EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah (ABC4) — At the beginning of May, Rob and Tammy Anderson spoke with ABC4.com about the large cracks that started appearing in their Eagle Mountain home.
Since then, Rob said, “The damage has got progressively worse.”
Less than a month after they first spoke to ABC4.com, Rob said they can now see daylight through one of the cracks at the top of a wall in their basement after the damage has worsened. Rob said one crack in the foundation wall started off smaller than the width of his hand — but he can now stick his hand through the crack.
“It’s not just vertical settling, but there’s also lateral shifting, movement of the soil,” Rob said.
Rob and Tammy first bought their home in November 2021, but within the first year, they started to notice some damage: They saw cracks in the basement walls, they saw their front stairs and driveway sinking into the ground, and they could no longer close their gate because things weren’t level.
Tyler Maffitt is the communications manager with Eagle Mountain City. He said that the cracks in the home can be attributed to “substantial settling” of the soil that is under the home, and the couple said they will need to hire someone to drill underneath the house and get samples of the soil.
“This is very very rare. And I cannot stress enough that this is isolated,” Maffitt said.
However, Rob and Tammy said officials noticed that the patios and decks of their neighbors are also starting to see some damage that could stem from the settling of the soil.
“It’s not just our home,” Tammy said. “We’ve talked to a lot of people that live on the same street as us, and they’re having the same issues. A lot of people from the same builder are having multiple issues.”
They acknowledged that the damage to the other homes is not at the same scale as their home, but it is noticeable.
Rob said he learned that most homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover soil movement or settling, so their initial insurance claim was denied. He said they have since revised their claim to say that the damages will cause hardship to the family.
“The structural engineer recommended that we — the home not be occupied unless the soil testing has been done and there’s a near-term solution,” Rob said. “We can’t pay a mortgage and then rent at the same time on another place, plus pay for all the soil forensics that needs to happen.”
Tammy said the inspection process is “really, really vague and lacking accountability.” In recent weeks, she said the couple hasn’t heard from the builder.
“The lack of accountability from builders is really shocking,” Tammy said. “Honestly, I think you just put your faith into the home builder, that they are doing the right thing.”
Rob said he reread through the contract and the fine print, and Tammy said that there aren’t a lot of protections in place for the average homebuyer. Rob said he has also learned more about how soil that’s closer to Utah Lake is often harder to build on.
“The foundation of a home should not be something that is a concern for homebuyers,” Rob said.
Rob and Tammy said the builders provided only a one-year limited warranty on the home’s foundation, while some companies offer warranties up to 10 years.
“Homes settle. But nothing like this,” Tammy said. “You shouldn’t be able to see the two-by-fours and the insulation and the nails on the other side.”
“We’re kind of in a really hard spot,” Tammy said.
The latest response from officials
ABC4.com reached out to the builder of the home for comment, but did not hear back by the publishing of this article.
Eagle Mountain City’s response
Maffitt said the city is working with the property owner, the builder and the developer to work toward a solution.
“During the building process in this subdivision, the home passed all building and compliance checks, according to our code as adopted,” Maffitt said. “But the engineering report has concluded that that settling has taken place in areas that are deeper than that.”
Maffitt cited the engineer’s report to say that the family has been asked to vacate the home until the issue has been addressed.
“Eagle Mountain City is really interested in facilitating good dialogue between the homeowner, the builder and the developer,” Maffitt said. “And if there is anything that the city can do to really help produce an effective outcome, we’re really interested in that.”
Engineer’s response after observing the home
Rob and Tammy said that a letter from an engineer that detailed some of the findings, including cracks in the foundation walls, stucco and drywall.
Initial reports did not make note of “collapsible soils” where the home was built, but said the soul was undisturbed and native, the letter said.
The Andersons also said the letter advised that the home should not be occupied until the issues are addressed.
“My sense is that there’s a whole system that has a lot of holes in it,” Rob said. Tammy added, “It seems to be a bigger issue.”
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