My wife and I contracted with Ocala Custom Homes to provide us with a new custom Jacobsen double wide. To reduce our monthly mortgage, we gave them $100895.00. After the initial processes of design, color out, option choices, and mortgage financing the problems began. The home location was not flagged by the permitting department (contracted and directed by Ocala Custom Homes) so invariably a portion of the dirt for the building pad (6 loads) was dumped in the wrong location. Not that big of a deal except for the fact they dumped the dirt on an area that I had just finished spending $1400.00 on for heavy equpment rental to fine grade - all because the home location was not flagged.
The next issue was the (compactable fill) I use that term lightly. Half of the material (5 loads) was heavy clay, half builders sand. Neither is alarming except for the fact they attempted to construct the pad out of this material oblivious to the fact that the heavy clay was saturated from 7" of rain in 24hours, and had not been given sufficient time to dry - it's not going to dry in a pile anyway - needs to be spread out. I asked the setup contractor to allow the clay to dry then mix it with the builders sand to achieve compaction. My extensive experience in construction and site development (25 years) solidifies this recommendation. He did neither. The contractor chose not to let the heavy clay dry, and he chose not to mix the two different materials. He placed the wet heavy clay on the bottom and then capped it with the builders sand. The result - no compaction achieved. Although these issues were costly, as a construction specialist, I knew they could be rectified.
The same day the error filled attempt to build the pad occurred, the home was delivered. This is only after the initial attempt at delivery did not happen due to the fact that the dealer, Ocala Custom Homes, attempted to pull a transit permit for road transport with the incorrect address. they provided an incorrect address to my property and at the last minute the transport permit was denied. This resulted in another delay in setup.
Prior to delivery, I provided OCH with an aerial photo (twice) for the direction of travel for the home to enter my neighborhood and subsequently my property. When delivering wide loads my driveway can only be accessed from one direction. As par for the course, Ocala Custom Homes failed in this endeavor as well. The home arrived from the wrong direction, had to leave, find a place to turn around and approach from the correct direction.
After the home was finally delivered I entered it and was shocked at the condition. The first obvious sign of damage was drywall torn from the walls in numerous locations. The factory staples and glues the dry wall to the studs - it takes a significant torquing or impact to rip this adhesive and staple installed wall covering from the studs. Within seconds, my dismay and shock worsens. The wall studs are bowed and out of plumb 5" in a 9' plate height. The entire marriage wall (and later determined the entire structure) is leaning towards the hitch from 4 to 5". The master bedroom to living room wall is 5" out of plumb. Keep in mind that my property is level ground, The area where the home was sitting was part of the area I had just finished grading/leveling one week prior to delivery. I immediately emailed Ocala Custom Homes (OCH) and stated the facts - their email response - normal transport damage - the home will be fine once set. As I continued my examination of the structure more damage became apparent, and evidence of a cover up was revealed. OCH denied any knowledge of the damage except the prescence of drywall screws attempting to tack the damaged drywall back in place proves someone was aware because the factory does not use drywall screws. I pleaded with both the GM and the President of OCH for 4 days (all documented) to please come out and evaluate the home. Their continued response "normal transport damage" and "the home will be fine once set."
Finally, after refusing to allow them to set the home, the GM (Ed Shomer) came out to look at the home, looking perplexed as to the cause, and stated that he will share his findings with the approriate authorities. The next day he sent me an email stating "since there is zero exterior damage the powers that be have determined your home will be fine once set." I work full time and had not had a chance to fully inspect the home. After examining the exterior it became apparent that there is extensive damage to the exterior of this home. Bent steel, crushed exterior siding (bottom edge with dirt embedded in it) separated exterior paneling, protective belly membrane torn in over 20 locations (first tipoff wqs the duct tape dangling from the membrane) - not to mention the extensive interior damage.
Since OCH refused to address the issues and accept responsibility, I had no choice but to communicate with them (I contracted $160,000 for a new undamaged home) I told them in an email that I want what is fair and prudent, for them to remove the home from my property and replace with a new undamaged home. To my surprise they come to my property, hook up to the structure and remove it. I'm thinking, wow, they did what's right. To verify their intentions, I send them an email asking exactly that, "what are your intentions?" No answer. Another day goes by. I send them another email, "what are your intentions?" No answer. Not a peep. On the third day with no reply (Saturday 8 am) I go to their Dealer's lot, Walk up to my home and began taking video of more exterior damage (home had been set and leveled) when I was startled by a gruff voice, Ed Shomer, telling me that I am trespassing and I need to leave the property now, which I did immediately.
So, OCH has $100,895 of the overall $157,000 of my money, took my home without any notice, and is now kicking me off of their property. I am literally in shock. My wife and I are both seniors and have never encountered such devious, untrustworthy, and deceitful individuals in all our lives.
Several days later I contact (via email) Mr. Shomer and let him know that when he kicked me off of the property I was not taking photos, I was actually using my video which records voices as well, and that I had his voice vociferously telling me to leave the property. This new evidence I had apparently backed him into a corner and his next retaliatory attack was an extremely disturbing email stating false accusations that I had threatened OCH and due to the threats, they felt it was necessary to remove the home for offsite evaluation - to which I promptly replied - your false statement is exactly that - purely fabricated. He replied back, that he sent an engineer to my property and that I threatened to shoot him. When I heard that bizarre lie, I truly understood the dirty deceitful individuals I was dealing with. Anyone that would state such an egregious lie is extremely dangerous.
I have contacted the Marion County Sheriffs Department, The Division of Motorist Services, the DOT, the BBB, Marion County Seniors vs. Crime and an attorney. Beware, Ocala Custom Homes is despicable, dirty, dishonest, and will stoop to any level to cheat you. One side note, Ed Shomer is very slick, convincing and a great salesman - although deceitful and dishonest.
Ocala Custom Homes Reviews
My wife and I contracted with Ocala Custom Homes to provide us with a new custom Jacobsen double wide. To reduce our monthly mortgage, we gave them $100895.00. After the initial processes of design, color out, option choices, and mortgage financing the problems began. The home location was not flagged by the permitting department (contracted and directed by Ocala Custom Homes) so invariably a portion of the dirt for the building pad (6 loads) was dumped in the wrong location. Not that big of a deal except for the fact they dumped the dirt on an area that I had just finished spending $1400.00 on for heavy equpment rental to fine grade - all because the home location was not flagged.
The next issue was the (compactable fill) I use that term lightly. Half of the material (5 loads) was heavy clay, half builders sand. Neither is alarming except for the fact they attempted to construct the pad out of this material oblivious to the fact that the heavy clay was saturated from 7" of rain in 24hours, and had not been given sufficient time to dry - it's not going to dry in a pile anyway - needs to be spread out. I asked the setup contractor to allow the clay to dry then mix it with the builders sand to achieve compaction. My extensive experience in construction and site development (25 years) solidifies this recommendation. He did neither. The contractor chose not to let the heavy clay dry, and he chose not to mix the two different materials. He placed the wet heavy clay on the bottom and then capped it with the builders sand. The result - no compaction achieved. Although these issues were costly, as a construction specialist, I knew they could be rectified.
The same day the error filled attempt to build the pad occurred, the home was delivered. This is only after the initial attempt at delivery did not happen due to the fact that the dealer, Ocala Custom Homes, attempted to pull a transit permit for road transport with the incorrect address. they provided an incorrect address to my property and at the last minute the transport permit was denied. This resulted in another delay in setup.
Prior to delivery, I provided OCH with an aerial photo (twice) for the direction of travel for the home to enter my neighborhood and subsequently my property. When delivering wide loads my driveway can only be accessed from one direction. As par for the course, Ocala Custom Homes failed in this endeavor as well. The home arrived from the wrong direction, had to leave, find a place to turn around and approach from the correct direction.
After the home was finally delivered I entered it and was shocked at the condition. The first obvious sign of damage was drywall torn from the walls in numerous locations. The factory staples and glues the dry wall to the studs - it takes a significant torquing or impact to rip this adhesive and staple installed wall covering from the studs. Within seconds, my dismay and shock worsens. The wall studs are bowed and out of plumb 5" in a 9' plate height. The entire marriage wall (and later determined the entire structure) is leaning towards the hitch from 4 to 5". The master bedroom to living room wall is 5" out of plumb. Keep in mind that my property is level ground, The area where the home was sitting was part of the area I had just finished grading/leveling one week prior to delivery. I immediately emailed Ocala Custom Homes (OCH) and stated the facts - their email response - normal transport damage - the home will be fine once set. As I continued my examination of the structure more damage became apparent, and evidence of a cover up was revealed. OCH denied any knowledge of the damage except the prescence of drywall screws attempting to tack the damaged drywall back in place proves someone was aware because the factory does not use drywall screws. I pleaded with both the GM and the President of OCH for 4 days (all documented) to please come out and evaluate the home. Their continued response "normal transport damage" and "the home will be fine once set."
Finally, after refusing to allow them to set the home, the GM (Ed Shomer) came out to look at the home, looking perplexed as to the cause, and stated that he will share his findings with the approriate authorities. The next day he sent me an email stating "since there is zero exterior damage the powers that be have determined your home will be fine once set." I work full time and had not had a chance to fully inspect the home. After examining the exterior it became apparent that there is extensive damage to the exterior of this home. Bent steel, crushed exterior siding (bottom edge with dirt embedded in it) separated exterior paneling, protective belly membrane torn in over 20 locations (first tipoff wqs the duct tape dangling from the membrane) - not to mention the extensive interior damage.
Since OCH refused to address the issues and accept responsibility, I had no choice but to communicate with them (I contracted $160,000 for a new undamaged home) I told them in an email that I want what is fair and prudent, for them to remove the home from my property and replace with a new undamaged home. To my surprise they come to my property, hook up to the structure and remove it. I'm thinking, wow, they did what's right. To verify their intentions, I send them an email asking exactly that, "what are your intentions?" No answer. Another day goes by. I send them another email, "what are your intentions?" No answer. Not a peep. On the third day with no reply (Saturday 8 am) I go to their Dealer's lot, Walk up to my home and began taking video of more exterior damage (home had been set and leveled) when I was startled by a gruff voice, Ed Shomer, telling me that I am trespassing and I need to leave the property now, which I did immediately.
So, OCH has $100,895 of the overall $157,000 of my money, took my home without any notice, and is now kicking me off of their property. I am literally in shock. My wife and I are both seniors and have never encountered such devious, untrustworthy, and deceitful individuals in all our lives.
Several days later I contact (via email) Mr. Shomer and let him know that when he kicked me off of the property I was not taking photos, I was actually using my video which records voices as well, and that I had his voice vociferously telling me to leave the property. This new evidence I had apparently backed him into a corner and his next retaliatory attack was an extremely disturbing email stating false accusations that I had threatened OCH and due to the threats, they felt it was necessary to remove the home for offsite evaluation - to which I promptly replied - your false statement is exactly that - purely fabricated. He replied back, that he sent an engineer to my property and that I threatened to shoot him. When I heard that bizarre lie, I truly understood the dirty deceitful individuals I was dealing with. Anyone that would state such an egregious lie is extremely dangerous.
I have contacted the Marion County Sheriffs Department, The Division of Motorist Services, the DOT, the BBB, Marion County Seniors vs. Crime and an attorney. Beware, Ocala Custom Homes is despicable, dirty, dishonest, and will stoop to any level to cheat you. One side note, Ed Shomer is very slick, convincing and a great salesman - although deceitful and dishonest.