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Seminole Tribe sues Lennar over ‘defective’ and ‘horrible’ homes built at its reservations

 The Seminole Tribe of Florida has sued Lennar over hundreds of “defective” and “horrible” homes built on its reservations. 

After discovering serious and widespread construction errors and design flaws, the tribe canceled its contract with the Miami-based builder, but not before spending $300 million on 466 homes, all of which appear to have defects, said William Scherer, one of the tribe’s attorneys, with Conrad & Scherer, based in Fort Lauderdale. 

According to the lawsuit, filed in Broward County Circuit Court, inspections undertaken by the tribe have revealed defects in building envelopes, roofing systems, structural systems, venting and ducting systems, windows, ceilings, light fixtures and waterproofing, among other faulty elements and components of the homes. 

“What we have determined is the issues are systemic,” Scherer said. 

Some of the homes are “absolutely uninhabitable,” due to severe water intrusion and mold, which have made them unsafe to live in, he said. 

“This case is a perfect nightmare, a perfect storm,” Scherer said. 

In its defense, the homebuilder stated: 

“Lennar stands behind our homes. When quality falls short of our high standards, our goal is to address those issues without delay and, in this instance, we promptly proposed a comprehensive plan to do so. Our team is ready to implement these repairs immediately, because our priority is resolving concerns for homeowners – not prolonging the process.”