Complaint Review: Dunmore Homes - Roseville California

I purchased a new home from Dunmore Homes (http://www.dunmorehomes.com/) Elk Grove, CA, a couple of months ago. Approximately two months ago, when I was out of town, beetles invaded my home. When I returned from my trip, my entire house, inside and outside was covered with tens of thousands of beetles.

After contacting the builder to inform them of the problem, I was told that I would be added to the list. In addition, I contacted countless individuals and city officials, including but not limited to, the City health department, City Manager, Vector control, EPA, Nuance complaint line, and Terminix. I had Terminix out to the house several times a week, to no avail. After a few weeks of trying to exterminate these beetles, Terminix informed me that there is nothing further than can do, that my entire block was having the same problem.

After exhausting every conceivable avenue, I hired an independent contractor to inspect my house. I was informed the house had numerous defects, and when my contractor was inspecting my house, the builder sent some of his subcontractors to cover their trail and to fix some of the obvious defects. Nonetheless, the house has countless holes where the beetles are coming in through. The biggest problem is the mud seals. Apparently, my builder, who stated to my contractor that they glue the mud seals, was WRONG! Dunmore foams the mud seals and the beetles appear to be eating through the foam. According to one city official, the forming of the mud seal reflects POOR CRAFTMANSHIP by DUNMORE!!! As it turns out, there are tens of thousands of beetles in the walls of my house. I have several thousand in my garage, front door and back patio. There is not a place to stand in my garage where you don't hear the beetle's shells being crushed from you walking into the house.

These beetles are EVERYWHERE! They come up through the plumbing, fall from the ceiling vents, the light fixtures, and the stove, EVERYWHERE! They fall from the ceiling and climb from the floor into your BED!!! It has become impossible to sleep. When I first arrived home from my trip, I did not sleep the entire week. Every time you attempt to get some rest, you hear the beetles falling from the windows, or ceiling. You can actually hear them hit the floor, because their shell is hard. You immediately get up and start looking for them to suck up in the wet/dry vacuum. This continues to be the routine. The first week back I was up until 3am or 4am every night trying to catch them before they made it to my bed.

Now the routine is to suck them all up when you first wake-up in the morning and then when you get home from work. I spend about 3 hours of my day moving all the furniture to clean up after the beetles. The most disgusting part is the beetles burrow in your carpets. Now, all my carpets have separated from the walls, and the beetles are in the carpets to the point where you cannot get them out unless you rip out all the carpets in the entire house!

Dunmore has done little as possible. When I informed them that I was hiring an independent contractor to inspect and fix the house, they had the NERVE to ask me to submit my contractors finding to them. They wanted me to pay for the contractor and then submit them the report. I COULD NOT believe what they wanted. I told them NO, if I was paying for the contractor to fix THEIR DEFECTS, then I was going to do what I wanted with the report. I told them that they would have to hire their OWN engineer/contractor to inspect the homes. They did not have the decency to even offer to send someone out, first!!!

Since then, ABSOLUTELY nothing has been done to my home that I HAVE NOT paid for myself. Dunmore has done little as possible to rectify the beetle situation, and I continue to incur all the cost!!! Dunmore has even had the nerve to send their sales people to my house to start a fight in the street. They continue to call people at work and home to prevent any type of protest. They only call when they hear a protest or a meeting has been scheduled by the homeowners to talk about the beetle problem.

I even extended an offer to Sid Dunmore to spend one night in my house, the house his company built, FREE ROOM AND BOARD, and he has yet to accept my generous offer. If he believes in the quality or lack there of, of his house, then what is he afraid of?

What infuriates me even more is that other builders in the area, right next door to DUNMORE, have know about the problem for 18 months. Other residence who have purchased DUNMORE homes have also stated they had the problem prior to my purchase of the house. Yet, this was never disclosed to me. I doubt if DUNMORE is disclosing this to anyone. I spoke with another city official that stated DUNMORE knew of the beetle problem because he continues to have this problem season after season. But this was NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME!!!

Many of my neighbors have already fled their homes while others are talking about leaving. One of my new neighbors spent their FIRST night in a hotel. Can you imagine, you get the keys to your dream house, and when you open the door, BAM!!! You house is no longer your house, but a beetle infested mess. Now imagine having to sleep in a hotel with your entire family, wife, children on your FIRST night! That is outrageous!!!

This is my first home, and I am thoroughly disgusted with the craftsmanship, poor customer service, goodwill and overall handling of this matter by Dunmore Homes. BEFARE, THIS COULD VERY WELL BE YOUR NIGHTMARE. My entire block and several others are in the nightmare, and we cannot wakeup from it!