Rep. Springer fights to protect homebuyers against construction defects

February 20, 2009

OLYMPIA – In an effort to protect homeowners from a growing trend in new home construction defects and provide homebuyers with legal remedies and additional resources, Rep. Springer (D-Kirkland) introduced House Bill 1393.

“There’s a strange anomaly in our law that you have more protection for purchasing a toaster or a car than you do for the major purchase of your life,” said Rep. Jamie Pedersen, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 1393 addresses residential real property construction improvements through consumer education, warranty provisions, contractor registration requirements, and worker certification standards.

By declaring the intent to establish worker certification requirements, House Bill 1393 begins a process to assure that construction workers are properly trained prior to building. In the future, certification will be required for construction work within the areas of foundation, framing, siding, roofing, windows and doors. The bill also strengthens disclosure requirements for residential contractors by adding past suspensions, bankruptcies and revocations from other states to the mandatory disclosures already required by Labor & Industries.

“The Legislature has heard testimony from homebuyers affected by shoddy construction for years. This is still a major problem, and this is a starting point for responding to those issues,” Springer said.

“A critical element of the bill is the mandatory arbitration provision. Our goal from day one has been to resolve disputes before they end up in our overloaded court system,” Springer said.

In order to unify efforts and establish a more efficient method of dealing with matters related to residential construction, House Bill 1393 creates the Office of Consumer Education for Home Construction within the Attorney General’s Office. This office will serve as a primary point of contact for consumers.

In addition to serving as an ombudsman, this office will educate consumers about their legal resources and collaborate with agencies and organizations that are already engaged in consumer education efforts in the area of residential construction. Starting January 1, 2010, the Office of Consumer Education for Home Construction will deliver an annual report to the Legislature outlining the collection of received complaints.

House Bill 1393 was voted out of the House Judiciary Committee yesterday. Next, it will go to the House Ways & Means Committee. A similar bill was also heard in the Senate Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee yesterday.

“I am very pleased that the legislature has taken a significant step toward providing homebuyers the protections they deserve against poor home construction,” Springer said. “My hat is off to all the stakeholders who have worked so hard for the past three years to craft legislation to deal with this very controversial issue. I look forward to this bill becoming a law so that homeowners will receive the protection they deserve.”

　

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Contact: Rep. Larry Springer (360) 786-7822; springer.larry@leg.wa.gov

Downloadable photo: http://www.leg.wa.gov/documents/House/Members/Photos/Springer.jpg

Staff Contact: Jamie Badilla (360) 786-7255; Badilla.jamie@leg.wa.gov

Radio and TV News Directors:  To obtain broadcast-quality audio on these issues, or to arrange for TV or radio interviews, please contact House Democratic Caucus Broadcast Coordinator Dan Frizzell at frizzell.dan@leg.wa.gov  or (360) 786-7208.