Half a dozen home owners in the Martin Gardens subdivision in Hillsborough County, Fla. report that hundreds of floor tiles in their new homes were hollow, popping, or cracking. According to Jim Beavers, who examined four of the affected homes, the defects likely resulted from insufficient or defective thin-set adhesive on the backs of the tiles.

Alpha Homes, which also does business as Suarez Housing, had offered home owners a one year warranty. The builder honored the warranty in some cases and carried out full tile replacements, but less than a year later the replacement tiles showed the same defect. According to ABC Action News, affected home owners say that the builder is no longer responding to their calls.

[Affected home owner] Tom Wodka has filed suit against the builder who in turn is suing three of its subcontractors. Other Suarez homeowners are filing complaints with state regulators and applying for relief from the Florida Construction Recovery Fund. The fund governed by state law to provide relief to Florida homeowners who've been financially harmed by a licensed contractor.

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