HILINE HOMES - Corporate

Hi, my name is Troy Hopkins, and I am having a home built in Longview with Hiline Homes. Since the start of this build it has been a nightmare. I was pressured to get permits and be ready to build by the office manager or have a 50k increase in price, this was in March, and I had about 6 weeks to get everything done in which I did. I did not like the conversations with the office, I felt like I was being threatened, it was the “or else” situation and that was the start of this nightmare. I have video logged and photographed every step of the way and I am glad I did. After being signed off on the excavation the lot was ready for the foundation. I met my project manager, only known to me as Anna. We discussed a few things about the build and the first thing to happen was the foundation. It was scheduled and poured. It went up quickly, but the slope of the property was not completely evaluated, and the driveway slope was above the foundation wall. It needed to be raised on a corner so Anna told me of the issue and said it was her fault and that she would take care of it. The foundation was done April 22, the concrete guy that needed to raise the corner started on May 23rd. I went to see the lot on May 24th and found the concrete guy did 2 of 4 (3x2x.5) forms on the corner, my guess is about 100lbs of concrete was used. The concrete guy had cleaned out the truck on my graded driveway and left what my est. to be about 600lbs of concrete poured onto my drive and then cleaned the truck out in a spot that was used as the waterway for my sloped property. The 3in water pipes and sewer pipe were directed to this point and the only catch basin in front of my property was at this point as well. It was obvious that this spot was important for water leaving the property. The concrete guy cleaned and filled this space with concrete and blocked the catch basin. I will include photos of this issue. I had a conversation with Anna, my project manager, and from my understanding there is an allowance of 10% waste. This is a gross amount of waste over the allowable amount. The concrete guy returned to the lot after Anna had a conversation with him and he broke up the concrete waste and decided it would be ok to, instead of removing it from the property, to throw it on my water drainpipes and sewer pipe in the water way. This would be a problem if a large chunk of concrete landed on the pipe, it would break and cause even more damage and problems. As for the water drain to the catch basin, the concrete guy removed the top gravel but did not correct the fact the drain to the catch basin was now plugged with the concrete waste. The Catch basin was replaced on my property at my expense ($682 plus breaking ground install cost of $813.00 on 8/25/22 ). The conversation between the concrete guy and Anna did not go well after that and he decided not to return and complete the job anytime soon. He returned to finish the job on July 10th. That’s 47 days with no work done. Anna said he had other jobs to finish (instead of finishing the one he started) and he was short on material. Maybe because he dumps 4x the amount he uses in the driveway, but he has materials to do other jobs… curious. The concrete was finally finished but the concrete remains onsite and will cost approx. $ 350.00 to remove. My excavator is not responsible to remove or bury this quantity of waste. There is nowhere on the property I would allow it to be buried based on slope and landscaping plans, and it should not be my problem. (79 days) The next week I had a new project manager named Jeff. I met jeff and filled him in on all the issues and did a walk through. The things I discussed with Anna were not addressed. At that time, I pointed out the garage door was not framed and was almost forgotten. After 2 a week hold up, the missing door was corrected about Aug. 5th. (14days) The most recent experience was Aug. 31st around 230pm. I went to see the progress of the house build, the windows and doors were being installed this day. I was approaching my house and inside the corner of the garage was one of the installers standing with his back to me. I thought maybe he was looking at materials but as I got closer, I could see him shake his shoulders like he just finish peeing. I called him out on it and asked him why he was peeing in my garage when a port-a-poddie was feet from the garage in front of the house. He just shrugged his shoulders and smiled and walked around to the back of the house where they were working. I went into the garage just to confirm what he did and sure enough there was a wet puddle on the ground and urine splash on my new garbage can I bought. I am so disgusted by this, the thought of someone taking a p*** in my garage is so disrespectful and unprofessional. This is going to be my home, so I immediately called my project manager, the Hiline office and just about everyone I know. I am so angry that this person for p****** on my property, but inside my garage when a toilet I pay for is only steps away and he smiled as if it was funny. I don’t know what the hiring process is for your company but there are some questions as to the quality of companies you use. My project manager Jeff said he spoke with the installers, and they said he was tucking in his shirt. I find it hard to believe a man on a job site, while working, would need to go to a dark corner of a garage, on the other side of the house from where he was working on a ladder, to tuck in his shirt. Then walking away from a big wet area that smells of urine is what they are going with. Just the Lie is unprofessional and juvenile, a grown man cannot own his own choices. As soon as the window vendors were finished, I was given a deadline for exterior paint, but the wrong window was delivered for the rear bath, and I was only able to paint 3 sides of the house because the siding was not done. When the window finally arrived 2 weeks later and the siding finished1 week after that, it was at a low outside temp and too cold to paint. It has been too cold to paint to this day and my home’s exterior paint is still unfinished. (21days) With all the delays in this build I have accumulated 3 addition months of expenses at the negligence of Hiline, having nothing to do with material supply chain and the pandemic, and I have had little to no response to compensation. The binder on the contract says, “Beyond the control of Hiline”, and this was all inside the control of Hiline. I would like to be reimbursed for the 3 months of added time on this build due to the Hiline individuals (Project managers, concrete vendor, builders missing door in garage and ordering wrong materials) personal affect to this home build. Items to be reimbursed: Honey bucket @ $130pm, storage needed for belongings @$308pm, temp power post breaker rented from local company @$112pm, extended rental space for 5th wheel I have lived in during the build @ $500pm and propane for the 5th wheel heat @$84pm. That Total is $3402.00 in addition to the catch basin expense of $1495.00. I was given a certificate of guarantee of 190 days or $2000 compensation would be awarded. In addition to the certificate, the statement of promise to communicate with the client and provide clear instructions has not been a part of this build. A few things I could have done sooner during the build but was not given instructions until last min. IE.. Water connection, cabinet ventilation and appliance connections. I am behind on the things I need to do to close, and I am forced to build the entrance deck in the crappy weather because of the delays. I understand Hiline is a big company, but what I have experienced is more than anything I have ever seen in my 30 years of real estate experience. I have had houses built before, I have done new construction and installation of HVAC and remodeled a few homes as well and have never seen this much negligence in home builder. I will continue to record and log all the work that goes into this house, and I hope these issues are addressed for my peace of mind. Total expense claim of added out of pocket costs caused by Hiline: $4897.00. Plus, the $2000.00 Hiline 190-day guarantee. I will forward pictures if you request them. Thank you. I look forward to getting my keys. In the time I sent this letter till now, I had the largest project for this house completed and within a day of completion it was damaged by a Hiline vendor. The driveway was poured Monday March 27th, and it was an all-day job. I sent pictures to the project manager so he would know it was wet and I instructed him to prevent anyone from driving or walking on the surface for a week. I was very clear in my instructions. On Tuesday March 28th, the concrete company sent an employee to remove the forms. I was at the property when the forms were being removed and left when he was about half done. On Wednesday morning the Hiline project manager was onsite at the property and took photos of a new driveway and by the end of the day a hiline vendor drove on my wet new concrete driveway when it was obviously wet and newly poured. This caused perm tracks on the surface. The PM did not relay to me he was at the property on Wednesday taking photos and that vendors were coming to do a sheetrock repair/ completion over the pantry (a task that should have been done at the time of the sheetrock was being hung the first time). I went to put barricades on the drive Thursday morning because of my work schedule on Wednesday, I was not able to go to the property. This damage could have been prevented with communication from the PM. The certificate I received from Hiline guarantees communication to client, and as soon as I saw the damage and sent photos to the PM, the PM was fast to pull a line from the contract that it was my fault. I do not see it that way. The drive was just poured 2 days, even the vendor should have seen this because they were there just before it was poured. This is another expense, I hold Hiline at fault for constant negligence on the Hiline company and their business practices. The guarantee doesn’t mean anything, just empty words to close a sale. Where is the integrity and ethical practices with this company. The damage will cost me an additional $1300 +tax adding $1405.00 to my claim. And with this last project before completion and Hiline making one last punch to my gut ruined this idea that I was building a house to live in, this just makes me sick, and I do not want anything to do with this house now). Nothing has been addressed with this issue, 06/20/2023

THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN QUITE UNIQUE. THEY WERE HELPFUL IN MAKING SURE THE HOME WE CHOSE WOULD FIT ON THE LOT WE HAD. THEY ALSO MADE SURE THAT WE WERE AWARE OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.

THEY WERE A WONDERFUL COMPANY TO WORK WITH AND I HAVE TOLD THEM TO SEND ANY PROSPECTIVE HOME OWNERS TO SEE THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE. THEY WERE TRULY AWESOME TO WORK WITH AND WE WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT.