THE INVESTIGATORS: Attorney claims inspectors uncover proof showing D.R. Horton homes are not built properly

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Attorney Lance Unglesby claims his team has proof the homes built by D.R. Horton are not being built properly and leading to big time problems for customers. Unglesby wants to matter to continue to play out in court and in the public because he believes the public has the right to know.

“We’re getting calls every day and they all have the same issue,” said Unglesby.

A class action lawsuit calls out developer D.R. Horton claiming the company’s homes are not built to stand up to the humidity in south Louisiana. Among the complaints, there’s excessive moisture and mold in the home, some water gets inside and causes drywall damage and their homes are not cooling down during the summer.

“Every single home that we have been to so far between 50 and 80, the attics aren’t designed properly and home is suffering from a humidity level that’s uncomfortable for homeowner,” Unglesby added.

Unglesby represents those homeowners and said they hold D. R. Horton directly responsible. In fact, they say they’ve uncovered a number of problems with some of the homes that are not even finished yet. Their team took pictures that they say show a lack of ventilation on the outside of the home and vents in the attic they believe are not installed properly.

“We want the public to know and we want the people that own D.R. Horton homes to know that they’re not being ignored, they’re not wrong and their houses are in fact defective,” said Unglesby.

Attorney James Brown represents the company. He denies the allegations and released the following statement to WAFB:

“The health and safety of our homeowners is a top priority, and D.R. Horton is committed to superior customer service and building quality homes and neighborhoods throughout Louisiana and across the United States.

D.R. Horton home foundations and structures are designed by professional engineers based on site specific conditions.

Building materials are selected based on performance and sustainability.

Air conditioning systems are designed for each home in accordance with ASHRAE standards and local building codes.

In addition to local municipal inspections, we employ third-party inspectors throughout the building process to supplement quality control.

Every D.R. Horton home comes with a robust warranty that exceeds the duration required by the Louisiana New Home Warranty Act.

Although D.R. Horton denies the allegations in these lawsuits, we do take them seriously. We take pride in the homes we sell and are not trying to “hide behind” an arbitration clause as alleged. The arbitration clause is prominently featured in our contracts and is common in home purchase contracts. Arbitration is strongly favored in the law because it is typically faster and cheaper than court litigation that often can go on for years, and arbitration is far more likely to deliver just and prompt results for all involved.”

Brown urged the matter to be taken out of the court and instead handled through arbitration. It’s something Unglesby says the company is using to hide from homeowners they’ve wronged.

”Arbitrations are done in secret,” said Unglesby. “In other words, the reason this needs to be in a courthouse and the reason this need to be in the public is so that we really get to learn the truth. If you make people all go to arbitration, nobody gets to know the results of the arbitration. Arbitration is a one-sided affair that helps D.R. Horton and only D.R. Horton.”

Brown fired back, saying the arbitration clause is clearly spelled out in their agreements.

Unglesby says at the end of the day, his only concern is for the homeowners. ”I’ve got a lot of homeowners who are very upset,” said Unglesby. “They wants answers and I’m here to get them answers.”

The matter is still playing out in court for now. The next hearing is set for August 1, 2022.

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