ComplaintsforBuild Your Own Home
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Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
02/23/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I hired Build Your Own Home (BYOH) on 7/27/2022 to build a house and barn. The project is mostly complete, however many items for which the builder has been paid remain incomplete. The biggest issue is the barn is unfinished. BYOH does not return phone calls or emails. When they do, they make promises which they do not keep. I have no choice but to hire someone else to complete this project. By my estimations, BYOH has only completed $524,232.08 worth of work. I feel I am due a refund of $27,867.92.Business response
03/11/2024
BBB spoke to the business owner and the following was relayed: I've been working with him, we are taking care of everything.Initial Complaint
06/29/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
We had a list of items that needed to be finished on our house that they built, including replacing broken windows, fixing doors and cabinets that were damaged and/or misaligned, fixing the floor that wasn’t installed properly, and replacing the roof. They keep promising to send someone out to do the jobs but no one ever shows.Initial Complaint
02/04/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Unanswered
I hired BYOH in 2021 to build a house. After many delays I was finally able to get a temporary certificate of occupancy the begin of September 2022. I have 19 different uncompleted items, most of which I need completed to receive a permanent certificate of occupancy. I am still owed a master shower surround, shelving for some kitchen cabinets, an interior door, concrete poured front porch, an operational exterior door, and more. After 4 months of promises to complete the work BYOH is now insisting that I pay the balance owed before any work is completed. At the advice of my bank, inspector, and attorney I have withheld $25,000. What BYOH is doing to myself and many others is at a minimum unethical and possibly criminal. I just want to get the house finished and move on.Initial Complaint
04/27/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Unresolved
BYOH is nothing more than scam. Brandon is a great salesperson and talks a good game, but the experience was horrendous from the start. Right away we discovered incorrect budgeting to make the project appear more affordable, continuous project delays due to negligent or nonexistent project management, poor quality, unacceptable workmanship, ridiculous budget overages,( 30% instead of the quoted 1%.) and a complete lack of integrity. This company utilizes unethical business practices, hiring subcontractors with incestuous partners in common so they can mark up the costs, then paid those contractors when work was not satisfactorily completed and has ignored repeated requests to finish or repair our home. Run away fast lest you be taken in by these scam artists who already have multiple law suits and complaints against them.Customer response
04/28/2022
To clarify, most of these issues are construction issues that BYOH (Build Your Own Home) a partnership with Oot Brothers, did not complete satisfactorily as well as later repair work they did that caused more problems.
We have reviewed the attached contract carefully with our attorneys. It is clear that BYOH violated the contract and acted outside the prescribed scope of the contract, operating as the de facto “Builder’s Agent” when they:
1- Directly hired subcontractors without consulting with us or receiving our approval, para 6
2- Paid subcontractors when work was not properly complete, especially when we expressly directed them not to, para 5 and 11 and email from us dated 22 Nov 2020
BYOH retains liability for all work that was not completed correctly as they acted outside of the scope of the contract and hired subcontractors without our approval or authorization, as well as using their own employees to perform much of the work, instead of using appropriately qualified contractors.We have requested they supply all quotes and agreements with subcontractors, along with all applicable warranties provided by subcontractors, and complete contact information for all subcontractors, but they have refused.
Business response
05/23/2022
Having received your letter dated May 16, 2022 pertaining to the ******* property located at **** ******* ***** *****, or Phase 1, Section 6 of the Poolsbrooke subdivision, I would like to make you aware of the following. My company, “Oot Bros., Inc. has no contractual or other agreements with ****** or Antony *******, pertaining to a construction of a new home on Whisper Ridge Drive in the Poolsbrooke subdivision. Oot Bros., Inc. sold a fully developed building lot to the *******'s approximately two years ago, in a subdivision that it developed. It is my understanding that the *******’s chose to build their own home however my company, “Oot Bros., Inc.” has had no involvement in this matter.
Oot Bros., Inc., has been in business for over (75) years without ever having received a formal complaint with the BBB! This fraudulent claim is unfounded as the building lot that my company sold to the *******'s was completely developed and fully energized at the time of closing. In fact, we have never received any complaints, questions or concerns relative to the developed building lot that was sold to ******* *** ****** *******.
Oot Bros., Inc. has no affiliation or ownership interest in “Build Your Own Home, LLC.” and the only possible connection would be on rare occasions where Oot Bros., Inc. has been hired as a subcontractor to perform specific site development work for Build Your Own Home.
Accordingly, the complaint filed with the BBB by ****** ******* is completely unwarranted and unfounded!
Please advise the *******’s that any further misinformation or misrepresentation pertaining to Oot Bros., Inc. and it's business practices will be considered malicious and slanderous and will result in legal action. Should you have any questions, or if I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me at ###-###-####.
Very Truly Yours,
Thomas M. *** President, Oot Bros., Inc.
5912 NORTH BURDICK STREET EAST SYRACUSE, NY 13057
SYRACUSE NY 130 21 MAY 2022 PM2 L
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Customer Complaints Summary
4 total complaints in the last 3 years.
1 complaints closed in the last 12 months.