Building or buying your dream home is supposed to be an exciting time. Too often in Providence, Rhode Island we at the Resmini Law Firm have clients whose dreams have become a nightmare. We have confronted issues of improper foundations that caused the house to shift or fall apart, faulty wiring that caused a fire or an electrocution and leaky plumbing that caused water to leak into the walls of the home causing water damage and mold problems.
Who is responsible for your house?
In these cases, a claim can be brought against several parties. The manufacturer of the faulty product, the contractor and the subcontractor could all be equally liable or a court could assess a percentage of damage to each party. In general though, if a claimant is successful, a court will assess what is known as “joint and several liability.” That is, every party is liable to the claimant for the entire amount, and it is up to them to sort out who will pay what amount.
Mobile homes
The defective home problem is compounded when a person buys a mobile home. Often, mobile homes are bought under high pressure sales situations. While there is almost always a warranty, usually the responsibility for any issues that may arise fall to the manufacturer. That manufacturer may be thousands of miles away from Rhode Island or Massachusetts, so it is in his best interest to avoid the repairs at all costs. If and when the manufacturer does arrive to repair the mobile home, he is often ill-prepared to do so, not knowing the extent of the issue at hand.
Furthermore, mobile home manufacturers and retailers rely on volume. That is, the profit margin in a manufactured home is not terribly high, so more often than not the homes are built quickly and without much regard to quality. It should come as no surprise, then, that these homes often have poorly attached pipes and leaky roofs. In addition, set up of the mobile home, which is the seller’s responsibility is often performed as quickly as possible and without regard to safety as there is no profit in setup.
Mobile homes are technically classified as a vehicle under Rhode Island law. Therefore, the interplay between home warranty law and that of motor vehicles is complex. However, at the Resmini Law Firm, we have 44 years of legal experience, and our attorneys are skilled and experienced in reaching the best possible result for our clients in defective mobile home cases.
The Resmini Law Offices is a well-respected firm completely dedicated to helping clients with their Providence personal injury case. We are proud to have served clients in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Florida for 50 years. For more information, call us at (401) 751-8855 or toll free at 1-855-RESMINI. We would be happy to consult with you in our offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Florida, free of charge. Or, feel free to email us for a case evaluation on the home page of our website.
