More Customers Come Forward; Records Reveal History of Bad Business
On September 29, Yellowstone County News (YCN) reported on the story of several Huntley homeowners who met in August to discuss their many complaints against a Billings home dealer, J & J Homes, owned by Jason Wilcox. Three families shared their stories, which all follow a common theme: several delays to the original move-in date, followed by the shock of walking into a “new” home riddled with construction defects, followed by even greater shock when J & J disregarded their requests to fix these problems.
It became clear after publishing the Sept. 29 article that there was more to the story involving J & J Homes. Several more people – some from other areas of Montana or even out of state – came forward with their stories of buying a home through the business after the initial article was released. In addition, new details have been extracted from court records and other official documentation.
The Other “J”
Who is the other “J” in J & J Homes? The answer is Jeffrey Roberson of Rolla, Missouri, who agreed to answer questions via email for this story.
Roberson said he and Wilcox became partners in 2010 in Williston, North Dakota, where they started doing business. J & J Homes was formed the same year, and Roberson said he takes care of the books for the company.
Roberson gave a specific response to each customer from the September 29 article.
Regarding the Freemans, he said, “We did not sell these customers a home. This customer is upset that they do not get free irrigation water. They can choose to buy irrigation water or could choose to haul irrigation water themselves.”
Regarding the Bensons, Roberson said, “These customers tried to purchase a home from us a couple years ago, but could not get financed. We agreed to rent them the home for a period of 15 months or until they could… obtain financing.” He continued, “They were not able to fix their credit score, were unable to obtain a loan for the home, and fell behind many months in rent. We are currently in the eviction process in court, and the legal process should play out, and that will be resolved soon.”
Court documents for the Benson’s case tell the story in a different light. The Benson’s attorney, Michael Eakin, argues the family should be allowed to stay in their home because they are not actually behind on rent, and because the $50,000 they paid to J & J “must be presumed to be a security deposit” under state law. So, the contract provision that the company asserts makes the deposit “non-refundable,” is null and void.
Regarding the Berchtolds, Roberson said Allison Berchtold “has some legitimate warranty issues with her home.” However, he claimed, “We have agreed to fix any and all warranty issues and have documentation that states this fact. We have no idea why Mrs. Berchtold has not provided us a time to address her warranty issues and resolve the matter, still we are happy to address any/all warranty issues as soon as she contacts us.”
YCN has text messages between Berchtold and Wilcox which show that Berchtold has reached out to J & J Homes on multiple occasions regarding her warranty issues.
Concluded Roberson, “J & J Homes, along with Adventure Homes, provides affordable quality housing options. J&J Homes, as well as Adventure Homes, stand behind the craftsmanship of our homes as well as the warranty.” Adventure Homes is the home building facility from which J & J obtains many of the homes they sell to their customers. It is based in Garrett, Indiana.
‘A Living Hell’
Vicki Eades of Lewistown, Montana, came forward after reading the September 29 story, and detailed her experience with J & J Homes, beginning in October 2020.
Eades said, “We put a small down payment on a house; I signed a contract for it. But because it was coming up winter, he told us that he would keep it on the lot until we could get stuff done in the spring.”
When the spring of 2021 arrived, said Eades, “We’d had the hole dug for the foundation for that house. They were going to come in a couple days later and pour the footing. And [Wilcox] called and told us… that his partner sold our house out from underneath of us.” So she and her husband had to pick another house from the lot, sign a new contract, and wait for it to arrive. The home’s expected delivery date was November 2021, Wilcox had told them at the time.
“I actually did not get my house until May of 2022,” said Eades. She added, “The day they shipped my house, [Wilcox] called and told us we owed him more money because the price of houses went up. So, he took my house to Billings until we gave him more money. And, we had to sign a third contract.”
After all that, Eades described numerous issues she discovered in the house, including stained carpets throughout, cracked windows, ceiling issues, a door that reportedly “came completely off the frame when you open it.” Even worse, she stated that insulation blows into the house through the ducts and ceiling, which can cause detrimental health effects if breathed in for long periods of time.
She feels Wilcox and the home builder have resolved very few of her home’s problems, though she did note the builder sent her “some” new carpet (not enough to cover the whole area) and Wilcox repaired her ceiling.
Eades went on to say that Wilcox now refuses to speak with her; he will only talk to her husband. She described her experience with J & J Homes and Wilcox as “an absolute nightmare,” and said, “He’s made my life a living hell.”
Amy Fox
YCN visited Amy Fox at her modular home off Road 8 in Huntley, which she and her husband bought from J & J Homes earlier this year. The home was delivered in July with siding that was installed incorrectly, which is visible in photos . A construction expert said the siding is likely to fall off and/or need to be replaced entirely.
Inside the home, the issues are much the same as the previous families. Specific to Fox’s case are missing items – items she says were paid for accordingly. These include a pasta faucet in the kitchen sink and upgraded shelving in the pantry. Other issues Fox noted: rather than actual paint on the walls, there is “tinted primer,” a mixture that easily chips and smears; there are several cracks in the walls; and missing electric panels. The ceiling fan in the master bedroom is falling out of the ceiling, as well.
Reportedly, Wilcox blames his subcontractors for being “unreliable” and “not holding the proper licenses” when Fox inquires as to why no progress is being made with repairs. She claims that if a contractor does show up at her house, they do very little work and then disappear.
“It’s all just very poorly put together,” said Fox. “It’s lazy work. If they took the time to do it right the first time, this would all be taken care of by now.”
Elite Homes
Jason Wilcox previously owned a business called Elite Homes which provided essentially the same service as J & J Homes – to sell modular homes directly to customers by acting as a middleman between the home builder and customer. According to local court records, at least two consumer lawsuits were filed against Elite Homes before it closed.
In 2015, Carla and Allyn Helland filed a complaint in District Court alleging Elite Homes “induced [them] to pay a higher price than they otherwise would have” for a modular home, based on the notion it would be a “custom” modular home. Wilcox simply bought a pre-manufactured home which was built before the Hellands had even signed off on their floor plan, says the complaint, and then purported it to be the “customized” home the Hellands had paid for.
The suit also claimed, “Defendant Elite Homes breached the contract to deliver and finish the Helland’s home by failing to finish the house so as that it could be habitable, by failing to deliver a defect-free house, failing to construct decking and fulfill other commitments called for in the… agreement.”
The Helland lawsuit was settled in 2017.
In 2013, John and Loretta Tillett from Lovell, Wyoming, filed suit in Yellowstone County District Court against Elite Homes and Jason Wilcox individually. In this case, the plaintiffs allege they signed a contract with the company for the purchase of a modular home which included “a furnace, a hot water heater, duct work, interior and exterior finish work, hickory cabinets throughout, and touch-up paint on the interior and exterior of the home.”
The Tillett’s complaint said after they paid in full for the home and it was delivered, it did not contain a hot water heater as agreed. The suit further claimed that Wilcox and his associates tried to manipulate the … Read full story here.
