Rivait, Michael Paul

My husband and I purchased a new construction home that was built by Michael in December of 2014. We have had so many issues that it is difficult to know where to start.

Within months of moving in, we noticed that every sink in the upstairs bathrooms (4 in total) leaked into the vanity below. By the time we noticed, there was already significant damage to the bottom of the vanities (warping, bubbling, cracked finish). We hired a plumber (out of pocket) and paid him to fix the problem.

Around the same time, a pipe connected to the sump pump in the basement began cracking and leaking, causing a minor flood. Thankfully no damage was caused. Once again, we hired a plumber and had him fix the pipe. The problem in this case was an improperly sealed joint.

Roughly 9 months after move-in, we noticed large water spots on our living room ceiling. Given that we had fixed every leak visible to us, at this point we called Michael (the builder) and asked that he come and take a look. His plumber determined there was a leak in the pipes that lead to the upstairs guest shower head, which had been dripping down to the main floor ceiling and causing the visible water. The leak was fixed and Michael had a drywall professional come to our house afterwards to patch the damaged drywall in our downstairs living room.

Roughly a month later, more water spots appeared in the same place. The damage this time was far worse as the fresh drywall is literally cracking, peeling and sagging on our living room ceiling. Michael sent his plumber to inspect the guest shower to see if that was again the cause. It wasn't, so he cut a hole in our living room ceiling drywall in order to be able to better see where the leak was coming from. He determined that it was coming from our master shower.

Our master shower is a floor-to-ceiling tiled walk-in shower. The plumber, while observing the problem, seemed instantly surprised that the shower was installed the way it had been. He saw large, visible nails where there should have been silicone screws. His professional opinion was that the shower would need to be removed and started again from scratch.

We relayed this information to Michael, who told us, in so many words, "good luck." The only help he offered us was the recommendation of his sub-contractors, whom we would have to pay for out-of-pocket. We brought up the Michigan law that dictates a one-year warranty for new construction homes, but he denied that we had the right to a warranty at all and declined to help us fix the problem.

We ended up hiring a separate private contractor and we are currently in the process of a $4,000 master shower renovation, which we will be paying for out of pocket. Upon demolishing our existing shower, our new contractor informed us that everything about it had been done improperly. Whoever originally installed it had tiled over drywall, which, in a standing shower, will eventually lead to rot and serious problems. He also informed us that the bench was built improperly and had most likely been collecting water.

Most recently, we discovered water spots on the ceiling in the upstairs guest bathroom and, upon inspecting the attic, it was determined that we have multiple leaks from improperly sealed vent ducts in our attic where rain water and condensation is leaking through. The problem has to be fixed from the outside, so we will have to hire a roofer to inspect and fix the problem.

I write this review not out of vitriol or spite, but out of the hope that it prevents another prospective home buyer from ending up in a similar situation. My husband and I saved our hard-earned money for a new construction home because we wanted something that would be, at least for the first few years, hassle-free. Everyone expects to have issues pop up with home ownership, and we are realists. We realized there would be maintenance. But few people expect to be forced to replace an entire master shower, repair rotted and damaged drywall, and correct a leaking roof in the first year of living in a brand new home.

The issue has lead to constant stress and anxiety - we are always awaiting the next problem that will pop up and cost us time and money.

I am extremely disappointed in our experience with Michael and would recommend that prospective buyers stay away from any of his projects.