Blackwell and Blackwell Construction

I worked in one of the county offices and frankly I was surprised that the local gov. did not take stronger action on the licensing failure of Blackwell. And then to have faulty, shoddy construction on top of that! That is the whole reason to have rigorous licensing procedures.

Good luck in your quest for justice. Will quietly do what i can.

Yes, it's a pure shame and as far as I'm concerned everyone needs to be fired (building and permits, licensing contractor board, those that new at that board and Tarter, Lazenby, and Roberts new, because I sent them plenty emails, the title company, and the Consumer Affairs, they all knew the whole story and done nothing.

I've fought so hard only to get no where, but hopefully something will open up soon. A county official told me recently that she looked into the permits and found out that they truly were giviing the Blackwell's permits even after the cease and desist. I already knew it and presented it to the licensing contractor's board but you see what they did, absolutely nothing.

I even found the minutes online of the meeting they had about it. The board never made mention in the meeting that the son's were still building after the cease and desist even though they had the evidence to do so. It's all a money making scheme, but not at my expense because I'm fighting it until someone does something.

The city director (Mr. Pillows), told me that he wouldn't allow them anymore permits and that there wasn't anything he could do about the ones that they had already gotten, but fact is, he still allowed for them to get permits. Both City Mayor's done nothing, the female didn't respond at all and the male told me good luck in whatever I do about the situation. Such a joke!

Again I ask; if in TN the law is you can't build anything over $25,000 without being licensed because it's a Class C Misdemeanor and the Blackwell's built close to if not hundreds in the time frame from 2006-2008 shouldn't that constitue some felonies somewhere? If not then the laws should change for a whole lot of things, because it's not right what they have been allowed to get away with. The DA felt they did nothing wrong obviously as you can see in his letter to me on a previous page I posted. That good old boy system needs to be trumpled.

Any help you can provide I would greatly appreciate. The problems I have with my home is beyond ridiculous. Anytime you're having a problem in every room, something isn't right. I showed pictures of my home to an agency and they couldn't believe what they saw. I was glad they responded the way that they did. So hopefully something will come out of that as well.

I believe without a doubt I have structural damage, there are cracks coming down the middle of the walls in areas, splits and cracks everywhere, its a shame. Theres no cracks going through the foundation bricks. The doors you have to practically force shut because they're getting stuck. Things are shifting. I had a realtor come in and he said that it is definitely abnormal settling and that something was happening there.

When I can afford it I am going to have someone come in and give me an estimate as to what it would cost to repair. The only way I can even see that happening is if they knock it down and start over, it's just too much going on in far too many places. I wish we could submit pictures on here for people to see.

I meant to say that there IS a crack going through the foundation brick and too many to count where the grout is split, separated, or missing. How can a House be stable if the foundation is crumbling? Many of the cracks are widening.

....the permits department continued to give the Blackwells permits after the cease and desist that was ordered by the Contractor's Licensing Board...

I'm not sure if this is a statement or a question. It's yes (true) either way.

I heard some lawyers are looking at a class action lawsuit for fraud against Blackwell. I hope this happens. My aunt has also had terrible problems with them.

[Cherrah2007]

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I wouldn't be so persistent if the Blackwell's would just be professional men and right their wrong with me, but they won't or at least they haven't attempted as of yet. I sure hope your Aunt filed claims. I think a closer look should be taken at ALL of the entities involved that has allowed this to happen. The licensing contractor's board knew that they were given proof about the other houses the Blackwell's built after the cease and desist, I sent it (a list of the home addresses and homeowners) to the director's and the board's attorney and they STILL allowed Eric Blackwell to get his license, the board kept their father listed as a active contractor license holder even AFTER they knew he wasn't in the business, so tell me how can the board justify that? How can they justify leaving him active for almost a year after the proof? Then they had the nerves to list him as retired (please give me a break). This was misleading to the public because when a person go online to check to see if the builders were licensed you saw William S. Blackwell's name who was the father, so that's false advertising, labeling, or whatever, because this man wasn't in the business at the time he had turned it over to the son's who weren't licensed to build on their own, they were listed only as his employees. So how can they legally run their own business at the time that they titled as Blackwell and Blackwell Construction. As person seeking to purchase a home, I did what I should have and that was to see if the company had a license listed. It did, but the people who built it wasn't Blackwell Construction which is what was listed on the board's website, they were the son's Blackwell and Blackwell, who then wasn't listed. HOW CAN THE BOARD justify this and not take part of the credit in allowing this. I can understand them not knowing at first that the Blackwell's had done this trickery to them, but when they found out and still allowed everything to continue is misrepresentation by them as well and all of the other people and agencies.

How can they accept financial documents (you have to provide them to the board before renewing your contractor's license,which the renewal can be done on line) from a man (the Blackwell's father) knowing that the only way he could have produced them were by some form of falsification, (you can't produce documents if you're not in the business). Not only that, I begged the director several times to revoke Mr. Blackwell's (the father) license, but they DIDN'T. The director of the licensing contractors board is the one who told me that my contracts shouldn't have EVER been signed by Christopher and Eric, but ONLY by their father. The Director Ms. Lazenby told me that their names shouldn't been on any of the paperwork at all. So why is it that I'm having to fight to get out of an obvious faulty mortgage contract. My mortgage loan has their names on it too, thing here is that they wasn't who they say they were when they signed it, (how could they be when they weren't licensed to run a business or act as contractors- - -it's very obvious you can't run a business without being properly licensed but Christopher and Eric Blackwell were doing just that----thier father's business was called Blackwell Construction, the son's were going by Blackwell and Blackwell and it plainly states a business partnership comprised of Eric and William Blackwell ). Even the mortgage company is giving me a hard time and has basically shut the door in my face.

I also found the minutes on the internet of the meeting the board had in memphis about my complaint case. It did not mention anything about the proof that I sent them of the homes they had built after the cease and desist. It only stated that they the Blackwell's said they did indeed ceased and desisted. BUT in fact they hadn't. So how can the board explain all of this, and especially allowing Eric Blackwell to get a license.

Seems that it's all a money making thing. These agencies have no clue of the pain and suffering mentally and emotionally it has caused me. They don't seem to care about the civil and crimminal acts. They don't care unless it happens to them, then they would want someone to take notice or be punished. If anyone out there isn't happy then you have to fight your battle. Yes, it's exhausting and you'll get MANY doors shut in your face from people and agencies that SHOULD undoubtfully help, but they won't. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT THE HOMEOWNERS. Not just from crimminal and civil acts of builders but from the boards, title companies who continue to close knowing all the evidence against the builders, and the permits departments for giving permits illegally (illegally because of knowing the evidence against the builders plus telling someone like me that is the victim, that they wouldn't give them anymore.

TN has a law on the book against builders who build over $25000 but the law isn't enforced. If it was, the law says it's a class C misdemeanor, then much more would have been done after close to if not hundreds of homes were built without a license and under false pretense and lies? It don't even include all the other stuff involved with my case.

Then on top of it all the house is terribly built. Again, there's deterioation in every single room with multiple problems in each room and multiple problems outside as well. I've complained since the first week of move in and it's all documented to the licensing contractors board, Consumer Affairs, city mayors, permits department, title company, the Attorney Genera, the state Governor, the Keller Williams Realty, and the seller Eddie Ferrell of the same realty company listed who sales the Blackwell's homes and who was also at the closing, and probably any other place you can think of. Guess what? They don't care, they did NOTHING but toss me back and forth or straight out said they couldn't do anything and sent me right back to the board or consumer affairs, who in return either said the Blackwell's were uncooperate and they couldn't do anything further or flat out said there was nothing they could do! It's too much of a cover up system going on that needs to be bust wide open. I see on the news all around in other places how people like contractors and others are being busted and going to jail for fraud, etc. Just NOT in TN. Here homeowners need protection because the state isn't doing what they should do to protect us.

Now, I reside in a home that's not near the price I pay for it and falling apart. I guess they will listen when it crack up so bad that it causes physical damage one day. Then NO ONE could EVER say they didn't know. I'm really frustrated and exhausted over all of this, but I refuse to give up until my case has been justified.

[mary113]

I'm so glad you didn't because they are horrible builders you can go around Arbour Greene South on Cindy Jo Dr and Cindy Jo Ct and you'll find many unhappy neighbors. I've submitted some with who to make claims to not sure if they did are not..

Thank you for posting. Yes, I did too earlier on, but I think it's time to do a follow up to see who have actually made claims against them. You're right and some of the very homes on Cindy Jo Ct are the ones the Blackwell's completed after the cease and desist although they told the licensing contractors board that they obeyed the order to cease and desist when in fact they hadn't. I went to those homes and some were having problems early on like I was. I believe my home is sinking or leaning to a degree, my door frames are bowing and even appear to be slightly tilted. Cracks are widening, even the many that's in the foundation bricks are widening. I have a real mess going on. I guess those of you who've seen the pictures know it's my home.

Now I have areas in my walls that I really can't explain what is happening. It seems that they're being pushed out of line. What I mean is walls that were once straight is appearing to be crooked now very evident and that is throughout the house. All the lines around the ceilings throughout the home are no longer straight. I can't explain it, but I know something is going on underneath my foundation without a doubt in my mind. Even my doors leading outside are hard to open and close, I have to use force and you can plainly see how they are leaning to one side. Air comes in through one of my wall light switch (where you turn the light on and off) on windy days, ridiculous I know.

It's important that they see the appraisers office too, because they will have to pay the increased property taxes if they didnt' appeal. I certainly appealed because no way on this earth my home is worth the increase. In fact it's not worth the price I originally purchased it for and I refuse to be stuck with an increase and it's falling apart.

Again thank you for the post.