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I would like to warn anyone interested in a Mattamy home in the Half Moon Bay development in Barrhaven, Ottawa that the quality is something to be aware of. I purchased a home in April of 2009 and have been fighting with them for 9 months now to repair the house.
The list of problem goes as follows,
1) Siding- all siding on the house has been replced as they did a horrendous job. ANyone who knows about siding instalation would be surprised to hear that they used a nail gun to affix the siding to the house. This created a wavy look that required replacement.
2) Foundation-During the building process they failed to protect the ground against frost and as a result the foundation cracked.
3) Concrete on basement floor- They poored the foundation after building the structural walls in the basement and did not put any barrier between the wood and the concrete. This building code violation resulted in the cutting away the floor, repooring that concrete and then rebuilding the walls. The problem with this is that they removed my basement door and did not cover anything when they used their quick cut saw. The result was a thick layer of cement dust throughout my house that they didn't clean up for over a month.
4)Stairs- the basement stairs were not to code and had to be rebuilt. It is amazing that the city building inpsector could not have caught this. I assume that there must be a cozy relationship between the city of Ottawa and Mattamy.
5) Fireplace- The fireplace did not work for 10 months.
6) Framing- They framed the back half of my house impropperly and had to come back and redo it. This put me out of my house for 4 weeks and they only compensated me for 2 weeks worth of accomodations.
7)Windows- 5 windows were installed out of place and two were installed impropperly and without any kind of insulation. One window in the kitchen was actually installed partially behind the kitchen cabinet.
8) Tiles- I had a major problem with tile cracking in my kitchen and foyer. They have since been replaced, but the problem was to the tune of about 20 tiles out of about 50.
9) Damage to my house contents- The painters painted part of a brand new leather couch set and have refused to clean them. They also damaged the felt on my pool table.
10) Paint- The house was painted so poorly as to inspire the comment from the Vice-president that he is embarrassed about the quality of the job and that the whole house should be repainted. Unfortunately, I did not get that in writing and they have decided that they would not repaint the house. It didn't matter they only put on one coat or that they missed large sections of the house.
11) drywall- The drywall job in this house was horrendous. The mudding and taping was roorly done to say the least. They have have repaired most of it, but it has been months and they never paint the patches they leave.
12) insulation- They forgot to insulate an exterior wall of the master bedroom. They took 10 months to get this completed. It appreaed on my PDI and they refused to do anything about it until the carpet had frozen over with ice.
12) Tiles- They put the wrong tiles in the mater bathroom and another bathroom and refuse to replace them.
13) Roof vents- They forgot to vent part of the roof.
There are a tun more things that were wrong with my house and the quality of the employees is horrible.They will not do anything unless it is sent via e-mail or registered mail. Today they lost the entire file for my house. Therefore putting us right back at the beginning of the process again.
If you are planning on purchasing a Mattamy home in the Barrhaven area be warned that they do not stand by the quality of their workmanship. At least my house isn't sinking like some of the others.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
We bought a Mattamy Prebuilt property in a cage-like environment with 10 minutes to sign a 50-page contract back in March 2017. The doors were locked with a security guard at the door. Preventing people from entering or exiting unless you were leaving for good or going to get a checkbook.
We bought the property for $2, 030, 000 after all upgrades. It is closing on October 3rd. (the closing dates have been pushed back twice so far from the original closing date of Aug 19th, 2018. Once by Mattamy and once by us.
Upon appraisal by the banks, we found out Mattamy is selling an identical house for $1, 400, 000 with almost identical upgrades. Please see the MLS Listing.
This identical house that is being sold is located less than 10 houses from the house we bought. The listing agent of this property, Jas Sidhu has confirmed in writing the following. (This property was listed on 16th Sep 2018 by the listing brokerage and seller is the builder (Mattamy). This property is brand-new never lived home. I have another property available as new builds and closing is in January 2019 for the price of $1, 385, 999 from a similar builder. If you are interested, I can send you more info.)
We have paid $200K deposit. However, we don't want to hypothetically loose another $400K by going ahead with the deal. Mattamy had us get a pre-approval of the mortgage as a part of the agreement. Mattamy's promise of a 2 Million Dollar property in exchange for 2 Million Dollars is a promise that is short lived by both parties. Mattamy, who promised a 2 million dollar property is selling the identical property a stone throw away for 30% less while expecting the banks and my self to hold our side of the bargain.
The bank's appraisal of our house is also affected by Mattamy listing an identical property for a fraction of the price. Banks have refused to honor the pre-approvals and financing is not possible unless we were to come up with the difference in the actual value of the house.
I am in the electronics business and the way I see it is if I were to promise someone that I will deliver this a $2000 phone with all kinds features and technology on a set date. In exchange, I would collect 20% deposit from the customer and when its time to deliver, I offer them a phone that has the technology value of a $1400 device and to top that off I am selling the identical device to others for $1400. Can I expect to not get sued and collect my $1800 from the original buyer since I got them to sign a 50-page contract?
Just because I had the privilege of using the customer's $200 deposit to finance my R&D and a legitimate contract doesn't make my contract and transaction any less fraudulent than that of Mattamy's.
I have also been in touch with the Mayor of Oakville Mr. Rob Burton regarding this matter. He was introduced to this matter by a journalist covering this situation . Mayor Burton made me aware that during a meeting with Mattamy's executives, he was told that they have helped some of the clients in the Preserve with price adjustments. On the contrary, I had a conversation with Jameel Madhany from Lerners Law who is representing several clients in the Preserve and Jameel says that's a bunch of baloney and none of his clients have been offered any help.
I have also been in touch with a buyer from Mattamy's Queens Common development in Whitby by the name of Astrid.
Astrid house was reduced from $775, 000 to $700, 000 as a result of Mattamy's decision to reduce the price on a 2nd phase development. If Mattamy acknowledges the need to reduce a price for the original buyer because they need to sell identical properties in the same development for less, it's righteous for them to do the same in my case.
In several conversations with Mattamy's representatives, we were told Mattamy has more than 600 houses to release in the Preserve community. However, they continue to hold the land and develop the properties at a snail's pace to drive up a pseudo demand. The potential argument that Mattamy didn't have enough resources to build at any faster pace would be a lie as several contractors including framers were all laid off about 6 months ago as a part of Mattamy's monopoly strategy to create more demand and drive up or maintain their desired price.
Mattamy's potential argument that based on the contract they have spent close to $2, 000, 000 to develop my house would also be a total lie. Building a house Today cost anywhere between $140 to $200 per square feet based on the quality of finish. The quality of finish as per our PDI was sub-par and couldn't have cost more the $150/sqf. At this rate, our 3730 Square foot house wouldn't have cost much more than $559, 500. Add the cost of the property bought in bulk is approximately $15, 000 per 4000 SQF (45*90 lot size) Square feet or $1.5 Million for 400, 000 Square feet . That's approximately $3.75/SQF for the land and let's keep in mind Mattamy who have purchased 100's of thousands of acres of lands neglected to buy certain lots as such in the link provided is probably because the price isn't good enough for Mattamy. These numbers explain why they can sell a $2, 000, 000 property for $1, 400, 000 and still make a handsome profit.
We had our PDI Appointment on September 12th 2018 for our brand new $2, 025, 000 home which, we had purchased from Mattamy back in December 2017. When we arrived at the PDI, we were disappointed that there were no countertops and a few doors missing.
As we did our PDI walk thru, we found hundreds of issues. The quality of finish was despicable. Here is a list of some of the unacceptable tradesmanship we discovered during our PDI.
Baseboard, trim and shoe-mould nail holes were not filled
Numerous baseboards or shoe moulds were not fastened completely to the wall and were hanging loose
Baseboards was painted without being sanded where they were filled in
dap was not applied along all the joints and where the baseboard meets the wall leaving a crack like gap along the top of the baseboard throughout the whole house
the baseboard and shoe molding joints were very poorly joint and installed
the trims around the windows and doors were extremely poorly installed and finished (not sanded properly, holes weren’t filled in properly and painted without any sanding leaving bumps everywhere)
some doors were poorly painted, one particular door was full of bubbles and requires to be completely sanded down and repainted or replaced
we found several places on the window jams and trims where there were large holes that anyone with half an eye sight would be able to notice and address
the ceiling drywall work was very poor and the joints were not taped and sanded down properly leaving an amature finish
the shoemoulds in several location were unevenly installed leaving an unpleasant gap between the floor and the shoemold
some walls were painted in two different tone of paint and some walls had places that wasn't sanded yet painted, and patches that were neither sanded or painted at all
the fire place was installed unprofessionally leaving a big inconsistent gap around it. It was also not sitting flush with the wall on the right side and sitting flush on the left side. The builder said this was the finish and they were not expecting a trim work around it.
multiple scratches on the floor were also evident during our PDI
Several scratches on cabinet were also evident -more proof that poorly qualified trades were involved in the construction of this home
the drywall work in some room were so poorly done where some parts were not sanded properly leaving lumps and bumps on the wall
When you buy a brand new property for 2 million dollars and the properly doesn't have a decent lot size, an adequate curb appeal nor a professional finish, this comes to show how much maximizing the margin means to Mattamy and the builder vs the need for delivering a quality product to the consumer.
These kind of construction work and finishing work is arguably the worst finish we have seen for a brand new home or even a renovated home out of the hundreds of houses we have visited and dozens for houses we have renovated or remodeled.
Our appraiser had to be paid additional fees for having to come back a second time as the countertops are required to be installed before the appraisal can be completed. This means a second paid visit by the appraiser is required next week on or after the 17th once countertops are installed . The Appraiser will then required a few more days to complete and submit the report to the banks and the banks will further require a few days to complete the funding. We demand the closing date be pushed back an adequate amount of time. Therefor, Mattamy has necessary amount of time to fix all the mistakes that were indicated and that there is enough time given between a completed home and the closing date so that the appraisal and funding can be done harmoniously.
As you are aware we have spent ove $100, 000 just in upgrades and $1, 925, 000 on this new built home by Mattamy. We expect nothing but a pristine finish from a pioneer in the development business. It is a shame that Mattamy would use such incompetent contractors to do finishing work. It's absolutely discreditable that this kind of finish would be considered acceptable by the builder and Mattamy. I have been in the renovation and remodeling business for the past 2 years and training new employees to do finish work and we have never delivered this quality of finish to any of our clients. It is not acceptable that Mattamy’s $2 Million dollar build has a hideous size lot and joke of a size backyard and to top it all off it would try to cut cost by hiring contractors that haven't got a clue what they are doing. This is absolutely not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
In addition to the extension of the closing date, we require another PDI/walk thru with proper lighting, where we will be inspecting everything we indicated to be fixed, repaired or replaced to a professional standard as per our original PDI. Given the quality of your contractors’ workmanship and lack of attention given by the builder and Mattamy; we suggest you do expect us to find more flaws and unacceptable finishes that will also need to be addressed by Mattamy and the builder. I suggest this second PDI/Walk thru be booked as soon as possible as I do not want to take the keys or close until you have done your job before you collect your balance payment. I understand there are warranties provided by Mattamy and Tarion. This is a warranty service that takes upto 3 months to reconcile problems that come to our attention once we have moved in. The unequivocal poor work done by unqualified carpenters, unqualified tapers and painters are not to be considered warranty work and are the obligations of Mattamy and the builder to complete to a professional standards before closing.
Is there any way we all can complaint about Mattamy builder and take it to some
Where higher ? This is [censored] - Theu just build is mirrored view house with out acknowledgement ? How does that fair ?
ALL, we are approaching two years...still have outstanding deficiencies, still have lack of support, still have a lack of care! I agree that they make sure you sign every document to protect their liability and ensure they get their money but then they turn off. Every other month I've had an issue with my home and is tiring. There are a huge number of people that are not happy but nothing seems to stop them. They do not build to quality and I've had tradesmen tell me that they are told to build for speed and have no care for building to code/spec. I would love for Mattamy to respond and sort out my home deficiencies once and for all. They should be investigated!
Horrible service, horrible unqualified contractors. They come in to do simple jobs and makes things worse more times than not. Wobbling bannisters, poorly cut tiles, bad painting, curved quarter rounds, curved walls (but they are all up to code according to mattamy). You basically have to argue or tell them to go f themselves to get anything done. It's a joke really. One guy put all his weight on my staircase and swung down my stairs as he was leaving. We have 4 patio stones in front of the front step and one is wobbling and the guy just breaks out his glue gun. Anything that doesn't involve their glue gun or caulking gun is too advanced for them to fix. It's a joke really
This is a letter we sent out back in 2014, apart from replacing existing problem windows at a cost (which most of have failed again) they did nothing else for us. They REALLY don't care!
Mattamy Homes
Mr. Peter Gilgan, President
2360 Bristol Circle
Oakville ON L6H 6M5
April 7, 2014
RE: Mattamy Hawthorne Village Vista Phase 1A, Milton, Ontario – Decora Windows Quality Concerns
Dear Mr. Gilgan,
On behalf of 17 homeowners, we are writing to advise you of the deficiencies that we have been experiencing with the windows installed in our homes by Decora Windows, a company contracted through Mattamy. Currently, we are aware of 17 households that have defective windows plus another 4 where the owners have verbally expressed similar problems.
Background
Our homes were to be installed with “Energy Star Qualified Low E Argon (with insulated spacer) windows as per Schedule ‘A’ of the contracts. We have since noticed two major problems related to these windows, occurring at many homes from this development: first, condensation between windowpanes; and second, a significant amount of condensation on the inside of our windows.
The first issue, condensation between windowpanes, is a major disappointment. Many homes from this development are exhibiting this failure, suggesting that the quality and installation of our windows are of poorer quality than what was advertised to purchasers. Windows should not demonstrate such deficiencies in this short timeframe unless the quality and/or installation have been compromised. Further, it is discouraging to know that the window company contracted to provide and install these windows has since gone out of business and cannot fulfill their commitment to their workmanship and product.
As for the second issue, regarding condensation on the inside of our windows – we have noticed that the amount of condensation is not only excessive, it continues to increase each year. This suggests that the insulation of these windows continues to decline. To be clear, the amount of condensation is not minimal, rather it is excessive to the point that windows need to be wiped dry every morning with a towel in order to avoid water from pooling on the sills and overflowing.
Lack of Support
Up until a few days ago, other divisions of Mattamy had refused to assist us. Several of us have been ignored and emails have gone unanswered. Further, one of the undersigned parties explained:
“We had one window lose its seal about this time last year. My husband contacted the warranty office and we were told that we were out of luck, that we would have to contact TruFix, and that it would be full retail value for the repair. We sat on it as we were not happy with the response we got from Mattamy or TruFix: “Elusive about warranty on the replacement pane, did not want to drive to Milton, etc...”
Mr. Walter Oliveira, Mattamy’s Warranty Service Manager contacted one of us on April 2nd via phone and left a message. Then, unannounced, he showed up at their front door later that evening. As his visit was in the middle of dinner, he was asked to return the following day.
On April 3rd, Mr. Oliveira advised that Mattamy would replace the defective windows with an added cost. (A $60 service fee and a replacement cost of $20 per window for labour.) He advised that Mattamy will not offer any coverage for windows that become defective after 5 years.
He also advised that homeowners who paid the $60 last year but still have problems will have to pay the service fee a second time. He also advised that each homeowner should contact the Warranty Office either by phone or email. Many of us have already done so.
Proposed Resolution is Unsatisfactory
We, the undersigned, believe that Mattamy’s offer is unsatisfactory for the following reasons:
1. The significant number of windows exhibiting this failure demonstrates that there is a major flaw with the windows (or installation) in this development. Several windows in many homes are experiencing this failure and, as such, it is clear that is not a minor issue. (As a parallel for your consideration – in the transit industry, there is a standard fleet defect policy that states that any component that fails within the warranty period on 20% of the vehicles in a production run will have that problem repaired for the whole fleet, defective or not.) In relating this to our situation, the fleet in this case is Phase 1 build, and of the forty (40) homes that we canvassed fifty percent (50%) of the homes have this problem amounting to one hundred and one (101) windows.
2. ENERGY STAR® QUALIFIED LOW E ARGON windows, part of our ENERGY STAR® QUALIFIED HOME should last longer than 5 years,
3. There should be no cost to repair defective items, particularly those under warranty. If a car fails during the warranty period, it is repaired free of charge. For those windows being fixed a second time, it is disappointing and shocking that Mattamy would expect payment twice, let alone once.
4. The 5-year period will lapse this year and given the magnitude of the problem (and that it has already reoccurred in some homes), this needs to be addressed holistically rather than not selectively. We feel that all windows in these houses should be replaced. For many of us, this is the largest investment that we will ever make and we frankly expected better. Timely and fair resolution of this problem could be the difference between satisfaction and (extreme) dissatisfaction with Mattamy. Many homebuyers purchase ‘new’ with the expectation that window replacement is not a cost that needs to be incurred for 10-15 years.
Expectation of Appropriate Resolution
We hope and trust that you are able to stand by your commitment of excellence in the quality of work, products and the creation of the homeowner experience that Mattamy promotes. Although Mattamy’s immediate attachment to this community has concluded, Mattamy’s reputation continues as each home receives a new owner. Attached, you will find a list of homes, the corresponding homeowners, and a number of pictures of the deficiencies for your review. There are currently a total of one hundred and one (101) deficient windows.
Thank you for taking the time to review our concerns, we look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Homeowner’s Phase 1A
cc Mr. Frank Doracin, Vice President
Nancy W., Executive Assistant
Lisa Melo, Administrative Assistant
I also recently purchased a home from mattamy on april 6th 2017 in Aurora Ontario.
I am having all the same problems as everyone else. In summary they force you to move in while the home is not ready.
Then they lie about fixing all your deficiencies. They installed a high efficiency hot eater tank that they know is defective and needs modifications which they are not willing to pay for.
Their customer service is not in existence, you cant reach anyone .
It is incredible that they are allowed to function.
They know they can get away with it.
We should do a class action suit against them and talk to our government representative to see what can be done.
Why don’t you post a video of the problem on Youtube to raise awareness?
Its a warning for all resident in Calgary Alberta, Please don't buy any property from Mattamy Builders in Cityscape . I know a number of resident they all deceived by them.
I will be appreciate, if someone advise me what to do. I am really depressed . reside in Cityscape Calgary Alberta
My house is in cityscape calgary alberta. I request every one who are planning to buy from them. please don't make the mistake I made. Don't throw your money in garbage.
I also made a mistake buy house from them, the worst quality, very bad manners, and who cares policy.
I hear you all
I'm so depressed that we bought from them.
Our closing date was changed 3 times within same month with firm dates.
Having sold our existing home as we have firm date form Mattamy and our home purchaser there was a strike lasting for 6 weeks. Now we had no place to go. We managed to find temporary rentals plus storage for our contents the costs are mounting $10, 000+
Mattamy does not care about their customers.
We purchased homes prior from George Wimpy homes (no longe building) also Greenpark Homes never had any issues
can you please contact me, I will be really appreciate you.
I have a problem with my heat in one room since we received the house a year ago, I have been calling the number [protected] ext 25 many times they say someone it's coming but nobody hadn't come. We are in winter and look their don't worry about that.
please start putting all your complaints to the Better Business Bureau. mattamy enjoys a rating of A+ even with so many complainst because nobody puts their complaints to BBB. its time. the following is the link.
http://www.bbb.org/kitchener/business-reviews/home-builders/mattamy-homes-limited-in-oakville-on-1083594
I've had nothing but priblems with my Mattamy home and I am currently working on a small claims suit maxing out at $25, 000. They sucked the life out of me, they are butchers not builders. The half moon bay community should never have been approved by the city, homes on top of one another, no parking, no place to shovel snow, zero privacy. Shame on the greedy city for approving it. They are not compliant with the trades and qualification act (using unqualified people to save a buck; sending a tech to repair a plumbing issue instead of a plumber for example). I can't even talk about it without becoming enraged, please do yourself a favor, spend a few extra dollars and buy from somebody else. I hate Mattamy, the warranty department and I hope a Mattamy built home collapses on top of them.
can you please contact me, I need help to fight with them. Please
I have had the same problems with my 30 day list. I explained to them that if they could not do the job right then I will find someone who would. I hired an exterior company called Kylo Construction in Ottawa who I would highly recommend. They did the jobs right the first time with a much higher quality. They were worth every cent I payed them. There is an alternative to dealing with the headaches of Mattamy. I also used them for other renovations around my house, such as the crown moulding and backsplash. I checked my book and they were much cheaper then if I would have went through the mattamy upgraded price, I wish i knew about them before I bought my house, they would have saved me thousands. Anyway, just letting you know there is an alternative.
I am so frustrated after reading everyone's complaints. It is appalling to me that so many people who have bought Mattamy homes are having so many issues. We have had the same problem. Just one screw up after the other and I have been calling and e-mailing like a mad person for 7 months to get simple things fixed and NO ONE is calling me back or answering my questions. They literally just ignore you. They have excellent customer service when you buy a new home up until the hand you the keys. I registered a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau and I strongly recommend that EVERYONE do this. It will lower their business rating. They don't deserve it.
Bah, I lost patience and opened drywall myself, and lo and behold wire is hidden behind it and not connected...
If fixed it myself, I don't want to see any more Mattamy contractors in my house...
OMG, I was looking for info on Google who to send my letter of complaint after I discovered (3 years in house) that central vacuum wiring is not connected at all (I just bought central vac unit) when I stumbled upon this site...
Word of advice to whoever is within warranty term: Court is your ONLY real option...
I had VP of warranty service at the time (Dave Eastman) promising in front of Tarion inspector that they will fix some things still hanging; as soon as I signed settlement document they went away TO NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN!
I must be lucky since in my house I had no serious things like pipe freezing due to lack of insulation nor garage leaks etc. etc.
I am also lucky since this last thing discovered (central vac wiring not connected) is easy to prove in court to be never done( especially small claims).
It's good to hear that there are others out there like us. We've recently moved into our Mattamy home and we've been fighting tooth and nail just to get our PDI items cleared. Don't get me started on our 30 day list!
It's been nothing but issue after issue and the most frustrating part is that the people that you are told to deal with simply don't give a [censored]! They make you feel like your some annoying homeowner that is picky about everything when really all we want is the stain on our staircase to match the stain on our hardwood, for the cupboard doors to match the kick plates and valances, and for the landing on our stairs to be straight! Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.
I feel like our 30 day list is the longest anyone has ever submitted but the more I talk to people and read up on things, the more I realise that we're not alone.
Don't buy Mattamy... don't visit their model homes or sales reps cause it's all lies... don't buy Mattamy!
If we would have known that Mattamy was going to build our house so poorly, we would have never bought from them! I’m shocked that they let people move into their new home when it’s done with such POOR workmanship. Our house looks like it was rushed to be finished so they could just get rid of it. It’s very discouraging to say the least. They put us in a hotel to repair our only shower/tub and kept extending our stay. In the middle our winter with 2 small children that go to school, it’s not a treat or a vacation but a huge hassle. We also had to fight with them to get the house cleaned as it was covered in dust and the bathroom were filthy from the trades people using it while they worked in our home. Finally my husband had to take a week off from work to supervise, that was the only way the work got done. He’s a municipal building inspector and it’s extremely frustrating for him to have a home with SO MANY defects. The warranty office treats us like we’re the enemy and we have to push to get what we deserve. It’s crazy! If anyone if thinking of buying from Mattamy, don’t! It’s not worth the hassle. I’ve talk to many neighbors and they said it took years to get many issues settled. We were really hoping we could settle in this house and relax because we had to move often in the past years. Now, we often talk about selling but it’s too depressing. I’m afraid of what troubles the house will present us with in the near future. Just as an example, we’ve only been in the house 5 months, and the outside shingle already look warped and like they are about to fall off. Well, that’s my rant!
I haven't moved into my new home in the Harthowne Village as yet and I am already experiencing problems with Mattamy homes. There customer service department NEVER return your calls. The warranty manager tries to baffle your concerns saying the workmanship is fine meanwhile it is clearly visible that they hired incompetent contractors. I am fed up with Mattamy and will NOT recommend anyone to them.
I couldn't have said it better. I'm not surprised after my treatment with Mattamy. I truly have some empathy for you and good luck... visit www.oakvillehomes.wordpress.com for more on Mattamy