A reader writes:
A new development sign went up recently in Midtown. It’s a variance notice regarding a lot bounded by Chenevert, Anita, and Hamilton streets adjacent to Baldwin Park. The developers name on the variance notice (#53 on the July 9th variance meeting) published at Houston P&D is “Treemont Homes”. Interestingly, no such builder seems to exist either in the business directory or with an online presence. Tremont Homes, however, does exist and, I believe, was involved in the Tremont Tower fiasco a few years back in Montrose. I am currently trying to determine who “Treemont Homes” is and who the principals are and if this could be another mortgage fraud/shoddy building/screw the people type of project.
Any help you could offer is appreciated.
The variance request is for a 5-ft. setback along Hamilton St., the 59 feeder road — which typically requires 25 ft. Hamilton Court would consist of 20 single-family lots on an L-shaped 0.78-acre property. The item was deferred until the July 23rd planning commission meeting, on the request of the planning staff.
- Previously in Swamplot: Tremont Tower coverage, The Lemon Lady Goes to Washington
Photo of sign at Chenevert and Anita: Swamplot inbox
The 5-foot set back is ok with me on Hamilton if it is just a fence in the back of the homes. It it is a driveway or front doors, that would be insane to open up to the freeway.
You are right about the Tremont group involved with the Tremont condo fiasco. The group has also used many other names for various project. Some of their single family homes came ok, I haven’t heard much problems with them. I know the Tremont Tower was a disaster. They also made a big mistake by putting in a huge atrium which mean that the condo units got smaller. I think there is a whole anti-tremont website.
I suspect Treemont Homes was merely a poor choice of a name by a developer not realizing the implication of the association with Tremont Tower and it is not a good association – the harassment of the owners who dared to complain alone is sufficient reason never to buy anything from that man or anyone associated with him.
It is also a reminder of the maxim “buyer beware” because even the most legitimate-appearing developers and realtors and lenders will, when caught doing something less-than-legitimate will hide behind attorneys and laws that in Texas simply do not protect the buyer any more than they protect the renter.
And when the law does protect them, the attorneys merely wage a war in order to bankrupt them. As we saw with Tremont Tower.
There is something about buying an older home. You know exactly what you’re getting per an inspection report. Of course what the inspection report doesn’t tell you is what you may end up living next door to.
I have never really supported zoning but it appears at this point to be the only solution to what is becoming a growing problem with developers in particular caring only for how much money they can make by literally destroying a neighborhood.
Townhomes belong in areas like Baldwin Park that were developed for townhomes. Not in established single-family neighborhoods.
It is encouraging to see a developer buidling in Baldwin Park. Maybe it will encourage others to do so as well.
It’s a misspelling. They, unfortunately, were yet another client of mine and I personally visited this parcel of property last year when we were still doing business. They left their Katy Fwy. office location last Sept., reopened in their model home in Legends Ranch and are now officing on Klein Church Rd. as the owner, Tom Thibodeaux, lives in that vicinity. And they don’t pay their vendors.
Per HCAD, the lot belongs to Tremont Homes, Inc. 18530 Klein Church Rd Spring TX 77379-4925.
The lot used to belong to Mir Azizi, who developed the Ellie Lofts across the street, the Paramount Lofts next door, as well as several condos and townhouses in the area. Two years ago he was planning a condo building similar to the Ellie Lofts; I guess the market is not there anymore.
I live down the street from this property and welcome the addition to Midtown. Our entire neighborhood is full of town homes, so these would fit in nicely with the surrounding area. Baldwin Park is an awesome place, so I would imagine these things sell quickly (so long as the developer does a decent job).
Townhomes belong in areas like Baldwin Park that were developed for townhomes. Not in established single-family neighborhoods.
Hahahaha… you must be new to the area. There were SFH (mixed with fourplexes and other small rentals) around Baldwin Park before they got torn down to make room for Perry Homes.
Tremont Homes is/was a real company. I was a subcontractor for them in the late 90s/early 2000s. Pre Tremont Tower days.
At that time they were building all around in Montrose, some projects I recall were Hyde Park Crescent near the now long gone Half Price Books location on Commonwealth and Hyde Park, and a bunch of townhomes on Gross Street and some other little streets around there.
They had other stuff around the ‘hood, and they were doing some McMansions out in NW suburbia. I think Tom’s house which marketingwiz speaks of (or one of them) was going up back then.
In those days Tremont Homes corporate office was up in Connally Tower, on S. Shepherd.
I thought they were an alright company to do business with back then – they bought a heck of a lot and always paid my invoices on time. For the most part they built a decent product, for what it was.(I would have never bought one.)
It looks like Tremont Homes is not really a poor choice of words as suggested by Matt. Tom Thibodeau is listed on the Rip-off Report website entry regarding the Tremont Tower as well The HomeOwners for Better Building’s page.
Stay Away.
Hahahaha… you must be new to the area. There were SFH (mixed with fourplexes and other small rentals) around Baldwin Park before they got torn down to make room for Perry Homes.
_________________________________________
I’m a native Houstonian and unless I’m mistaken most of what was torn down had been abandoned a long time before Perry Homes decided to develop the area and there was little if any gentrification as there has been in other areas and no protest by homeowners as there has been in other areas. If anything the homeowners who had remained in the area and maintained their homes welcomed it.
I have sold several Tremont homes in the development in Shady Acres at Beall & 23rd and have been very impressed with their quality and service. So far, my buyers are very happy as well.
I think in this case, Bad Karma and Bad Spelling both apply.
A good friend of mine was a victim of the fraud mentioned above in their home on Richmond, although they had the money to repair the home, a lot of their neighbors did not, it is a shame what monsters can get away with.
If you really want to read and see the truth about Thomas Thibodeau and Jorge Casimiro…Tremont Homes/Stature Constructiont go to my web sight. Pictures do not lie. I have been following their misdeeds, unethical behavior since 2002. i also have a ruling of common fraud against them.
Thibiodeau was turned down, even by the Texas Residential Construction Commission for trying to get yet another company name. He was written a letter which told him the reasons he was now given the opportunity to withdraw his request was so they would not have to offically turn him down. He was informed by the comission he had too many complaints against him. Also because of his association with a known felon, who was head of his warrenty division and a director and agent for his companies.
Mother Jones magazine did a 7 page expose.
The Better Business Bureau used them as the cover for their magazine,” Builders from hell not at the BBB.
After they had made contractors from hell in People Magazine…
and been fired by the city of Bunkerhill for delays and incompetence. If you want to seriously learn more, go to the web sight…www.jordan-fogal.com I hope this helps you …
Thibiodeau was turned down, even by the Texas Residential Construction Commission for trying to get yet another company name.
_______________________________________
A rose by any other name….
And of course desite so many complaints and lawsuits the builders and developers continue on their merry little way. Protect by public officials who they have either bought or blackmailed.
As for attorneys committing perjury, that assumes they are lying and we all know attorneys never lie. They just have a “different perspective of the truth” as one of the few honest attorneys I know put it recently.
Realtors of course know who the bad apples are. Of course some of them are in the same barrel. Those who aren’t learn quickly to say nothing and try not to show the homes or townhomes or condos without appearing to be steering. The latter important because they not only can be sued for defamation but can lose their real estate licenses.
Welcome to Texas. Where consumer protection laws mean absolutely nothing.
matt,
Wouldn’t the consumer protection laws have worked if they can’t changed their name? On top of that the BBB made a spectacle of how bad they are.
Not all builder and developers are like this.
On top of that the BBB made a spectacle of how bad they are.
______________________________________
They are not out of business. And they will continue to rip off unsuspecting buyers who will regret the day they called to complain about the leaking roof and the funny fuzzy stuff growing on the ceilings and walls. But then everyone who buys a new home or townhome or condo is a potential unsuspecting buyer in Texas.
Or maybe buyers shouldn’t be so naive and assume everything thing just wonderful.
Home inspectors exist for a reason. I had once before I closed on my new home. The builder didn’t like the inspector generating a punch list in front of him. It was nice to have the builder at the walk through before closing and seeing his eyes when I had an inspector with me.
I always recommend an inspection, especially with new homes, since they should be built to current code. When my client goes to sell in a few years, I want to market a house that was tip top compliant when it was built. What is surprising is how many folks decline the opportunity to have the house inspected.
I also recommend an 11 month inspection right before the warranty expires. The horse might be 90% out of the barn, but you can still grab the tail and get some items that might have been overlooked resolved as a warranty issue.
I can not believe anyone would think us so naive and stupid that we did not have a licenced, paid inspector and a licenced realtor. The city is not surpose to put houses up for sale that are not approved and all their inspections completed. But they did and do. The mayor lets the builders hire their own inspectors…that proves he is qualifed for higher office. We still would have done destructive testin to see all the damge they had hidden. The house has been in foreclosure 5 times since we abandoned it in 2004.If anyone would just go to the web site they could read what happend and not surpose things that are not true without all the information. My testimony is right there to be read. I wrote it for the congressional hearing. Our case has now been filed in the Texas Supreme court.
Jordan Fogal
The Lemon Lady
http://www.jordan-fogal.com
jfogal281@aol.com
Inspectors cannot tear apart walls and so in a new home you really don’t know what you’re getting because, well, it looks good and, as Jordan points out, you assume the builder has been required to meet city codes. Usually the city has just rubber-stamped whatever has been presented to them. I gave up on new homes about ten years ago. I might live in one if someone gave it to me. But I would never buy one. Not in Texas. And certainly not in Houston.
Good luck, Jordan, with what has to be the most corrupt state supreme court in the country.
And the sign in the photo really says it all.
“NOTICE OF VARIANCE REQUEST”
That means the builder/developer is wanting to do something they’re really not supposed to be doing. And that, of course, is the reality of Chapter 42.
I know we are considered old news, but it has been the constant in our lives since april of 2002. We did file for a hearing with the Texas Supreme court, but Bob “Swift Boat” Perry, rules there too. Our case was not heard. And now after all this, we have a worhtless piece of paper called a judgement that the Tremont/Stature builders’ attorneys have informed me will never get us a dime. It was only 3% of what was owed us, but then arbitration is manditory and not fair. Thank you Bob Perry for the example you set for the others to follow. I warned the people of Texas the housing debacle was comming years before it did and no one would listen. Now that it has happened people like Perry have bought our great county to it’s financial knees. What a thing to tell your grand children granddaddy did with all his money…. How with all my money, I destroyed our country and left you in debt for the rest of your lives, excuse me, not your grand children or your renegade builder buds just our grandchildren. Greed one of the seven deadly sins.
Vulture capitalism is alive and well in Texas. Thanks to our Texas Supreme Court which sold itself long ago to the highest bidders. Bob Perry was just one of many.
My builders committed fraud, the arbitrator gave us this ruling, so you know how blatant it had to be. It is in my testimony to congress and on my web site. The arbitrator also gave us a worthless judgement and removed all the names and companies that had money and gave us a judgement against the only one, that the builder told her, in arbitration had no funds. I did not get a judgement against them personally and I filed on them personally. I have a judgement on only one of their shadow companies. Yet the American Arbitration Ass. forced me to pay them $ 9300 dollars to do this to us? How can that be in anyway considered fair or just? There were 3 other arbitrations going on against the very same people, at the same time. My builders,Thomas Thidbodeau and Jorge Casimiro were the repeat customers. AAA knew they could ruin us and we could never recover, so we would not be a constant meal ticket. The head of our builders’ warranty division was arrested and convicted on felony charges, he too was in the “family”. These builders have adversely affected hundreds of consumers in Houston and with the help of their, contractual arbitration company, AAA, they destroyed them one at a time. And no body cared. They still don’t..
Yet the American Arbitration Ass. forced me to pay them $ 9300 dollars to do this to us?
________________________
That’s the way the system works. Which is why the system doesn’t work. It tends to make people think twice about suing someone. And that of course is the bottom line of ethics and law in this country – can you hedge your bets with fraud by assuming no one will prosecute you and no one will sue you? Most people don’t have the money to sue. And that of course is what most district attorneys tell victims of fraud. Tell it to a judge. But on your nickel, not theirs.
And of course these schmucks are still in business.
I hate to ask but did you take this to the consumer protection division of the AG’s Office?
As for the corruption, the best thing everyone could do, but won’t, is stop buying new homes. The homebuilders might get the message when they no longer have any income.
They should clean up their own mess. And until they do, they are all to be considered guilty of fraud. Most of them are anyway.
The Democrats hate Bob Perry. But how many of them live in a Perry home?
Jordan:
I know it’s been a while since you posted your web site, but have you moved it?
I tried the link and it came up suspended.