Homeowner finds leak, plumber believes crews left building materials in lines

CATAWBA, N.C. — Christina Kennedy says her Catawba house is about two and a half years old.

“There was water everywhere, and then my son noticed that in the garage, there was water coming down from there,” she pointed out to Action 9.

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She says it was coming from the laundry room. She called her plumber, and he believes crews must have left building materials in the pipes back when they built her home.

He wrote, “We found insulation from the attic in the pipe, which would more than likely happen during the construction.”

He believed that “caused all” of the issue and said this is “not normal for a home [that’s] two years [old].”

“It was about $1,600, and I still have not fixed the door that has water damage,” she said.

Kennedy complained to the builder, Lennar. She says the company emailed her that they didn’t have a chance to investigate the issue because she went ahead and got it fixed. So, their warranty doesn’t cover it.

They denied her claim.

“I was flabbergasted,” she said. “We work hard to be able to provide for our families and have a roof over our heads, and to have something like this happen, where I feel like it could have been an easy fix for them to step in, and for them to deny that is really disappointing.”

She replied she had an “active leak” and “was getting nowhere with the Lennar team,” so she “had to authorize immediate repairs.”

Kennedy says she pushed back and that Lennar offered to split the bill with her and replace the damaged door. Action 9 reached out to the company directly for an official statement, but didn’t hear back in time for this report.

Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke says here’s what to know about builder warranties in general.

Typically, they cover things -- like paint and caulking -- for a year. They cover others -- like electrical and plumbing -- for two years. And they cover major structural ones -- like the roof -- for 10 years.

If you have a problem:

• Check the rules so you don’t void the warranty.
• The FTC brings up a good point: Even if there’s a hotline to call, try to file a claim in writing.  You may have to use snail mail.
• If all else fails, it may be worth talking to a lawyer.

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