FOX 13 Investigates: Homeowners say builder is sticking them with stucco problems

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LAND O’ LAKES (FOX 13) – When the Cristofaro family moved from Connecticut to Pasco County in 2009, they found a Land O’ Lakes home that seemed like a perfect fit. It was just a few years old, with a backyard pool that overlooks the neighborhood pond.

Like most families, a home purchase is the biggest investment they’ll ever make. “This is our retirement fund,” said Christina Cristofaro. “This is the house we want to make memories in and enjoy ourselves in.”

A few years later, however, Cristofaro says she and her husband noticed the first signs of what’s become a growing problem. “There were some spots around the back windows where it was just bubbling up,” she said, pointing to the stucco around the second-floor windows.

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Soon, she discovered their home wasn’t the only one showing signs of trouble in the Concord Station neighborhood.

“It’s very noticeable. It doesn’t take much to take drive through the neighborhood and notice the damage,” she said. “I don’t think anyone expects to buy this house and get this kind of damage within 10 years.”

Lennar Homes, one of the state’s largest homebuilders, built Concord Station. By state statute, builders in Florida are responsible for construction defects for 10 years after the home is built. But the Christofaros, and others in the neighborhood, say the company hasn’t taken responsibility for the stucco problems.

“We thought that we could approach them — and we have several times — and thought they’d be more accommodating,” she said.

Lennar Homes, like some other builders, puts an arbitration clause in the deeds of the homes they build. The clause affects consumers shopping for a home, because they can’t see those claims and their outcomes in court records. It also affects homeowners who have purchased a home: If there’s a dispute with Lennar over an alleged defect, they can’t sue the company in open court.

Lennar Homes declined an on-camera interview. The company also declined to answer questions.