Posted on 05/15/2011 11:23:09 AM PDT by newnhdad
I grew up in Fairfax county and am ashamed to admit that I did some vandalism as a 13-15 year old teen in the new sub in which we lived. Nothing like shooting it up, but stupid things like kicking holes in drywall, etc...
So, I agree with many comments that it is likely a teenager with access to a gun.
But something Rebelbase made me think of one other strong possibility...you mentioned that your house is much smaller than the neighbors. If there is more than one builder in the neighborhood, your house could be being targeted by some angry contractor or subcontractor and/or competitor. The message might be aimed at your builder, not you. I would ask your builder specifically about that. And definitely ask your neighbors.
Chances are very high that you will have no problems once you move in. I do understand your concern though. Just keep a level head and do not make any threats. You only open yourself up to more trouble. Threats will definitely be brought up in any court proceedings. Judges are emotional people too.
I talked to a salesperson and the original mention of a air rifle/fire arm was poo pooed until I suggested he get some pellets from the local sporting goods store and compare. He did and confirmed that it was both a combo of BBs and pellets and the damage was limited to the sides facing the road.
They’re with the security people from “corporate” dealing with it now.
This is not sounding like a good deal to me. If I were you, I’d be talking with a lawyer on Monday and looking at a way to walk away. No house is worth you or a member of your family catching a round. If the construction company can’t figure out a way to keep the property from getting shot up when they’re building it, then why should you pick up their crime problem?
There are a number of things in your post that seem inconsistent, as least in the way you state them.
For example:
“... a wonderful suburb in the western portion of Northern VA in Prince William County. We chose this isolated subdivision because it was close to everything, but out of the way.”
First off, you describe it as a wonderful suburb. But it sure doesn’t sound like it. Then as someone else has noted, it’s very near public transit. You describe this as though it’s a good thing. Well, there are lots of places where hoodlums ride public transit to rob and vandalize the suburbs.
Finally, you describe your house as 3/4s the size of others in the community. In a class- and property-value-conscious neighborhood, you just said, figuratively, that you didn’t have the money they do and are willing to lower their property values. If it is not some neighbor adults doing this shooting, it may very well be their kids who are listening to their parents complain about your little place.
Sorry to bring up these suggestions, but you asked ... I’m just not sure you are looking at things objectively.
Says who? I built my house and in the contract I could pull out at any time with my only penalty being loss of deposit ($1000.) I threatened to bail at least a half dozen times when work slowed to a crawl. That got them going.
The site super is dealing with the local LEOs, or says he’s dealing with the local LEOs.. I was initially pissed when I saw a through and through with fragments but now it’s pretty safe to assume it’s a lead airgun pellet. The holes are pretty clear and it’s obvious that they’re being shot from the street because they don’t appear in the opposite sides.
Not sure about other properties but if they look, I would bet they could find a few holes. The thing about our home is that it’s closer to the street that the other houses. If they wanted to shoot up another house, they would have to go down a longer driveway which means they couldn’t really shoot at it from the street and get away quickly.
I might ask them to put some of those temporary paper blinds in the windows and have one of the subs park their car in the driveway during the day. It’ll give the illusion of the house being occupied. Maybe give them one of my flags and a pole and ask them to stick it in a holder on the porch..
I don’t know. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt, but I must act in the best interest of my family. I would much rather have my first act of maintenance in my new home be cutting the lawn, not paying out a few hundred to a contractor to handle the insurance claim and replace windows and siding.
Man, I have read through this. Are you sure you must live there. I shoot off of my deck but I’ll be damned if anybody shoots AT my deck.
Depends on when and where you built your house and what clauses the builder would permit. Sounds to me like you
built a stock house during the good old days of at least
4 years ago when the builder knew he could easily sell
you house if you didn’t want it.
I consider the 28 year old DU type living in Mommy’s basement about the same as a pre car teenager.
They haven’t and they’ve been very good to us so far. My hope is they get proactive and take measures to prevent it and in turn prevent it from happening again. Maybe have a guard drive through there several times a night or pay the local LEOs to pass through between shifts. It’s their site and they are responsible.
They’re the ones that are losing the most money because they have to replace the windows, drywall, siding and repaint. It’s in their best interest to see it stops. I just hope they see it that way.
As others have indicated, this is likely to stop as soon as
someone is living in your house and those around you. If the builder is working on other homes in the area it is in their interest to put an end to the violence before the neighborhood gets a bad reputation for other sales.
Sounds like punks driving around or on bikes, probably live inside the boundaries if it’s a gated community. Can strange cars get in at night or do you have to have a ticket/sticker to pass the gate? I knew kids who would do this for kicks, exept they did it to car windows. Idiots.
Good luck, I hope it stops.
Freegards
“Is it near a bad neighborhood? Seems odd for a gated community to have these problem”
ANYwhere where one has to live in “a gated community” to feel completely safe, is not anywhere one should choose to live!
What was that song Ronald Reagan used to like?
(Something about “fences”...)
Just sayin’....
Public transpo being close is relative. Right now, we are 12 miles away from a mode of transportation that would get us into DC in a timely fashion. The new place is 7 miles from the closest mode, a train station. I’m not sure hoodlums and social misfits from DC would pay $9 each way, walk that far to get to my house and shot at it with BB guns. Aside from this incident, the place is a picture postcard. Every person in the subdivision that we spoke to loves it and they are anxious to get the homes built so we can get rid of the construction traffic and get FiOS. a family in the huge houses even went as far as to invite us over after we settle (ex-mil guy).
Close to stores meaning they’re a five minute drive versus a 25 minute drive like they are now. There is no real direct way to get to our subdivision. You have to drive down a road that was once ended at the water treatment plant, so it’s not like there are lots of people headed in that direction, just most likely residents and local contractors.
Good points though..
I’m not sure it’s envy because these places all complement each other and were part of the master plan. If you bought a house with the understanding that there would be “smaller” places in the subdivision, it should come at no surprise that there are smaller homes being built. The big master development plan map table has been sitting in the sales office for over four years and hasn’t changed. I just wish they would sell more lots so we can get the rec center and pool build by 2012.
Ditto to #41.
It sounds to me like it could be someone (a subcontractor perhaps) that has a beef with the builder and is trying to get even by causing damage to houses that are under construction. Are other houses under construction being vandalized in a similar way?
“Forgot to add the weapon is most probably a pellet rifle.”
Then this is just some dumb kid. You are in no imminent danger, other than you would normally experience in Prince William county.
Tell the builder that he’s going to have to keep fixing what the dumb kid destroys until it’s yours. Withhold 10% at closing until you are sure all damage has been properly repaired and all other items on the punchlist have been handled to your satisfaction.
If you go the lawyer route be prepared to throw money away to get some of your money back.
Don’t telegraph your plans to the builder.
You might just catch the perps on camera. The police would love this since it makes their case easier.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
It was in 1999, not a custom build, it was a $200k 2000sq ft model in a standard fringe suburb built by a larger regional builder.
You verified my point. 1999 was the same way.
Delivering a damaged product is certainly grounds for dispute. The "complaint" covers a wide ground of issues and would encompass the property damage by vandals.
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