mkiv808-"Well, I would be extremely careful what I say. The lawyer I contacted has yet to get back to me with his thoughts." Have you ever heard the saying 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread'? This idiom is used where people who are inexperienced or lack knowledge do something that more informed people would avoid. Sweet_tea and chisue are both right. Talking to the builder BEFORE speaking to your lawyer is a recipe for disaster. It is called 'tipping your hand' to the dealer. If your going to be that careful then why not talk to your lawyer first? Is it worth losing your deposit because you think the people who sold you a unit next to a biker bar are going to be fair? I'd be asking my attorney to pick over the contract with a fine tooth comb to be sure I don't miss a thing. If he speaks to them he will have a much better chance of getting you what you want. He might even be able to get them to say something that would incriminate themselves to your benefit (returned dep, better unit, etc). I've lived near bars and they are a major public nuisance. Especially (in your words) "a loud, obnoxious biker bar". You said the owner has owned it for 50+ years. Does he have a son or relative that might take over the business when he retires? Noise ordinances are broken all the time. Bar owners make tons of money on alcohol. They could care less about fines. In fact, some of them consider fines to be part of the cost of doing business. They are also known to be generous to public officials! Plus, plenty of bikers carry guns. Even if the roar of their hogs/bikes leaving the bar at 2 a.m. doesn't bother you, a passed out patron on your back patio might (who couldn't drive home) . Or worse, a stray bullet from a fight.... State budgets are suffering all over the country. Many cities are having to cut back on police and fire services. Will your city be one of those who will only be able to support one officer per car/shift? Has the builder sold all of the units yet? If enough prospective buyers get wind of the biker bar, then the other units might not sell that fast (or at all). Who will pay the extra HOA fees then? What if the builder goes out of business? Many builders are folding because their bank will not longer give them credit. You've probably seen those developments with many available lots but only a few completed houses. Good luck getting your deposit back from a bankrupt builder. My banker has said as much. He says he has 5 developers that he can't loan a dime to because of the credit crunch. The real estate the bank has cannot be sold so it is being rented until the market 'improves' (?). What kind of people might rent these townhouses? Are they likely to take as good care of the units as the owners will? Much useful advice and food for thought has been offered. Many well-meaning readers will be curious to see if you take this "bull" (builder) by the horns yourself (or allow your lawyer to do his job)!

The next roofer you hire should offer a warranty of more than one year. Would you buy shingles that only carried a 1 year warranty? That being said, the crappy roofed actually honored the warranty well beyond the limitations offered in the contract. He may be a really lousy roofer, but at least he's honest about his bad work. To put things in perspective, I've heard from Michigan natives that a large house can be bought for just a few thousand dollars in many places around the great state. The shock to many of these new homeowners must come at the time when they need to spend some money on maintenance. The cost of a new paint job or a new roof can easily exceed the total value of the property. It is likely the reason that a roofer would automatically go to the cheapest bid possible, because they assume that every client just wants it that way. What would motivate the previous owners, who planned to immediately sell the house, to do it any differently?

"Do I have any recourse with this guy?" Was he a licensed, bonded, insured contractor or business with your county or state? Did he pull the required permits with city/county building code enforcement? Is there a written contract with him detailing the work and guarantee of the workmanship? Provided you have answered yes to all these questions and can find the whereabouts of this guy "who came highly recommended by a neighbor" you have legal recourse in most states. Do you have another contact other than phone, such as business mailing address, e-mail or fax? Attempt contacting every one of the ways and means available. Document every attempt! Get picture of the leaking skylight and the sinks. Get 2 or 3 estimates from other contractors or repair business. If your previous workman does not contact you with in 3 to 5 business days concerning repairs (and fixing any damaged area because of the leaking) and schedule a repair time with in the next 3 business days. You should get the repairs done asap because continue leaking will cause other damages and only harm your investments. You'll probably have to pay the new worker up front and start procedures for litigation in court to recoup the costs. Then being awarded by judgment in court a settlement for costs, it is still up in the air if the guy "who came highly recommended by a neighbor" can and or will ever pay you if he is not a licensed, bonded, insured contractor or business with your county or state. Hope things turn out well for you. LIL

I have only been a stepmom for just over a year. I understand what it feels like to have kids not respect you or your household. I get that. I have SS that just turned 11, SD14 and SD that jsut tuned 13 last week. Believe me that can get my pulse rate up. I ask my Skids to do things, sometimes they refuse or get mouthy about it. Thats when my DH comes in and tells them and makes them if he has to. I do NOT touch them. I am not the one that takes things away, or decides punishment at all. If my DH ask my opinion the I give it otherwise I stay out of it. They are his kids, he is the one that has to deal with them. My husband has had to spank them a few times that I have seen. They are getting too old to spank so he usually just takes their stuff away from them. Believe me their ipod touch being taken away is more punishment than anything. He has to get their attention sometimes but never has he just popped them in the mouth. I am sure he has wanted to, for that matter I have wanted to sometimes when they are talking ugly to me. BUT we DONT, their mother does not either. My Skids do not have to respect me personally but they do have to listen when I ask them to make their bed or pick up after themselves. If he sees them not listening he takes over. My DH makes them respect our house and our things. Maybe this child has not been shown how to respect his mother and therefore he can even begin to respect you.. Is sounds to me like their is more violence going on then actual disipline with your SS. "So she then slaps him and tells him not to disrespect her." Its my opinion that slapping a child does not teach them to repect the parent. Consider a parenting class. They have alot of great tools that could help your family.