The homeowners association at a Lennar community in Homestead is suing the homebuilding giant, alleging shoddy construction work.
The suit, filed two weeks ago in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, against Lennar Homes, further alleges that the company has ignored requests to fix the defects.
The homeowners association at Martinique at the Oasis alleges Lennar’s negligence led to faulty construction in the stucco, stone work, and moldings of the entryways of the townhome community.
Martinique at the Oasis consists of 26 townhouse-style buildings with 241 individual units, at the intersection of Mediterranean Boulevard and Southwest 147th Avenue.
According to the suit, the association first became aware of construction defects in the common elements of the property in 2018. Specifically, defects were apparent in the exterior wall cladding system of the building when discolorations of paint and exterior stucco started to appear, the complaint states.
The association then hired a professional building consultant, GCI Consultants, to investigate. After the investigation, GCI created a preliminary report in May 2019, which determined the “water intrusions were being caused by defects in the stucco, stone cladding, foam moldings and decorative shapes on the exterior of buildings,” according to the suit.
In November 2019, the association served a notice of claims to Lennar to make it aware of the defects, the complaint states.
Once notified, however, Lennar dismissed the claims and said they were overly vague, according to the complaint. The homebuilder also did not request an inspection of the defects, the suit alleges. The association was forced to hire GCI to conduct further investigations of the defective conditions and provide a supplemental report with more detailed findings about the defects, according to the lawsuit.
The association alleges Lennar was negligent and failed to construct the homes under building codes. It is seeking damages, prejudgment and post-judgment interest and costs.
“For most people, their home is the biggest investment they make in their lives,” said Roger Brown, an attorney at Morgan & Morgan representing the association. “We will fight to hold Lennar Homes accountable for the alleged shoddy work on our clients’ homes and ensure they do not cut corners on their other building projects.”
Miami-based Lennar Corp. declined comment, citing pending litigation.
Lennar is one of the largest homebuilders in the country. Led by Executive Chairman Stuart Miller, the company is known for its simple, no frills, affordably priced homes. Lennar has reported strong earnings in the past few years as a housing shortage has led to strong demand for new single-family homes.