If you are having problems viewing images in this e-mail, please click here.

Compendia: Maintenance and Warranty Information for Homebuilders and Homeowners

Vol. IV No 2 Spring 2009

Celebrating 10 years of service

"It is a testament to our employees, customers, and vendors that a start-up company creating HOA maintenance manuals in 1999 could evolve into the industry leading information services firm for builders we are today. We are grateful to be able to serve our customers faithfully with solutions that provide continuous value and look forward to meeting the needs of the industry long into the future.Thank you one and all"

Steve Fabry, Chief Executive Officer

Compendia can save you 25% on your annual customer service call expenses:

800-990-0885

Warranty Complaints Continue to Nag Builders

(From Builder Magazine 3/09)

That homeowners aren't always satisfied with the way their warranty complaints are handled is evidenced by the fact that home warranty companies finished a dubious first on Angie's List's "2008 Most Complained List" for the fourth consecutive year. More than half of the reports that Angie's List received last year about home warranty companies got "D" and "F" grades from consumers. "Most of the complaints stemmed from misunderstandings over what the warranty covered, poor customer service, or unhappiness with the contractor sent out to diagnose or fix the problem," recounts Angie Hicks, the list's founder.

What can builders do about it?

Overcoming the loss of "tribal knowledge"

and also in this issue

	Homeowner referral: Replacing maintenance and warranty manuals
	Contract Liability Subsequent Purchasers
	Warranty Complaints Continue to Nag Builders
	Compendia Celebrating 10 years of Service

OVERCOMING THE LOSS OF TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE

There is an old Dakota Native American proverb…when you discover you are riding a dead horse, it is best to dismount.

Simple wisdom passed on from father to son. It is a continuous legacy of lessons learned and best practices. It is tribal wisdom. And it directly applies to today’s building industry.

It’s no secret that the building industry was deeply hurt by the recent ongoing economic recession. Hard times were felt up and down the industry. Divisional consolidations, massive downsizing (right-sizing), job reassignments and departmental fusions were an economic reality and no one was immune: presidents to purchasing; customer service to land acquisition; project managers to warranty administrators; every department has been impacted.

It’s not an issue of doing more with less—that’s a given—but now companies are doing more with less with one arm tied behind its back…why? The loss of tribal wisdom; that corporate memory that has creates and maintains not just the understanding of operation processes and responsibilities, but a working grasp of the global picture and the nuances of lessons learned.

READ THE REST

Homeowner Referral: replacing maintenance and warranty manuals

Over the past couple months we know your phones are ringing with a new customer service request; to replace the maintenance and warranty manuals. We know this because we're getting these phone calls too! Many of the callers are not the original owners and did not receive the manuals when the property transferred ownership. Problem is, in most cases, the 10-year warranty you and your subcontractors must honor is still in effect.

In response, Compendia has launched a new program to help you with this issue: All you need to do is refer these callers to us and we'll take care of the rest! Homeowners can call our "Homeowner Hotline" at 800-990-0885 ext. 150.You pay nothing; All you need to do if refer these calls to us and let us resolve this issue for you

LEARN MORE

Best Practices

Contract Liability for Subsequent Owners

One of our clients recently shared (with permission) a copy of legally recorded document which included some contract language designed to deflect and mitigate liability. As a best practice, we thought we would provide an excerpt of these clauses for your organization to consider including in future contracts:

Subsequent Purchasers of this Property. Prior to the close of escrow, the original homeowner received certain documents which may include, but are not limited to (a) a Maintenance Manual or other maintenance or preventative maintance information (b) manufactured products maintenance and limited warrany information , (c) any warranties from the Builder and (d) and other documents provided in conjunction with the original sale of any potion of the property by the Bukder. The original purchaser of any portion of the property shall maintain a full and complete copy of the Documents and provide the documents to any subsequent purchaser. Subsequent purchasers of any portion of the Property are hereby notified that they should obtain the documents from the Seller of such portion of the Property.

Obligation to Follow Maintenance Recommendations: All Owners and the Homeowner Associations are obligated by Section 907 of the California civil Code to follow the Builder's maintenance recommendations and services including the maintenance recommendations and schedules for manufactured products and appliances provided with the Property, as well as all commonly accepted maintenance proactices. Per Section 945.5 of the California Civil Code, failure to follow the Maintenance Recommendations, if any, may reduce or preclude the owner and/or the Homeowner's Association's right to recover damages relating to such Owner's/Homeowner Association's Property, which could have been prevented or mitigated had the maintenance recommendations been followed.

Compendia offers these clauses as an example of best practices to include such verbiage in your documents. As Compendia is not a legal source, please consult an attorney prior to adding any language to contracts.

SEND TO A COLLEAGUE / ABOUT COMPENDIA^SM / CONTACT US
Compendia wishes to be good corporate citizens and trustees of your time. This newsletter is for informational purposes only. If you wish to be removed from our distribution list, please click here. Your name will be immediately removed and you will not receive any further newsletters.