Irvine residents should dispute their home purchase, apartment lease

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
M

Marsha_IHB

New member
It's my understanding several folks in Irvine are in the process of challenging their home purchase/mortgage because they were not told about the contamination under the city of Irvine, and they're really smart to do so! Thousands of Irvine homes have been sold to buyers without notifying the buyers of what lies beneath i.e. the contamination from the closed El Toro Marine base in Irvine. Friends, this is akin to fraud according to several experts I have spoken with. My husband and I continue to speak with Irvine residents about this and guess what? Almost everyone we have spoken with said they knew nothing about the toxic contamination under Irvine. This same group of experts also told me there could soon be a home-value collapse in major parts of Irvine because of this issue, an issue that's been keep secret for a long time. The big question that remains is just who will compensate Irvine residents for their lost property values? Irvine renters should also dispute their apartment leases for the very same reason--outright fraud!
 
Just what the world needs... more lawsuits. Hopefully everyone is smart enough to realize you don't sue the previous home owner, you sue the biggest pockets... no, not the Irvine Company... I'm talking the federal government. Let's call it the Great Irvine Bailout.



So let me get this right, you buy property next to a military base which was an air strip... they remove it and are replacing noisy plains with a huge park. People are complaining about lost home value? That would be akin to LAX being shut down, and people up there complaining their housing value dropped because Nudes Nudes Nudes closed down when LAX went down.



I'll plead ignorance and say I have no clue how far out from the base the pollution spread... but if people bought near the base or in the newer sections built where the base used to be... and are claiming they are surprised there was pollution there...



I have a friend who bought in the newer development and he was made fully aware by the developer about the pollution. I remember him telling me there were told they cannot eat any fruit grown in their yard, nor should they have a garden.



Delroy
 
[quote author="Marsha" date=1246943410]It's my understanding several folks in Irvine are in the process of challenging their home purchase/mortgage because they were not told about the contamination under the city of Irvine, and they're really smart to do so! Thousands of Irvine homes have been sold to buyers without notifying the buyers of what lies beneath i.e. the contamination from the closed El Toro Marine base in Irvine. Friends, this is akin to fraud according to several experts I have spoken with. My husband and I continue to speak with Irvine residents about this and guess what? Almost everyone we have spoken with said they knew nothing about the toxic contamination under Irvine. This same group of experts also told me there could soon be a home-value collapse in major parts of Irvine because of this issue, an issue that's been keep secret for a long time. The big question that remains is just who will compensate Irvine residents for their lost property values? Irvine renters should also dispute their apartment leases for the very same reason--outright fraud!</blockquote>


Marsha, Marsha, Marsha.



8 posts in four months, all virtually identical.
 
[quote author="no_vaseline" date=1246957651]More to the point, the Villages of Columbus is still a shithole.</blockquote>


Worse yet... whoever designed the parking lot in that shopping complex (forget its name... the one with the Costco) should be fired. It makes the parking lots at the Asian food markets in Irvine look spacious and well thought out.



Delroy
 
[quote author="C Delroy Spuckler" date=1246959984][quote author="no_vaseline" date=1246957651]More to the point, the Villages of Columbus is still a shithole.</blockquote>


Worse yet... whoever designed the parking lot in that shopping complex (forget its name... the one with the Costco) should be fired. It makes the parking lots at the Asian food markets in Irvine look spacious and well thought out.



Delroy</blockquote>
You can thank Vestar Real Estate from Phoenix.
 
[quote author="C Delroy Spuckler" date=1246959984][quote author="no_vaseline" date=1246957651]More to the point, the Villages of Columbus is still a shithole.</blockquote>


Worse yet... whoever designed the parking lot in that shopping complex (forget its name... the one with the Costco) should be fired. It makes the parking lots at the Asian food markets in Irvine look spacious and well thought out.



Delroy</blockquote>


i love not being able to see when making a right turn, esp when oncoming traffic can't see me either, and doing 60. those close calls keep me alert for the road ahead.
 
[quote author="LoudRoar" date=1246960429][quote author="C Delroy Spuckler" date=1246959984][quote author="no_vaseline" date=1246957651]More to the point, the Villages of Columbus is still a shithole.</blockquote>


Worse yet... whoever designed the parking lot in that shopping complex (forget its name... the one with the Costco) should be fired. It makes the parking lots at the Asian food markets in Irvine look spacious and well thought out.



Delroy</blockquote>


i love not being able to see when making a right turn, esp when oncoming traffic can't see me either, and doing 60. those close calls keep me alert for the road ahead.</blockquote>


I have been thinking about doing a weekend post on this place. As a professional land planner I can point to dozens of major mistakes that were made with this complex and its circulation. It is absolutely the worst complex I have ever seen. You can tell the city of Tustin obviously did not give a crap about the havoc they would cause on Irvine's street system and residents who use this complex. It is grossly overbuilt and underparked. For example, before the last couple of restaurants went in, there was no available parking. On most days, there were cars completely surrounding the empty pads. Restaurants generate huge parking requirements, and there was no available parking at the outset. Have you noticed how they have valet and cones to prevent parking out front? These restaurant pads would be completely useless (and have no value) if not for these extraordinary parking measures.



On a more basic level, imagine how you would maximize traffic congestion and vehicular/pedestrian conflicts. The best way to create the most problems would be to run your entry road carrying the most traffic between the parking lot and your primary destination. That way every car that enters the complex comes in conflict with every pedestrian making their way between the parking lot and the entertainment center. It could not be designed to be any worse. Do you feel like you are dodging cars when you cross that street? When you drive it, doesn't it take forever because you are always waiting on pedestrians? I am amazed how stupid that design is. It is a big problem for the project owner too because they have to hire staff to direct traffic. This is a big expense that could have been completely avoided if they had just designed it better.



BTW, if you want to see good parking lot design, look at the IKEA store in Fountain Valley. The main circulation road does not go in front of the store and create vehicular/pedestrian conflict. The property is easy to get in and out of, and you never feel in danger when you are walking.
 
The firm that did the disaster at Tustin Marketplace did a similar disaster in Fresno at Riverpark.



I think this was BK and my first bonding experience.
 
IrvineRenter - just curious... have you or your company designed anything locally that we'd be familiar with? You never know, sometimes it's a small world!
 
[quote author="IrvineRenter" date=1246962617][

BTW, if you want to see good parking lot design, look at the IKEA store in Fountain Valley. The main circulation road does not go in front of the store and create vehicular/pedestrian conflict. The property is easy to get in and out of, and you never feel in danger when you are walking.</blockquote>


Actually IKEA is in Costa Mesa.
 
Marsha, why don't you sell your house right now fast before everyone learns about it and move to Tustin Ranch, Turtle Rock, Quail Hill. Oh, don't move to Portola Springs, you might just get the contamination from the "dump" next to it.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1246965082]IrvineRenter - just curious... have you or your company designed anything locally that we'd be familiar with? You never know, sometimes it's a small world!</blockquote>


Unfortunately, none of the projects I have worked on have been local. Unless you are working for TIC or RMV, you are probably not doing much in OC. On my company's website there are PDFs of many of the big projects I have worked on nationwide. Some of the project work I have done I could not document, but you can see some of the work I have done.
 
[quote author="C Delroy Spuckler" date=1246959984][quote author="no_vaseline" date=1246957651]More to the point, the Villages of Columbus is still a shithole.</blockquote>


Worse yet... whoever designed the parking lot in that shopping complex (forget its name... the one with the Costco) should be fired. It makes the parking lots at the Asian food markets in Irvine look spacious and well thought out.



Delroy</blockquote>


I can't stand the District, but it's not impossible to salvage. One thing I'd noticed about the traffic and parking flow is that it's designed to attract cars into the lots, while it creates a very difficult time for cars to leave. I'm also not a fan of how the grounds is neither pedestrian friendly nor vehicle friendly. You literally have to plan full-scale <em>Frogger</em> to get from one end of the parking lot to the next. On the other hand, you have to very alert as a driver in order to avoid running into a pedestrian. Lastly, I think it's stupid to park and repark (especially when it's crowded) in an attempt to find a closer spot to your next store. While this is completely understandable if one makes a large purchase (TV, furniture, or anything at Costco), it creates further congestion in the parking lot. I can't help but wonder how much better the traffic flow would be if they created a few efficient medium-density parking structures. Of course now that all the shops are sprawled out, it wouldn't be a bad idea to offer a tram/shuttle service. At any rate, I have no idea what the planners were thinking.



As for me, I park away from all the cars. If it's a pain to find a parking spot, the smart money is that it's going to be a pain trying to leave your parking spot. What gets me is that people are willing to walk miles and miles when shopping, visiting Disneyland, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, and etc, but people seem to refuse to park in any other spot than the closest spot to their place of business. I call this the parking heuristic.
 
Just remember that the spokesperson for VelSpar stated in an OC Register article that the street called "The District" (the one closest to Best Buy and In&Out;) wasn't supposed to be the main entrance. You're supposed to use Tustin Ranch/Von Karman... the one that's marked as "alternate" access based on the road signs.



Those planners are so full of it.



One thing that would help ease the Frogger game is just build a pedestrian bridge over that "not the main entrance" street. I'm not even going to mention how inconveniently placed that BofA ATM is (oops... too late).



So where do I file my Toxic Plume Bailout lawsuit?
 
[quote author="kwong7" date=1247004445]



As for me, I park away from all the cars. If it's a pain to find a parking spot, the smart money is that it's going to be a pain trying to leave your parking spot. What gets me is that people are willing to walk miles and miles when shopping, visiting Disneyland, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Washington DC, and etc, but people seem to refuse to park in any other spot than the closest spot to their place of business. I call this the parking heuristic.</blockquote>


Clark (tearfully joyful) - "First ones here! First ones here!"

Ellen - "But we're so far away, Clark."

Clark - "Right, Right. <strong>AND </strong>at the end of the day, when the lot's all full and everybody's fighting to get outta here, we'll be the first ones out, too. RIGHT? Whyyyyyyyy? Because <strong>WE'RE THE GRISWOLDS</strong>!"

<em>cue Chariots of Fire slow-mo montage</em>



<object width="325" height="250"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/youtube" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="325" height="250"></embed></object>
 
I like Delroy! Seriously, do people really not get that just about every military base closure was on the SuperFund list? They bought the sizzle and shine of the new home in Irvine without any thought whatsoever. And from what I've read, the disclosures have been there. Who in their right mind would buy a house where the disclosure says not to grow fruit or vegetables and not see a problem with this? Even if I didn't have a garden as one of my priorities in a home, I still wouldn't want to live on a piece of land that isn't safe to grow a darned lemon. Duh?!
 
I think Marsha, Marsha, Marsha is talking about the homes in Woodbridge (not the VOC on the old Tustin base) which were built in the '70s when the El Toro marine base was open.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top