KOB.com

Posted at: 10/11/2007 07:15:49 PM Updated at: 10/11/2007 08:09:05 PM By: Antoinette Antonio Rio Rancho and developer locked in court battle

A million dollar battle is brewing in court between the city of Rio Rancho and a home builder over impact fees. The city doesn’t want a developer building any more homes near Unser and Southern until the developer pays $1.4 million in impact fees. Three communities in the Cabezon development are now on hold. The court battle has left some future homeowners wondering if they should wait for a deal to be made or get a refund and buy a home elsewhere. "We didn't feel in fairness to other developers and to our citizens that we could continue to give them building permits," said Rio Rancho City Manager James Payne. The impact fees in question go towards new roads, parks, and sewer and water lines. The developer's lawyers are arguing that the city increased the fees on them, and they are only willing to pay the original amount. The below link will direct you to the KOB web site and the video.  http://kob.com/article/stories/s223561.shtml

In March 2008, a New Jersey carpenter's union filed suit against D R Horton for not adhering to state and federal tax and labor laws, and partaking in RICO: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080320/neth057.html?.v=40

The same claims were alleged in Florida in 2004: http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021704/met_14837472.shtml

D R Horton will go to any length to avoid paying fees, taxes or allow for legal government oversight.  The RICO operating company opts to not pay municipalities it's fair share of the burdens that their developments put on public systems.  The RICO operating company tries to avoid paying municipalities their fair share of property transfer taxes which go towards local schools and for other city services.  The RICO operating company will forego proper inspections by qualified city officials who protect consumer interests for the sake of maintaining construction schedules and those all important closing dates. 
The bottom line is all that matters to D R Horton.

Ironically, D R Horton is trying to get out of purchasing an Aberdeen Florida property because certain infrastructure requirements haven't been met, such as a promised traffic light.  Perhaps if D R Horton paid its bills to the municipalities, they could afford to put in that traffic light: http://www.theconcreteproducer.com/industry-news-print.asp?sectionID=1419&articleID=545712