**Legal Action Taken by Utah Families Over Structural Issues in New Homes**
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Twenty-one couples from Nephi, Utah are taking legal action against several construction and real estate companies, citing severe structural problems within their newly built homes. The families allege that their houses were constructed on unstable ground and that essential engineering protocols were disregarded during the building process.
The civil complaint, lodged earlier this year, describes how the couples purchased properties in the Winn Ridge Community, assuming they met safe living standards. However, issues such as large cracks, sloping floors, and dangerously high radon levels have emerged shortly after the homes were completed, sometimes before the new owners even took possession.
Chelsie Rios, a resident of the community and one of the plaintiffs, has expressed the emotional toll these issues have taken on her family. With five children and a sixth on the way, she struggles to feel secure in her own home. “It makes me really sad,” Rios stated. “This was our house. We expected to be here for a while.”
The complaint notes that the homes were constructed in 2022 and 2023. Almost immediately after completion, the properties began displaying concerning signs of settlement. Homeowners reported cracks in drywall, issues with doors not closing properly, and cracks in basement floors that allowed hazardous levels of radon gas to infiltrate the homes.
Dallas Doane, another homeowner affected by the situation, shared his concerns with local media. “We hear popping noises like a wooden baseball bat hitting a baseball really hard,” he explained. “In our family room, you can see lots of cracks in our ceilings and significant shifting in the basement.”
The legal action targets several companies, including Riding Siding Construction, which is accused of building the houses without adhering to crucial engineering standards. The families have also included GeoStrata, the firm responsible for soil testing, and Salisbury Homes, the company that managed sales, in their complaint.
According to the lawsuit, the report provided by GeoStrata in June 2022 indicated that the soil in the area exhibited a “moderate to high collapse potential.” The homeowners claim that the developers failed to meet critical requirements suggested in the report, including those related to the foundation and excavation processes. The complaint highlights that the builders neglected to have geotechnical engineers on site during excavation and did not perform necessary soil tests.
The plaintiffs have filed ten allegations against the defendants, including fraud, negligence, and violations of the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act. They seek unspecified damages that are believed to reach into the millions of pounds. As Chase Wilde, the homeowners’ attorney, conveyed, “The fraud that homeowners have alleged involves the non-disclosure of critical facts regarding soil preparation.”
The Wing family, one of the couples affected, has received a repair estimate exceeding £267,000 to stabilise their home. This cost amounts to more than half of the original purchase price of the property. They, like other families involved in the lawsuit, are not seeking to relocate but rather hope for necessary repairs to be made to their homes.
The situation has highlighted significant concerns surrounding construction regulations and adherence to engineering standards in the growing neighbourhoods of Utah. Local residents are left to grapple with the implications of structural deficiencies that have emerged from what they believed to be safe investments.
While efforts have been made to contact the representatives of the implicated companies for comments on the ongoing litigation, responses have been largely absent. An attorney representing GeoStrata has also declined to make public remarks regarding the case.
The lawsuit underscores a growing concern among newly settled communities about the pressures of increasing housing demand and the importance of rigorous building standards to ensure home safety and longevity. As the case unfolds, these families hope to find resolution and accountability for what they describe as a significant betrayal of trust.