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PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID Desert Hot Springs, CA
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MSWD Russ Martin admires Economist Michael Bracken’s classic Volvo at the Salsa Blast! Thousands attend first annual event in DHS.
Century Vintage Homes at Mission Lakes Country Club in DHS. Attorney Michael T. Quinn (inset) speaks to homeowner’s at meeting.
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Feds Agree to Salton Sea Stabilization
NORTH SHORE – Assistant Interior Secretary Anne Castle announced last week that the federal government will take a more active role in helping stabilize the Salton Sea by signing a memorandum of agreement with the Salton Sea Authority. The announcement follows repeated requests by Riverside County Supervisor and Salton Sea Authority Board Member John J. Benoit for the federal government to join the Authority, a joint powers authority that oversees the distressed sea. Secretary Castle told Supervisor Benoit that entering a memorandum of agreement would be a more expeditious way to get the federal government involved. “Secretary Castle’s commitment to developing an agreement is a very hopeful sign of progress in making the federal government an active partner in our efforts,” Supervisor Benoit said. The discussion took place at an
all-day stakeholder forum convened by Congressman Raul Ruiz and hosted by Riverside County, the Salton Sea Authority, and the Salton Sea Action Committee. The forum was held at the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club Community Center in North Shore. “Now more than ever we need our federal and state partners to join with us here, working closely together locally, to save the Salton Sea and avoid an environmental and health disaster,” Supervisor Benoit said. “We welcome the interest, engagement and support of our new congressman and look forward to working hand-in-hand with our federal partners in this effort.” Secretary Castle made her second trip to the Salton Sea in just five months to participate in the forum. Benoit and other members of the Salton Sea Authority met with the secretary in her Washington, D.C. office in last month.
May 8, 2013 Vol. 7 No. 18
Hundreds of Homeowners Join Lawsuit
By Jackie Devereaux DESERT HOT SPRINGS – Nearly 400 homeowners in the Coachella Valley have joined a class-action lawsuit filed against Century Vintage builders filed by the law firm of Shinnick & Ryan from San Diego. The lawsuit alleges poor craftsmanship in a number of construction areas including cracking and expansion of stucco, improper window installation, defective roof tiles, bad pours of concrete, soil erosion, poor slopes of grades, soil movement, electrical problems, temperature differentials in summer and winter, plumbing defects, foundation problems, substandard framing of the homes; excessive spider cracking of windows, faulty window latching, gaps of light under doors and numerous other construction defects, according to Attorney Michael T. Quinn of Shinnick & Ryan. Quinn met with homeowners last week to discuss the merits of the case and the deadline for joining the class-action lawsuit which officially was Monday, May 6. If a homeowner wants to join after that date, Quinn must ask the opposing lawyers for permission to add new clients to the growing list. Quinn said his firm has hired forensic general contractors to inspect the homes for defects. As of May 2, 107 of the nearly 400 homeowners in the class-action lawsuit reside in the Mission Lakes housing track in Desert Hot Springs, and the rest of the homeowners (less than 300) are scattered throughout the Coachella Valley in homes built by Century Vintage, Quinn said. “Our law firm was contacted by a homeowner in your tract. The homeowner was concerned about damages in their home. We investigated their concerns and found cause to pursue an investigation and construction defects claim in your neighborhood,” said Quinn at a homeowner’s meeting held Thursday, May 2 at the Mission Lakes Inn. The lawsuit came about after Senate Bill 800, commonly known as the “Right to Repair” law went into effect on or after Jan. 1, 2003, and generally applies to homes sold on or after that date. Any individual owning a home built by Century Vintage, whether or not they are the original purchasers, have the option of pursuing a claim against the developer. “SB800 still applies even if you are not the original purchaser of your home,” Quinn said. SB 800 law defines construction defects according to standards of how a home and its components should function. These alleged “defects” are grouped into categories that have different time periods in which the homeowner may bring a claim for defects. Under SB800, if the homeowner notifies Century Vintage in writing of a possible deficiency, the developer can respond in a number of ways including an initial inspection within 14 days of the written claim; a second inspection within 40 days of the claim; and the developer can offer to repair the defects within 30 days of the developer’s last inspection. All homeowners in the class-action lawsuit incur no out of pocket costs. All legal fees, costs and expenses will only come out of funds recovered in the case, Quinn said. Even if the developer has gone bankrupt, which Century Vintage did, there is still a potential for recovery through the developer’s insurance policies and the subcontractor’s insurance policies. Homeowners in the Coachella Valley who had homes built by Century Vintage may wish to join this class-action lawsuit. They should call Quinn as soon as possible at 1-800-253-9741 or go to their website. www.ssllplaw. com for more information and forms.