Judith Prieve is a reporter and editor for the Bay Area News Group who covers eastern Contra Costa County for the East Bay Times and The Mercury News. Shahid and his coconspirators were responsible for saddling the banking system with dozens of fraudulent mortgage loans without regard for the damage those loans would cause to individual home buyers, downstream investors, and, ultimately, the U.S. economy as a whole, said U.S. Attorney Haag. Founded Seeno Homes in 1938 We are dedicated to embodying the idea of the Discovery Difference, a mission to enhance your buying experience and offer new homes that exemplify the highest standards of craftsmanship. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud is 30 years in prison, a fine of $1 million or twice the gain or loss and restitution to be decided by the court. On March 30, 2021, Save Mount Diablo filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Pittsburg's approval of the Seeno-owned Discovery Builders' 1,650-unit Faria project, on the ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. Developers have thrown a wrench into the East Bay Regional Park Districts decades-old plan to create a regional park in the Pittsburg hills overlooking the former Concord Naval Weapons Station site. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? The long-running case began in the early 1980s when homeowners at a Seeno development in Pittsburg sued the construction company for about $30 million in damage to their homes caused by. The buyers were not required to possess or post any of their own money when buying a home; DSI, the builders and their affiliates provided money to buyers to make down payments. Seeno is no stranger to the project. Because Discovery Sales holds no assets as the sales arm of the Seeno company, the millions will be paid by Seeno personally and through his other business interests, attorneys said. ", "This is to convey our thanks and appreciation for the outstanding services my husband and I have received from Seeno. What has always concerned me about this case and what continues to concern me is that as Mr. Seeno has admitted, he is the sole owner of the corporation, Gonzalez Rogers said. More than 80 families have come forward alleging elder neglect and financial abuse as part of a federal lawsuit targeting the largest senior living provider in the country . Shahid was charged in April 2014 with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and 17 individual counts of bank fraud. Candice Nguyen reports. The suit also seeks to invalidate the initiative approved in November, known as Measure X, requiring voter approval ofchanges to open space zones. Ayman Shahid Admits to Participation in Builder Bailout Scheme to Inflate Home Prices during Peak of Mortgage Crisis. The Faria project would sit directly above the new park on a ridgeline, degrading views from surrounding areas. My clients are not opposed to the park by any means, he said. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Discovery and Seeno Homes is right for you. I have a great deal of experience and have been recognized for my sales achievements and clearly know what I'm doing so therefore I would NOT stand for it so I left! Developer Albert Seeno III walks outside the Federal Courthouse after pleading guilty to bank fraud on behalf of his home sales company, Discovery Sales, in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Dec.. Bjerke further warned that if the city were to revert to square one, the Navy could grow impatient and decide to auction off its former weapons site land instead of transferring it to Concord. The suit was filed earlier this month, almost three weeks before the developers and Faria Land Investors were scheduled to ask the Pittsburg City Council on Monday to approve their master plan, environmental documents and development agreement to build up to 1,500 homes. The extensive grading would increase landslide risks and degrade creeks and streams. On March 30, 2021, Save Mount Diablo filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Pittsburgs approval of the Seeno-owned Discovery Builders 1,650-unit Faria project, on the ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. A very important factor when buying anything is the service after the purchase. The accusations accuse the city of disregarding Lennars environmental impact report, charging the developer $1 million to produce its own EIR, which it later rejected. All rights reserved. We have been building quality homes since the formation of Seeno Homes by Albert D. Seeno, Sr in 1938. Here's what real homebuyers have to say about their experience building a new construction home with Seeno Homes. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? They approved it the same moment. A city spokesman on Thursday, Jan. 21 declined to respond to the lawsuit. Hours are very strict - either 7am to 4pm or 8am to 5pm. Selling their homes is like having an over-priced listing. Open space, habitat for wildlife, and the communitys scenic views have won the day, and poorly planned development will not go forward, for now. Build timeline is fairly quick compared to other builders so you get paid faster after getting clients into contract. Who let the Seenos into Pittsburg and why havent they all been kicked out of Pittsburg and other places long ago? We, "Having three children played a large part in our decision on where to buy. Shahid fraudulently inflated the price of homes purchased by individuals who were unable to pay their mortgages in the long run. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The overall vibe is a somber place to work. He later earned a masters degree from the USC School of Journalism. Dont be fooled by homebuilders fancy photos of parks and trails (and) beautiful fairy tales of good neighbor communities, the website said. And in 2018, Seeno filed a lawsuit to halt the naval weapons station from being developed by a company that beat it and other groups to become the project's master developer. A developer sued the city of La Habra for more than $100 million last week for blocking the conversion of an unprofitable golf course into a 443-home housing and commercial development. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. Any future disagreements would need to involve the projects details and not Seenos track record. Copyright 2001-2023 Builders Digital Experience, LLC. Limited time only. Further, DSI inflated the sale price of the new homes by offering significant cash and other incentives to new home buyers. The public overwhelmingly supports the creation of this regional park, district general manager Robert Doyle said. Allowing Seeno to break the city's own application process opens the city of Concord to a potential lawsuit. Judge halts high housing development in East, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Judge halts high housing development in East Bay hills. Specifically, Shahid ensured the details of the incentives that were being given to specific buyers would not appear in the bank loan files because the loan-to-value ratio would not support the requested loan on the inflated sales price of the home. The districts board of directors approved the parks land-use plan and associated environmental impact report on July 7, paving the way for development of the more than 2,540-acre regional park. Despite a thorough environmental analysis of the new Regional Parks plans, which include public access for recreation, permanent preservation of the land as natural habitat, and a joint visitor center with the National Park Services that will also honor the Black sailors who died in the massive Port Chicago explosion, Mr. Seenos Discovery Builders and Faria Land Investors filed suit to stop the new regional park. The suit followed the Concord City Councils decision to award the master development contract for that project to another team instead of Seenos team. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Pittsburg council members could not be reached for comment on Friday about the court ruling. The East Bay Regional Park District adopted the Land Use Plan for the new park last year on July 7, 2020. The response was classic Seeno: A lawsuit charged that the city's construction permit didn't spell out a precise height. As part of that settlement, the developers promised to build the homes back a ways from property lines so they would be less visible from the eventual parkland. Just keeping the buyers spirits up and pushing time lines along with construction and financing. Lastly, the money!!!! A Southern California native, he studied at UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. Citizens approved the measure by a 75% margin. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Everything is professional and team building. The Seeno bunch should be driven out of California. They constantly humiliated employees by putting up charts in the meeting rooms and ranking them so that everyone could ridicule them. NOW SELLING! Colopy said that although his client informed the park district of its concerns, they were not considered during the approval process. Shahid is the most recent and highest placed individual charged by the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of California as a result of a wide-ranging investigation by the FBI into mortgage fraud in connection with the sale of homes by DSI and its affiliates. EVERYONE takes lunch at the same time, 12 noon to 1pm. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? We make a lot more than I thought I would make. I and a partner set up the office to our liking and just "Sold" homes. The city approved an agreement with Seeno that established guidelines for a permanent greenbelt buffer along the inner edges of the boundary. Shahid told investigators that Seeno III knew about the criminal activity. Three Bay Area men, including justice reform activist, plead guilty in Norteo RICO murder case, Californias hardest to book campground isnt in a famous park. The 21-year-old golf course near Imperial Highway and South Beach Boulevard is part of the former 915-acre West Coyote oil fields. Cherry trees bloom early in DC due to confusing weather, This is unprecedented: Avian flu has killed 12,000 birds in Colorado, Garamendi's bill would extend water treatment facility permits, Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, a separate lawsuit with the East Bay Regional Park District, to take over the Naval Weapons Station project as master developer. And if an environmental report shows there shouldnt be any significant, insurmountable impacts from the project such as excessive toxic waste, the Navy expects to transfer the land to the city in about two years. The family-run companies go back several generations in Concord and currently are headed by Albert Seeno III. All of these defendants have pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements with the government, except Xiao, who is a fugitive. One of the many residents who called into Tuesdays meeting complained that regardless of what the agreement says, Seeno might use litigation as a weapon in negotiations. Log in. More than 325 Seeno and Discovery homes, exceeding $200 million in sales, were used in the scheme, resulting in an estimated $75 million loss to Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase banks. His attorney William Keane occasionally comforted him with pats on the back. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. Management showed FAVORTISM to a selected few which were put at the best communities and were able to double dip in commissions. PITTSBURG A group of eight families who bought homes from Discovery Homes and its Seeno family-related affiliates have sued the builder, claiming the company's sales associates and other. Last week, a Democratic Party of Contra Costa County committee rejected a resolution opposing Seenos selection after party members worried that taking a stance would jeopardize council members seats in future elections. Concord-based developer Albert Seeno III and Discovery Builders filed a lawsuit alleging the districts proposed Concord Hills Regional Park would negatively affect their planned residential development on an adjacent 606-acre plot. Homebuilder Albert Seeno III ordered to pay $11, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Homebuilder Albert Seeno III ordered to pay $11 million for builder bailout scam. Add Benefits. The 10 most expensive reported home sales in Hayward the week of Feb. 20, Winds shred tarp, leave historic San Jose building exposed to elements, Alameda County supervisors allow eviction moratorium to remain until end of April, Exactly what I needed: South Bay teachers move into affordable units, https://www.ebparks.org/parks/concord_hills/default.htm. The family of builders has earned a reputation for engaging in drawn-out legal battles against public agencies and environmental groups, though the companies have also fostered a strong relationship with local labor unions. It would fragment open space and damage wildlife corridors. We seek to ensure that all of the data presented on the site regarding new homes and new home communities is current and accurate. According to the lawsuit, the park district did not do a sufficient level of environmental review of the regional parks potential impacts on future residents of the planned subdivision and the developers adjacent land and corporate office employees less than a mile away. Drives you hard and doesn't pay what you expect. All renderings are artist's conception. We need workers that are getting good on-the-job training, said Israel Avila, a local carpenter, and we need the council to support good partners like (the Seeno team).. The Faria site is rugged, landslide prone, and badly suited for development, which will only be possible with massive grading. As a result, rare habitat for special status species would be lost. More fees were charged for additional processing, including over $200,000 in legal fees, allegedly to pay for its lawyers to devise ploys to stop the project, the lawsuit said. Copyright 2023 DeNova Homes. An investigation by this newspaper showed that during a 16-month period from 2006 to 2008, Seeno companies opened at least $1.24 billion in construction lines of credit. This employer has not claimed their Employer Profile and is missing out on connecting with our community. The pitch was ambitious enough to secure the councils unanimous approval last year. The company was also placed on probation for five years, which gives the federal government another way to ensure payments are made, Hemann said. The city and Seeno companies now must try to nail down financial details and create a vision for the project over the next six months. Seeno Homes House 6communities Discovery Homes and Seeno Homes are honored to be one of the top home builders in Northern California year after year. Seeno Company never expressed any specific concerns or opposition to the new park during the two-decades-long planning processuntil now, after the land use plan has been approved.. 20% of Complaints are filed by Homeowners and/or Borrowers; 20% of Complaints are filed by Appraisers; 15% of Complaints are filed by "Others" (Realtors, Lawyers, Law Enforcement . Concord-based Seeno Construction Co., which has plans to build 152 homes on the site, received about $300 in fines from county code enforcement for illegally bulldozing the trees. Publisher of EastCountyToday and host of several Podcast Shows if you can, please hit the donate button and show support. The development team includes Seeno companies Discovery Builders, Inc. and Faria Investors LLC. If client had a home to sell, we had to keep that on the move. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? 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