A Palm Beach County, Fla. judge has ruled that builders and installers cannot be held liable for negligence for Chinese drywall installed during home construction if they did not have actual or implied notice of a defect in the drywall at the time of construction. Judge Glenn Kelley of the 15th Judicial Circuit issued an order that is applicable to all lawsuits in Palm Beach County late Wednesday. More
Indiana becomes the latest state where insurance companies must pay for damage to homes caused by sub-contractors' poor workmanship. More
Builders' attorneys hope the decision spreads to cases in other parts of the country. More
NVR, which had agreed to act as a stalking-horse bidder in the planned bankrupcty acution of Orleans Homebuilders, has sued Orleans in bankruptcy court over Orleans decision to cancel the agreement. "OHB was enriched as the result of NVR's having agreed to act as OHB's stalking horse bidder," the company says in the lawsuit. "OHB retains the benefit of NVR having set a 'floor' value for the purchased assets." In addition, NVR claims, its bid led to interest from others in Orleans assets. Specifically, Orleans clams in the lawsuit that an unnamed private equity firm bought some of Orleans bond debt from banks, gaining control of the company and its assets. More
No details about the settlement with the Atlanta-based builder were released. More
Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, one manufacturer of high sulfur-emitting Chinese drywall that has caused problems with corrosion of metals in homes, has settled a lawsuit brought against it by Beazer Homes USA. More
Kwikset claims patent infringement and false advertising. More
Builder is accused of promising amenities that have yet to be delivered at community with a history of controversy. More
Why CEOs and boards of directors at home building firms should demand independent operational audits in addition to their financial examinations. More
Use caution when promoting green products or homes. More
