SILVERTHORNE HOMES

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------------------ Short version: ------------------ The house that Silverthorne built for us tested positive for dangerous molds - on three separate tests. After remediation of the mold, Silverthorne tried to act like there had never been an issue. When we tried to get out of the contract because of the mold, Silverthorne kept our deposit and bullied us into paying damages. A reputable business would have refunded the deposit and released us from the contract. Silverthorne chose not to. - Silverthorne turned our dream home into a nightmare - except this nightmare is real. - ------------------ Long version: ------------------ Silverthorne neglected to obtain required permits for electric, sewer, and water hookups before the drywall and trim wood were installed in the basement. So for electricity, they had run a power cord through an open window in the basement. Some heavy rains caused the basement walls, wood trim, and floors to be wet - for weeks. And because the sewer line wasn't sealed, water had also leaked around the sewer pipe opening in the basement. - We asked the construction supervisor if they should postpone framing the interior basement walls because there was water in the basement. His reply was that it was too late to change the contractor's schedule. We asked the same question again prior to drywall installation and received the same response. So we had a finished basement that was wet for weeks. While we worried that there could be issues from the dampness of the basement, we trusted the supervisor because he did this for a living and was the expert. In hindsight, we should have insisted that the basement was dry before it was framed. We were way too naïve and trusting. The construction supervisor told us the delay in getting the permits was because he hadn't had the time to fill out the paperwork. - As the house neared completion, Silverthorne seemed to be in a hurry for us to close the purchase. One week before closing, the main water line had still not been connected and turned on. They had also installed temporary appliances because ours were on backorder, the landscaping wasn't done, and many other things were not finished. But they wanted to have the closing before the end of August 2014. We thought it was just so that they could make some quota for the month or something. But our inspection revealed that there may have been an ulterior motive. - Our independent inspector noticed water damage to baseboards in the basement and saw elevated moisture readings on his moisture gauge throughout the basement. When we asked Silverthorne about the cause of the moisture, they said that there had been some plumbing leaks but only a small amount of water had spilled and the problem had already been resolved. At first, they said that only one gallon of water had been spilled, that was later changed to "no more than five gallons". They also gave multiple accounts of where exactly the plumbing had leaked. There was no visible sign of any plumbing corrections in the area they pointed to when they showed us where the leak had supposedly occurred. Incidentally, our inspector also noticed "biological growth" in the basement that looked like black mold. From the inspection report: "- There is a biological growth present on one of the studs in the basement utility room area. We are unable to determine if this growth is related to past or recent moisture related issues found during our inspections. Recommend evaluation and proper removal by a qualified remediation contractor. - (See Photo 16)" - There were also a couple of other plumbing leaks in the upstairs of the house that Silverthorne didn't tell us about until after our inspection. - At this point, we had already lost confidence in the supervisor (and Silverthorne as a builder). They were apparently rushing to close the sale before we noticed musty smells or other issues caused by the damp basement. If they had just told us about plumbing leaks and that they had taken corrective actions, we might have been OK with the situation. But instead they tried to hide the issue from us and deceive us into buying a house with water issues in the basement. Had we not had the house inspected, we would be living in a brand new house with a musty smell in the basement and elevated levels of dangerous molds (it would have been stinky and unhealthy). - Our realtor and our inspector both recommended that we ask for a water restoration and/or a mold expert to evaluate the water issues in the basement. Silverthorne did agree to bring in their water restoration company. - We were at the house when their expert was there the first time. The expert said that mold would start to grow in five to seven days. It was already day five after the alleged plumbing leak, but we knew that the basement had been wet throughout the entire construction process and had never really been dry. In our minds, it was already too late to prevent mold growth. And there was no way to be sure that any mold that had begun to grow was found and eliminated. - As the expert pulled up carpeting in the basement, it was obvious that more than five gallons of water had been spilled. The carpet pad was wet in multiple rooms of the basement - and not just adjacent to the utility room where the spill was supposed to have happened. When we saw the extent of the water problem, we asked the expert if the air should be tested for mold. He did recommended having the air tested. The first air samples were collected and they began drying out the house. They brought in a bunch of blowers and dehumidifiers and let them run for a couple of days. We were told that the results of that first mold test would be back in a couple of days. So, in a couple of days, we called Silverthorne to ask for the results. We were told that they had not received them yet. When we called the water restoration company, we were told that they could not tell us anything, and that we would have to talk to Silverthorne. Calls to Silverthorne the next couple of days were not returned. Obviously, there was a problem that they were trying to hide (we were starting to see a pattern). - We did not hear from Silverthorne again until after our realtor told them that we wanted out of the contract - nearly two weeks after the first mold test was performed. It turns out that the first mold test revealed elevated levels of dangerous molds - one of which was Aspergillus/Penicillium. Silverthorne didn't want to accept the results of the first test because the outside air sample showed no mold spores at all - they said that clean outside air invalidated the test. So they performed another test which again had high mold in the house, but no mold in the outside air. Now they had to accept the positive test, but wanted to blame the mold on the air blowers. So they removed the blowers, let the house sit empty for 72 hours and then tested for mold again. This third test came back with elevated levels of mold spores, also. At last, they remediated the mold (brought in air scrubbers and replaced at least one wall stud that had obvious mold growth on it), and tested the air again. Finally, after remediation, the mold tests came back negative. An additional air test two days later showed normal air as well. While all this was going on, Silverthorne offered us no explanations, or any communication at all. We saw the air scrubbers in the home, so knew something was up. But they would not talk to us. - ------------- Summary: ------------- We were in terrible position. Had we bought the house, if we tried to sell it in the future, we would have had to disclose the mold in the Seller's Disclosures document. That would have decreased the value of the property substantially. Fortunately for Silverthorne, builders do not have to file a Seller's Disclosure document. So they are free to "hold us to the contract" (keep our deposit and sue us for damages), then sell the home to someone else for full value. - After lawyer fees, our deposit, and paying additional damages, we lost nearly $20,000. The sleepless nights and mental anguish we endured as Silverthorne tried to sue us were not any fun either. - We would definitely NOT recommend using Silverthorne to build a home. But if you do, be sure to read the contract very carefully. Notice that it gives you no way out - regardless of what Silverthorne does. As long as they meet BAGI standards, you are bound to buy the house from them or lose your deposit and pay them additional damages. Also, look at the BAGI standards. They don't say anything about keeping the house dry during the building process and do not mention anything about mold. Silverthorne has you as soon as you sign the contract. There are more reputable builders out there. We recommend that you talk to one of them before signing a contract with Silverthorne.

This was the first house we've built. After doing a lot of shopping around we were thrilled to find a builder that was willing to work with us to customize our house. The entire process went smoothly and we couldn't be happier with the house.

They built out house from start to finish. We moved in last month. This week they have been coming back to fix off things. Whenever we need them, they are immediately here to fix anything. They do a great job and they build a great house. They money is right on and I highly recommend them. Scott Thompson epitomizes customer service. He is trustworthy and honest. No one could represent them any better than him. I have built four houses and this is the most positive experience we had. He made it so easy, and this is a beautiful house, and I owe it all to Scott Thompson. We are very happy with their services. They have exceeded my expectations.

they have been eaasy to business with. and built us a marvelous home. all the contractor have been great! i cant highly enough about them. everything was high quality.