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Jacksonville family started building home 2 years ago. They still can't move in

The Howlands signed a contract with Pinnacle Homes in 2021. They say it's been nothing but a constant headache. They turned to the Ask Anthony team for help.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville military family has been waiting for more than two years to build their new home.  They say their builder didn't deliver on his promise to get it done in a timely manner.  Running out of options, they turned to the "Ask Anthony" team for help. 

"If I don't laugh about it, I'm gonna just cry about it," Jim Howland said.

Jim Howland is a naval officer, husband, and father of three. He recorded a humorous Tik Tok video to explain his family's difficult situation.  The Howlands decided they wanted to plant roots in Jacksonville back in 2021 and made the decision to build a home. It's still not finished.  

"We did a lot of research and we asked for recommendations. We found a builder that we thought was going to be top notch. He was not the cheapest, but had a great reputation," Howland explained. 

The Howlands signed a contract with Pinnacle Homes in April of 2021.  It's now September of 2023 and they haven't moved into their dream home.

"The house is almost done. There's a driveway. There's a building. There's drywall. There's paint. So, we're close and yet at the same time we're so far because there's no electricity, there's no running water, and there's no toilets upstairs," Howland added. 

Jim and his wife, Jackie, said the contract stated the home would be completed within 245 days. That would have put them in their new house in March of 2022. 

"It's just so hard, because this is our dream house. We've waited so long to be able to have this house...and for it to not be done is heartbreaking," Jackie Howland said. 

The Howlands started a website documenting their issues with Pinnacle Homes. They posted their text messages with Tim Quinn, who they were told was the owner of Pinnacle.  

"When they first submitted permits, he was failing. They weren't passing and so that's around six months in is when we really figured out there was a problem," Jim Howland responded. 

The Howlands told the "Ask Anthony" team they haven't been able to get answers about their home, so we called Quinn to ask why the build was taking so long. Quinn declined to make a comment in their situation.  But, he said Pinnacle Homes is still operating.  

Quinn is also listed as a certified general contractor with another company called "Gold Key Custom Homes." We found a website and facebook page for "Gold Key Custom Homes," but we couldn't find one for Pinnacle.  According to google, it's permanently closed. 

"They actually posted on their Facebook page a picture of our house and said that it was going to be done in June the beginning of summer. We're well past that," Howland said. 

Here's some advice on building a home:

  • When you discover delays, call your contractor or builder and ask to meet in person, so they can show you any problems. 
  • Create a check-in plan, so you can stay on top of any future issues. Discuss with your contractor or builder how they'll deal with future delays.  
  • If you're not getting anywhere with your builder, call a local real estate lawyer for advice. If the builder has violated terms of your contract, you may be entitled to pull out of the deal and get your deposit back.

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