Letters for January 30, 2020

The same mistakes

Re “Clay station” (Homes, Jan. 16):

Regarding “sinking homes in South Reno,” what if airbag manufacturer Takata got away with saying, “Yup, our detonators have the chemical composition the outside engineers said they have”? Nobody would get new airbags (and people would continue to be killed by them). And yet, the construction industry is the only one that can repeatedly make the same mistakes regarding soil composition, and get away with it and with the same engineering excuse. While the protector of our tax base, the local building departments—yes, that's what building codes are for—gets away year after year with the excuse akin to, “As long as we continue to not propose changes in the code for our elected officials to approve, our hands are tied.”

Marcus Krebs

Reno

Shifting soils

Re “Clay station” (Homes, Jan. 16)

We were surprised to read to “Clay station,” in your most recent issue because no homeowners were apparently interviewed or quoted for this story despite this story purporting to be about South Reno residents experiencing construction defects from foundation and soils issues. We are attorneys who represent homeowners, exclusively, in construction defect matters against builders, and we have represented hundreds of homeowners in Northern Nevada that have experienced damage to their homes and foundation systems as a result of adverse soils conditions.

While you quote Mr. Peak, he is an attorney who generally represents builders and/or subcontractors. Yes, there are adverse soils conditions in south Reno but there are also adverse soils conditions in Sparks, northwest Reno, Carson City, Douglas County and many other locations throughout Northern Nevada. Contrary to Mr. Peak's representations, homes that experience damage from soils not being properly prepared and/or built for the soils on which the homes are located, these defects are typically not the homeowner's fault.

In fact, we have represented homeowners who have not yet improved their backyards and they experience foundation movement from adverse soils conditions. The truth is that every builder in Northern Nevada must obtain a soils report prior to building that indicates the soils on which the homes are to be built and how to: 1) build for such soils conditions; and 2) excavate and/or otherwise prepare such soil for building. Many times, there are problems with these reports, but just as often, these reports are not followed. Even if your builder tells you that you only have a one-year warranty, you very likely have more rights under Nevada law. The problems with the design and/or construction of the home in not following a soils report are not the fault of the homeowner. It is important to be informed that the 2019 legislature passed AB 421, which restores many of the rights homeowners have against their builders for construction defects after those rights were heavily restricted in the 2015 session. This bill is in effect now, and is a step in the right direction to protect homeowners who buy homes with adverse soils conditions.

Eva G. Segerblom, Esq.

Ardea Canepa-Rotoli, Esq.

Reno

Old argument

There's a form of argument called ad hominem. It's simply calling your opponent names when arguing, then doing it again and again. It means you have lost the argument when you resort to denigrating your opponent. Trump and Fox News do this all the time. It works with low-information folks. Another thing Trump does is make things up. All the way from the birth certificate thing on Obama that Trump and Fox propagated to the Nancy Pelosi doctored video. It's delegitimizing your opponent. Trump has done the same to our military, decorated soldiers, heroic diplomats, the courts, the press, his opponents, the intelligent agents … in other words, America. That's us he is attacking.

Don McKechnie

Sparks

Nasty system

Ah crap, another miserable caucus. Why on Earth would they force us to use a nasty system that no one likes? One that, in fact, discourages participation? That is manipulable, secretive, non-transparent and where they are not obliged to share information?

I don't like it, and don't know anyone who does, with the exception perhaps of the long-tongued liar, and his pal Putin?

Well, suck up that caucus and vote kiddies … regardless. Eewwww.

Craig Bergland

Reno