[Tealady]

We have a one year old courtyard villa in McClure. Some of the soil under the patio has washed away. There are large gaps under the patio, possibly as large as an 8 x 8 feet section, where there are gaps in the soil supporting the concrete. Some areas where the concrete and grass meet have a gap of several inches. We have added a roof gutter as has our neighbor. The home inspector felt the rain was coming from the neighbor's home and a lack of drainage is causing the problem. We believe the gutters will help in the future. The inspector described the the problem as " CONCRETE PATIO SLAB BASE IS BEING WASHED AWAY FROM LACK OF PROPER DRAINAGE." Currently the patio is not cracked.

We have spoken to the builder who feels this is an "erosion" problem and not covered under warranty. The Villages Warranty Department agrees. We have attempted to speak with the contractor owner without a response. We have asked the builder to come out to see the property. Not really sure he ever did.

Currently the home is a rental and we live up north. We will be coming back next month for a visit. Questions - have others had this problem? Suggestions for correcting the situation? This patio needs repair, regardless of who is liable. Ideas about how to correct the patio issue? We are contacting concrete companies about slabjacking or other solution. Obviously there are two issues: 1. Who is liable for the repair and 2. how to repair?

Thanks in advance,
Tealady