From page $A
might force our manufactur
ers to realize that Americans
want quality goods to buy,
and Americans to have the
jobs of supplying them. Not
to mention the dangers of
bringing these items into our
homes.
For birthdays, Christmases,
et al, I have decided to pur
chase U. S. Savings Bonds
as gifts, and either give the
children books or scout out
handmade toys at places like
the Mossy Creek Festival. I
have, actually, already put
this plan into action for my
two-year old great-grandson.
Children are overwhelmed
with the tons of toys they
have now, mostly plastic.
It would also be an oppor
tunity to teach a lesson to our
children about supporting this
SYSTEM
From page 4A
about - although, he led
the attack on Bill Clinton.
Hypocrisy is no stranger to
Newt.
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s
shady tax deals and his
pathetic role in the sale of
Oaky Woods and his land
purchases are shameful. But
he has publicly stated that as
our governo he can do what
he wants
Now that is arrogance.
Will Republican, state-wide
tax reform mainly benefit
our wealthiest citizens like
we see in abolishing property
taxes. That would be a rip
off and cripple our schools
whose funding would be fro
zen forever.
A mansion and a mobile
home untaxed is not fairness.
WARNER ROBINS
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a half
fa u i 1 t ,
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ita b 1 e
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shell
and the
loan was
exhaust- 1
ed.
The
bank
Jim Rockefeller
The ‘Law’ man
stopped all construction,
threatening them with
default. They were strug
gling to pay bills while
living in a cramped apart
ment. I advised them to at
least get the building com
pletely closed in, so they
could try to pass inspection
and move in - even if that
meant unfinished rooms
and no landscaping.
We notified the builder
that she was in breach of
contract and offered her
an opportunity to remedy
the problems. We couldn’t
just unilaterally declare the
contract broken.
A couple of weeks later,
after the deadline passed,
the builder had the audac
ity to call me and say that
my clients could not bring
anyone else in to fix this
mess! As you might imag
ine, I just laughed.
After spending approxi
mately $50,000 out-of
pocket and refinancing
their construction loan,
my clients’ “dream home”
miraculously passed inspec
tion. We filed an arbitra
tion claim against the
builder, winning an award
of $345,013.50, for a home
that should have cost about
$250,000 to be built.
Unfortunately, the award
is probably uncollectible
because in the middle of the
project the builder failed to
country and the people in this
country who need low-paying
jobs to survive in this global
economy. We were bam
boozled by Walmart and the
other big box stores, includ
ing Sears and other major
retailers, into believing that
all these goods would forever
be cheaper and of higher
quality. Neither concept was
true, nor is it true that the
lower costs are being passed
on to American consumers.
Don’t depend on our gov
ernment to do anything about
this. Our politicians will make
a lot of noise about “regulat
ing” the quality of imports,
etc., but it’s the manufactur
ers and politicians who are
making money off this decep
tion.
Nothing will change until
the public quits spending it’s
money on dangerous, low
quality merchandise.
If I were a Bill Gates, Warren
Progressive taxation based
on ability to pay is the fairest
system - not sales taxes that
Subscribe so you
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ums.
After my clients and I
started poking around into
the builder’s background,
we found that out that she
is a disbarred and disgraced
former attorney, stripped of
her right to practice law
for stealing from clients
about 10 years ago.
She was convicted of theft
in Atlanta and is currently
on probation. She has been
scheming, defrauding, and
conning even her friends
and family out of tens of
thousands of dollars. In
short, she is a menace and
needs to be stopped. We are
trying to have her arrested
for theft.
Sadly, she does not really
have any assets that my cli
ents can use to satisfy their
award.
My heart goes out to
my clients; I told them to
wait to finish paying me
until they can bring some
financial sanity to their
lives. Let their tale be a
cautionary one to anyone
looking to build their own
home. Do your homework
on your builder and make
sure that you hire some
one reputable, bonded, and
with assets. Above all, run
as far away as you can from
distant builder-relatives!
Local attorney Jim
Rockefeller owns the
Rockefeller Law Center
and is a former Houston
Co. Chief Assistant District
Attorney, and a former
Miami Prosecutor. E-mail
confidential legal questions
to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.
com. Visit www.rockefelle.r
lawcenter.com for Frequently
Asked Questions and Jim’s
blog, The Rockefeller
Report.
Buffett, Donald Trump, or
some other multi-millionaire,
I’d be investing in American
workers and supplying our
country with light bulbs,
Christmas ornaments, watch
es, TVs, etc., instead of wor
rying about countries such as
Mexico who have never been
interested in building up their
own countries without con
ning the rest of the world by
enslaving their own people
in extremely low-paying and
dangerous environments just
so the few “elite” can live the
good life in their mansions.
And Americans should be
more concerned about buy
ing products that will pro
vide their fellow citizens with
employment than having to
pay a few more cents for
something. I would rather do
without a few luxuries and
know that I was helping my
friends in this country.
Carmen Lyons, Perry
hurt the poor the most.
Frank W. Gadbois,
Warner Robins
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Sales * Service *Parts • Accessories
nvno\. ga
478-956-4777
OPINION
Do you know your
desired outcome?
Many people with
whom I interact
don’t know why
they do what they do! Now
that may seem incredible to
you. Yet we are all guilty of
this at times!
Sometimes my wife will ask
me, “Dennis, why did you do
that?” Usually, I’m able to
answer with something that
seems plausible. Occasionally,
however, the real answer is,
*
Dennis Hooper
Leaders Building
Leaders
I spent no time in advance
of my action, thinking about
the possible outcome. I did
what I did without consider
ing options, without really
thinking about the effects of
my behavior.
I work with leaders on
improving the impact they
have on those over whom
they have authority. I empha
size that what we intend is
not always the effect that
actually occurs. We initiate
the action, but we usually
don’t know the actual long
term impact.
We blindly believe that
what we intended actually
occurred. That’s true maybe
half the time. About half the
time, though, something we
hadn’t even considered is
the outcome. And unless we
ask, we’ll continue on blindly
unaware of what happened.
(I strongly encourage leaders
to become very comfortable
inviting feedback!)
Of course, thinking about
our desired outcome doesn’t
guarantee it will occur. We
are not in control of all the
environmental elements that
That’s my
mortgage bank.
Finding the right mortgage banker is just as important Hf©
as finding the right home. At Fairfield Financial, get the
convenience of using online services and the confidence of working
with trustee;! local professionals. You can apply online, communicate by
phone, and meet face to face with a knowledgeable loan officer. You
will feel much more comfortable discussing your finances, your future,
and your personal preferences with someone you can depend on.
FAIRFIELD
FINANCIAL
A Subtidiaiy of Security Bank
www.MyFairfieldMortgage.com
We do the work. You take the credit.
"Of course,
thinking about our
desired outcome
doesn't guarantee
It will occur."
affect our results. However,
we increase the probabil
ity of making happen what
we desire if we have a dear
image of what that is.
Lei me provide an exam
ple. In old Jerusalem, there
was a gate at the northeast
wall of the city. Just outside
that gate was a pool known
as Bethsaida. Allegedly, when
an angel stirred the waters,
the first person in the pool
would be healed.
Gathered around the pool
were many blind, lame, and
paralyzed individuals. One in
particular had been brought
there each day for thirty
eight years! Can you imag
ine? After all that time, can
you understand if perhaps
he’d lost hope?
Jesus, on his way to a reli
gious festival, passed the pool
and asked the disabled man,
“Do you want to get well?”
The man could have
answered, “Of course!” Or
he could have sarcastically
replied, “Why else do you
think I’d be lying here?”
Instead, he explained, “Sir, I
have no one to help me into
the pool when the water is
stirred. While I am trying
“I don’t
know.”
Huh?
I’m inside
my body,
totally in
control of
my behav
iors, and
I don’t
know why
I did what
I did? Yep,
I confess.
Assessing Your
Leadership Skills
-SBS/person
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2007 ♦
to get in, someone else goes
down ahead of me.”
Jesus simply asked a ver
sion of “What is your desired
outcome?” The man respond
ed instead with a long expla
nation for why he’d been
unsuccessful for most of his
life!
Leaders, don’t allow
yourselves to be seduced
into a similar outlook!
Opportunities come your
way every day! If you don’t
have a clear picture of your
desired outcome, you’ll miss
more chances at success than
you’ll ever realize.
Fortunately, Jesus is more
forgiving than most of the
situations you’ll face. Despite
the man’s failure to clearly
state his desired outcome,
Jesus satisfied his need.
(Read beyond the first verses
in the book of John, chapter
5, and you’ll see that both
the disabled man and Jesus
were criticized for what hap
pened! Isn’t that just the way
it is? Whatever good you do,
you’ll always have critics!)
Your power to focus your
limited energies is greatly
enhanced when you clearly
know what you desire and
why! Practice until it is natu
ral to think, “What is my
desired outcome in this situ
ation?”
Dennis is a local certi
fied leadership develop
ment coach, helping middle
Georgia leaders build organi
zations of excellence. Contact
him at 478-988-0237 or
dhooper2@juno.com.
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237
Perry
1208 Washington Street
(478) 722-7165
Warner Robins
11 OB S Houston lake Road
(478) 953-7400
849 Warren Dr. (Hwy 96)
(478) 722-7183
dhooper2@juno.com
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