|
| For Immediate Release |
Contact:
Marla Malkin (714) 957-9797 |
TO COSTLY CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS
"Important Resource for Protecting
Home Values," Say Consumer Advocates
Newport Beach, Calif., March
14, 2001 — Home and Condo Defects, a must-read
consumer handbook that gives homeowners a "nuts and bolts" strategy
for recognizing costly and potentially dangerous construction
defects and then guides them step-by-step through the process
of seeking resolution, will debut locally this month and on
the nation's bookstore shelves in April.
Written by attorneys Thomas Miller and his daughter Rachel Miller,
local authorities and nationally renowned specialists in construction
defect and land subsidence claims, Home and Condo Defects,
A Consumer Guide to Faulty Construction has won the endorsement
of consumer watchdogs in both the government and the media.
"Unfortunately,
construction defects in homes and condominiums are far too common in
many parts of our country where residential growth has occurred so
quickly in the last decade," said California
Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who praised the handbook for
educating homeowners "about the realities of construction defects
and options they may pursue."
Thomas
Miller noted that a home represents consumers' "single greatest
lifetime investment," and added, "The American dream can turn into
a nightmare for the family that discovers their new home is riddled
with problems. Our goal
in writing this handbook was to let them know that they can
effectively fight back."
What
Is A Construction Defect?
Among
the most common construction defects homeowners encounter:
- Roofs and windows that leak
- Mold, mildew and fungal damage resulting from water seepage
- Residences not properly attached to foundations
- Balconies and decks that prematurely fail.
Miller estimated that a third of new residential and commercial
construction has some significant structural defects. The industry trend of using cheaper materials and cutting
corners to increase profits and speed up production has contributed to
the upsurge in claims.
Sandy
Lopez, national director of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings Inc.
(HADD), said the handbook "dispels the counterfeit claims of the
building industry regarding construction defect litigation and informs
homeowners not to fall into builders' implied one-year warranty"
myth. Added Harvey
Rosenfield, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer
Rights, the handbook is "an important resource for protecting
home values." Los
Angeles Times Columnist, Jan Hickenbottom
describes the book as a "comprehensive resource for homeowners."
The
Millers are also the authors of the legal textbook Construction Defect Law for the Western States. Touted as "the man
who wrote the book on construction defects" by the New York Times,
Thomas Miller is the pioneer of construction defect law and a
nationally recognized specialist in construction defect and land
subsidence claims. Rachel Miller is a founding member of the
California Association of Community Managers. She speaks throughout
the U.S. in community association and legal forums on consumer
legislation, disaster response, and construction defects.
She currently serves on the Consumer Attorneys of California
Board of Directors.
Home
and Condo Defects
[Seven Locks Press, $9.95 in paperback] will be available in March at
Airport bookstores and in April at Barnes & Noble and other major
bookstores, or may be ordered on-line at constructiondefects.com.
Since 1981, The Miller Law Firm has collected more than
$350 million in construction defect awards on behalf of homeowner
associations in California and throughout the United States;
including, but not limited to Oregon, Nevada, Florida and Arizona. The Miller Law Firm has recovered over $57 million on
behalf of Los Angeles homeowners associations.
|