To Build or Not to Build
Where is the retirement community? On Cross Street (between routes 129 and 38) at the former Yentile Farm site, realtors are still selling town homes and garden style units, but Wilmington Town officials are now questioning a lack of progress on the Yentile Estates project by builder Franchi Equipment Company, Inc. Currently, all that the potential homeowners have to show for their investment is a building lot that remains empty and barricaded by large rocks and old utility poles and phone calls that go unanswered.
Yentile Place - an active adult community, according to its advertising- was originally scheduled to have some living units completed back in December of 2006. That was pushed out to April, (or “late Spring 2007 as stated on the website), but ground has yet to be broken as of mid-June.
Realtors at RE/Max First Choice of Marlborough are still eager to sell the units. One realtor said that the construction delay was because they were “held up with permit problems” with the Town of Wilmington and that there would be groundbreaking in a couple of weeks. Another, Don Donaldson, hesitated slightly saying “Groundbreaking would be coming up shortly. I would not go so far as to say it will happen in a couple of weeks.” They would comment on nothing further and calls to the head of their office, Sue MacDonald, went unanswered and messages unreturned.
Carole Hamilton, Director of Planning and Conservation for Wilmington, made it absolutely clear that the delays are not related to permits and that the Town is waiting to hear the construction schedule from the builder. Hamilton was told at one point that the builders were putting together a new financing package for Yentile Place, but as of mid-June has heard nothing further about the status of the project.
On Monday, June 11, 2007, Hamilton sent a letter to the builder, David Franchi of Franchi Equipment Company Inc. informing him that the Planning Board requests his presence at their July 17 meeting at 8:45pm. The Board has requested information regarding a financing source, a construction schedule and a time frame for the affordable unit lottery, all be presented at the mid-July meeting.
Environmental concerns were also cited in the letter sent to Franchi because replication planting has not been done, and requests from the Conservation Agent to stabilize exposed soil have been ignored.
The Planning Board is disappointed in the lack of progress on the project and is also receiving complaints from individuals who have made deposits on units that have not been delivered on time.
In a separate matter related to this project, at least one potential buyer has been unable to get their very sizeable deposit back, despite following the cancellation guidelines written in their purchase and sale agreement.
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“They just won’t reply to anybody. They tell me to deal with my attorney, but they won’t even talk with him,” said the buyer who wishes to remain anonymous. Despite dozens of attempts to reach them, the contractor and his attorney are not responding to the buyer by letter, phone, or e-mail.
The realtor, RE/Max First Choice, of Marlborough, has also been unsuccessful in helping to rectify this situation for the buyer. “They say that they will speak to the builder, David Franchi, and get back to you with information,” said a relative of the anonymous potential buyer, “but then they don’t call back with any information.”
According to an unrelated realtor, on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) the unit in question still shows as being sold. The potential buyer’s realtor told them that they leave units marked as “sold” on the internet to get new financing for the project and to make the project more attractive for potential buyers. The realtor also told them that the new financing company would pass papers on May 1st.
Phone calls to builder, Dave Franchi, of Franchi Equipment Company, and Project Manager Brian Card, of FCM Builders Inc., seeking comment have gone unreturned. Both companies share one Marlborough address and phone number.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Massachusetts website, there have been two complaints filed against FCM Builders Inc. in the last 36 months. The more recent one was “1 regarding failure to honor a contract or agreement”, and the BBB file was closed because they received no response from FCM. The prior complaint was “1 regarding improper or inferior repair” and this was “administratively closed”.
The disappointed potential buyer is very frustrated with the process and said: “The way they are doing business is very unfair to people who have put their trust in them and they won’t do what they promised – or give the money back!”
To see part two of this story go to: http://ontherisewriting.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
