A group of some 21 Huntley homeowners in the Yellowstone Trail subdivision met August 26 to decide how to address a litany of complaints they have against one Billings company, J & J Homes, which sold them their houses. The subdivision is comprised of homes on Lynette Lane and Lenny Lane, located along Yellowstone Trail near Pryor Creek Golf Course. All but two of those who live within these homes agree: they are fed up.
Despite small differences in everyone’s story, they all have a common theme: a move-in date that gets delayed several times, followed by the shock of walking into a home riddled with structural defects ranging from cracked walls to buckling flooring to improperly installed doors that leak water when it rains.
The next step, of course, would be to reach out to the owner of J&J Homes, Jason Wilcox, to address these issues. As can be seen in the stories to follow, this was just the beginning of a nightmare that continues to plague the residents of Yellowstone Trail…
The Berchtolds
Allison Berchtold bought her home in the 3600 block of Lynette Ln. in August 2021, but she said she and her late husband were not able to move in until April 2022.
Berchtold quickly found the delayed move-in date was just the beginning. “When I walked through the house, I just started crying,” said Berchtold. “It was a hot mess. And we paid extra money for all the ‘bells and whistles.’”
Bells and whistles? None to be found. Problems? “The list is quite extensive,” said Berchtold. Yellowstone County News (YCN) visited Berchtold’s home earlier this month. As she gave a walkthrough of the interior, she described how the vinyl floors had not been connected to the base of the home causing them to “rise up about a foot and a half” when the wind blows. In addition, too much vinyl had been placed throughout the home which makes it roll whenever Berchtold tries to move furniture or vacuum.
In the living room, she pointed out numerous spots where the walls have cracked due to apparent foundation issues.
In one of her home’s two bathrooms, Berchtold demonstrated how, instead of a hot water and cold water line, two cold water lines were installed in the shower. Further, both bathrooms had leaky shower doors which Berchtold said she ended up caulking on her own.
Next, Berchtold said that in her office, “The top of the wall has slid over the bottom part of the wall, so I have a probably one-inch override.” When confronted with this problem, Jason Wilcox reportedly said, “That happens sometimes; it’s nothing to worry about.”
Berchtold decided in October 2022 to have a home inspection done by a local construction company, Ban Construction Corporation. The company’s final inspection report lists over 40 items that were “done wrong, missed, or not to industry standard.”
“There is no insulation on the foundation wall, and no vapor barrier on the ground,” he wrote. “The insulation in the rim joists is falling out, and is not installed properly to provide an air barrier.”
The inspector’s biggest concern is the … Read Full Story here.
