If you plan to attend Neal Communities’ neighborhood meeting, we encourage you to go in with your eyes open.
In our opinion, this is not an act of homeowner care — it’s a reputational performance, driven by public pressure and the need for image management.
So if you choose to engage, stay focused. Don’t get swept up in pleasantries. In our opinion it is important to ask the real questions. The ones that matter. And most importantly — insist on answers in writing.
Below are the key homeowner questions we believe are important to ask:
1. Will you put your promises in writing?
In our experience, verbal assurances are meaningless. We were given verbal promises for six months — and nothing happened. And to be clear, we were never difficult or unreasonable. We literally begged for help, but the help never came! What we’ve endured over these past six months has been one of the most painful, disheartening experiences of our lives — not just because of the defects, but because of the silence. The dismissiveness. The broken trust.
No homeowner should have to go through that.
If someone from Neal Communities tells you they’ll fix something, you have every right to ask for it in writing, including:
- A clear scope of work
- A projected timeline
- The name of the licensed contractor
- A signed and dated commitment
If they won’t provide this, then, in our opinion, the promise should not be relied upon.
2. Will you provide sealed, engineering documentation that specifically applies to my home?
Be very cautious if they refer to or wave around a generic “engineer letter” or document that they claim verifies code compliance.
In our case, a Neal representative verbally mentioned an engineer letter that supposedly addressed concerns about roof sheathing. However:
- We never received a copy.
- And based on what others described: it wasn’t specific to any homeowner’s property.
- It wasn’t signed and sealed by a licensed Florida engineer.
- It lacked supporting calculations, documentation, or performance-based analysis.
A valid engineering document should include:
- Your specific property address
- The licensed engineer’s seal and signature
- Reference to Florida Building Code sections or performance path justification
If any of those are missing, the letter holds no enforceable weight.
Furthermore, if the letter was used to justify a code deviation (such as omitting ventilation or using alternate sheathing), it should have been part of your permitted construction plans and filed with the county building department. If it wasn’t, that’s a serious concern.
Ask the builder:
- Will you provide a sealed engineering analysis specific to my home?
- Is this letter or deviation on file with the county building department?
- Was it submitted as part of my building permit package?
- Does the letter include performance path or prescriptive path compliance per Florida Building Code?
If the builder claims they complied with performance standards rather than prescriptive ones (such as using alternate materials or systems), you have the right to ask:
- What performance path was used?
- Can you provide sealed engineering calculations that show compliance?
- Where are the specs for materials, ventilation rates, R-values, and wind uplift ratings?
- Was the attic ventilation system reviewed and certified by a mechanical engineer?
Don’t accept vague claims like “it meets code.” Make them prove it—with sealed documents, submitted permits, and county records.
3. How will you address ventilation and attic humidity issues?
If you are facing or are concerned about:
- Mold inside the HVAC system
- High humidity in the attic
- Condensation issues
Then you deserve answers. Ask:
- Was my home built to meet R806 ventilation standards?
- Will you pay for independent testing?
- Will you provide a sealed ventilation design and confirmation from a mechanical engineer?
4. Will you allow third-party inspections before and after repairs?
We’ve received messages from homeowners who allege that past repairs were performed in a way that concealed issues rather than correcting them.
If repair work is proposed, ask for:
- Written consent for your own inspector to verify repairs before and after
- Documentation that all work complies with Florida Building Code
- A clear post-repair plan, including quality control and inspections
5. Who is ultimately responsible if these problems return? If repairs are made and later fail, who will take responsibility?
- Will Neal Communities extend my home warranty?
- Will you commit to post-repair inspections?
- Will you take financial responsibility if the issues reappear?
Final Thoughts:
If Neal Communities won’t commit in writing, won’t provide specific engineering for your home, and won’t allow independent oversight, then, in our opinion, they’re not there to fix your home. They’re there to fix their reputation.
Ask direct questions. Expect direct answers. And document everything.
We’ll continue publishing resources to help you protect your home and demand what you’re entitled to—not just vague promises, but real accountability.
