Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002 | 8:47 a.m.
One of the biggest frustrations for a new homeowner is belatedly discovering shoddy workmanship. If a builder refuses to correct mistakes or defects in the house, a remedy through the courts can take years and can cost the homeowner thousands of dollars in legal fees. What typically ends up happening, then, is that many Southern Nevadans just give up trying to get their home fixed.
Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, thought victims of bad construction should have a faster, less expensive option to help them get compensation. Under a program approved by the Legislature that recently got under way, homeowners can collect as much as $30,000 if the state Contractors Board determines that a contractor failed to make repairs. The program is just what was needed to give homeowners, who may not be well-off financially, a fighting chance to make sure builders and contractors can't escape responsibility for not doing the job right the first time.
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