On April 4, the Plant City Observer published a glowing article about a three-bedroom, two-bath home built by Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) for veteran Geoffrey Black. Six months later the glow has faded. Today, according to Black, the structure suffers in several places from substandard materials and shoddy workmanship. The house was incomplete when he was handed the keys, but the general contractor promised to complete the punch list. No one has come back to do so. According to Black, neither the charity, nor the general contractor will take responsibility for making things right with the existing defects. The house has five months left on its 12-month warranty.
“The general contractor said according to the agreement, if anything goes wrong, I have to contact the contractors,” Black said. He was supposed to give me a list of all the contractors, and if there are warranty issues I was to contact him. Well, I did. The septic system was not hooked up electrically. The general contractor said he is not the contractor and to stop calling him.
Black, a retired 24-year National Guard veteran, also worked for 14 years as a federal employee at the National Guard Armory in Plant City. He suffers from concussions from 100 explosions that hit near him when he served in combat at Abu Gharib in Iraq. He is 100 percent disabled because he has 11 bulging discs, severe hearing loss, a neurological disorder, multiple traumatic brain injuries, and loss of control of his hands. When talking, sometimes Black needs to slow down, back up, and string his thoughts together so he can communicate them coherently.
He listed problems with the build, including:
• Windows that don’t close properly or lock, and window screw placement that cuts the counterbalance string
• Defective grout that allows water intrusion
• Rain leaks through the front door
• The floor has buckled in several places
• Electric was not wired for the septic system
• Cabinet mounting screws that are stripped
• The installed air conditioner is placed on the sun side of the house. The original leaked and had to be replaced
• Cable TV wires lead to nowhere and hang loose outside the house
• Landscaping conveyances do not route water to the right areas to prevent flooding
• The septic mound has collapsed in one place
According to Black, the general contractor told him RTTB is responsible for handling the defects. RTTB says the general contractor is responsible. After several back and forths, Black sent an angry email to RTTB. The CEO responded with, “Please stop this harassment immediately Mr. Black.”
The general contractor and subcontractors whose workmanship defects have been highlighted by Black, do not appear to have web sites or promotional materials. When a telephone number could be found, the Observer called and left messages with questions, and asked for return calls and comments, but no calls were returned. RTTB and the Rebuilding Together office in Washington D.C. also did not respond to inquiries about Black’s house and his situation.
Black is financially trapped in the house. The way the finances work is, as long as he lives in the house, the loan is considered payed. However, if he should move, he is on the hook for the remainder. He is feeling the stress of having these things taken care of before the home warranty runs out, but believes he is getting the run around between Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay and the general contractor for the build. “This is a forever home,” he said. “I can’t leave it.”
Rebuilding Together is a Washington D.C.-based organization. Charity Navigator gives RTTB a 90 percent positive score, but only assessed the charity’s financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness), and its governance practices and policies. In its fiscal year 2022, the organization’s revenue was $4.5 million, and its expenses were $4.95 million. In its fiscal year 2022, the organization’s revenue was $4.9 million and its expenses were $3 million. Last year, its Executive Director made $166,000. RTTB is not Better Business Bureau accredited.