Drainage problems plague manufactured homes

When Basil and Sharon Ziccardi bought their manufactured home in a senior community two years ago, they thought they were settled for life. Instead of fond memories, though, they've been amassing photo after photo of water and debris collecting in the crawl space under their house.

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Down below, the wastewater pipe for the Ziccardi home is smashed against the air-conditioning duct. Poor drainage lets water collect frequently in their backyard from the houses on either side, which forced Basil Zaccardi to dig a 2 1/2-foot-deep ditch to keep the water from pooling.

"I contacted maintenance over and over, and they never did anything, so I had to do something on my own at first," the former construction superintendent said.

"We're just fed up," Sharon Zaccardi added.

The Ziccardis are not alone, and the problems are manifold. Owners of at least 30 houses in Desert Harbor, a manufactured home community, gathered for a meeting Monday, sharing tales of sinkholes at least 12 inches wide forming next to their homes, water collecting several inches deep outside, and cracks and separations inside the homes. The community is just south of U.S. 60 on Ironwood Drive.

An independent engineering inspection report suggests all those factors are indicative of construction defects, and it recommends surface regrading and soil compaction. Poor soil compaction allows water infiltration and seepage.

"We are in deep mental and financial anguish over all this," said Clyde Preston, who formed the Desert Harbor Association of Homeowners about a month ago to tackle the issue. "There obviously are serious code violations here, and we would like some answers."

"My water meter is sinking; my Arizona room is falling to one side," said Preston, a snowbird from Show Low who bought the house in 2006.

Residents are weighing their options, including filing a lawsuit against the city of Apache Junction and Florida developer American Land Lease for millions of dollars in damages.

Preston said he's been waiting to hear from American Land Lease, which manages several similar properties in Apache Junction and in Florida and Alabama.

"They did not follow the site grade plan, and now our homes are sinking," Preston said.

An American Land Lease representative who did not want to give her name said residents can send their complaints directly to the company and that the company will get back to them.

"We don't give interviews to newspapers," she added.

Preston said he has contacted American Land Lease for over a year, but the response has been unsatisfactory.

The residents also wanted to hear from the city about its responsibility to inspect the property before the homes were installed.

City Attorney Joel Stern, who met residents in an earlier meeting, said he's still researching the issue, but based on what he knows thus far, the city is not liable whatsoever.

"The soil compaction issue is a developer issue," Stern said. "The city checks for utility setup and such on private property, not compaction tests."

Stern added that the residents have likely been scammed by the developer and contractor.

"There may be an attorney general issue for a possible scam, and they might have to hire a private attorney for a product defect," Stern said.

Bob and Pat Talaga's product defect includes walls that are cracking and flooding in the backyard. The Talagas said they have had tests conducted for a mold issue as well, which came back positive.

"The workmanship is just horrible," Bob Talaga said.

Inside Janice Miller's home, one photo clearly shows torn insulation hanging on sewage pipes. Miller said her heating and cooling bills are through the roof because of the damage.

"We got to get damages and find another place to live," Miller said.

For now, residents would like future home sales to be on hold until their issues are resolved. Preston said he would follow up with Stern and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard's office.

"We all bought a finished product, and we are treating this as a product failure," Preston said. "And our evidence is visible."