Evening star., 1952-07-15
league Clashes
With Builders at
Housing Probe
Charges Veterans
Were Left in Dark on
Lone Manor Homes

NS sVtOutOI IIVtttSS
Chairman league of the House
committee investigating defective
veterans housing, protested today
that buyers of homes in the Lane
Manor development in Prince
Georges County had been 'left in
the dark" as to what they were
buying.
The committee today questioned
the developers on 80 individual
complaints home-buying veterans
had filed with the committee. The
number was about half of the buy
ers of the dollhouse project.
Spirited defense was voiced by
Victor F. Mariani, Cottage City
(Md) contractor, president of the
Lane Manor Corp, and Rocco M.
Pomponio. Arlington County struc-
tural engineer and corporation
secretary.
Typical complaints were of
faulty grading, wet Easements,
too-thin concrete slabs for base
ment floors, peeling wallpaper and
lack of automobile driveways.
Agree to Corrections.
The developers offered explana-
tionS for many of the recounted
faults, generally defended their
work, but assured the committee
corrections had been made or
would be made of many conditions.
Confusion developed over what
construction requirements actually
were laid on the builders by the
Federal Housing Administration,
which financed the development,
and the Veterans Administration,
which superviSes loan guarantees.
Representative league, Demo-
crat, of Texas. quoted from FILA
specifications to show that drive
ways were required and that the
complaints showed many structural
faults in the housing.
Mr.. Mariani loudly protested
that was what Chairman league
was quoting from the FHA
specifications for Materials"
and not from the loan re-
quirements. AS explained by
him and Mr.. Pomponio, the
specifications were only the re-
quirements of what materials were
to be used. They insisted this
was quite different from the Gov
ernment appraisals or the sales
contracts with the buying veter-
ans.
Argue Driveway Issue.
Argument along this line devel-
loped heatedly over the lack of
auto driveways. AS Mr.. league
read the specifications he took it
that driveways with six-inch
deep pavements could be expected
by the buyers.
Chairman league said FILA had
advised the committee that such
driveways were considered in the
agencies appraisals.
The developers insisted this was
not correct. They contended that
the veterans bought houses on a
contract to build duplicates of
model homes which were COM
pleted and on display. They in
sisted driveways were not required
and challenged the committee to
show one of the veterans sales
contracts that showed driveways.
Story Heard Time and Again.
Mr.. league declared:
This is the same story we have
heard time and again. Apparently
there is no way the veteran can
know what the heck he was buy
ing. The veteran is still left in
the dark as to what he is getting. ~
With equal heat. MIR. Pomponio
insisted.
"The veteran was not left in the
dark. He bought from visual in
spection Of the model houses"
The builders insisted the other
houses subsequently built were as
good or better than the models.
The builders said they could not
now agree to build some ITO drive
ways for project that was COM
pleted.
Tempers quieted when the build
ers promised to correct numerous
conditions and protested they had
ben keeping log of their own
on complaints and-had crews
working on repairs.
Mr.. Mariani declared he had
spent $4,000 to correct faults
that had developed in basement
window wells.