OXBOW, N.D. (Valley News Live) – From a quick glance, Tom and Katie Webster’s newly-built home looks pristine, but upon closer look, you’re greeted with a different picture.

“From the day we signed, it was one thing after another… after another… after another,” said Katie, as she described the process of building her dream home.

Closing the deal on March 9, 2023, the house that sits on the corner of Westview Lane still has 37 projects that either needs to be finished or completely redone. Currently, the home has dented and ripped siding, crooked walls, unfinished trim, and poorly installed windows.

The Websters said the home’s floor tracking was originally put on backwards, as well as several walls wrongly put up, having to be redone three times. Heavy rain caused their home to flood, creating a domino effect of issues they had to focus on, something they both called, a “dream come true turned into a nightmare.”

Footprints can also be seen in the driveway, from workers walking around on concrete that wasn’t dry yet. Cracks, chips, and tape are also visible from the front two pillars.

Tom, a retired veteran, previously started his own home inspection business, which allowed him to stop the building process whenever he saw a problem arise. He said, “It’s just crazy because I was paying them to watch and supervise their work, but really, I ended up having to watch many times. Had we not had that knowledge, we would’ve been in an even worse situation.”

Katie explained, “They found 87 different regulations that had to be finished before they could move onto the next part…” after a different inspector came and looked at the current state of the house.

The next part, however, never seemed to get better.

“The framers who worked on the house were arrested on our property for having a party and smoking illegal drugs, and another was arrested and extradited back to Texas,” said Tom.

The family explained the lot size also decrease from the time they signed the purchase agreement, to the time they began putting sprinklers in. In the purchase agreement, the lot size is listed as 41,000 square feet. Tom said when he tried installing sprinklers, somehow, it changed to 32,000.

They said there are other things in the purchase agreement they were promised, but don’t have, such as a dual zone heating and cooling system.

With so many issues that arose, bigger projects were delayed, creating stress on the family’s future plans.

As a veteran, Tom received a VA home loan for the house, who’s now at risk for losing some of his federal backing, as a result of his mortgage company learning these projects are not getting completed.

Over a year and a half later, they’re left fixing a lot of these issues themselves, and putting extra money into repairs that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. “The quality of work is what really saddens me because we’ve put our entire life savings into this home, expecting this to be our forever home, and right now, we just don’t believe that’s the case anymore. We can’t keep putting more money into this,” Katie said.

The $1.1 million dollar house was built through Spire Custom Homes, who the couple says has little to no communication when it comes to their complaints.

Today, August 6, Valley News Live went to Spire’s office in Fargo to ask about these complaints, to which a woman said, “There is nobody here available to comment.” Also today, in a phone call with Brandon Block, Spire’s General Manager, he refused to comment and stated, “This is not my problem.”

Frustrated, the family contacted the North Dakota Attorney General and hired an attorney who’s been helping them send demand letters to the contractors, which is putting even more of a financial burden on them. One letter has already been sent, with a second on the way, hoping to get builders to come back and finish the job.

The Websters are now advocating for anyone who might be going through this, or anyone who’s on the lookout to build a new house, to learn from their story, and are also hoping nobody else has to go through anything like this.

Trying to stay positive, they said this situation is the reason they’re now close with their neighbors. Katie said, “We have our neighbors calling us all the time, asking about some situation that’s going on with the building, which is kind of embarrassing. It’s embarrassing being ‘the corner house with all the problems,’ but it allowed us to meet some really great people!”

Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – Reactions began coming in Tuesday from those in North Dakota politics to Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Gov. Tim Walz, D-MN, as her running mate.

Merrill Piepkorn, North Dakota State Senator and Democratic candidate for Governor, sent out a statement that reads, in part:

“[Walz] is a down-to-earth regular guy who is smart and has made Minnesota an even better place to live under his leadership. He’s shown the country how it can be done. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about his addition to the national ticket.”

Former North Dakota Democratic U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp posted the following on X:

“Couldn’t be happier that @KamalaHarris selected my friend & neighbor to the East, @Tim_Walz. He’s a champion for rural communities & knows that you shouldn’t have to leave home to get an education, receive care or make a living. Nice that he’s a fellow hot dish aficionado, too.”

Democratic U-S Senate candidate Katrina Christiansen posted this on X:

“Rural America will never be forgotten with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on the Democratic ticket.

Shoutout to my fellow midwesterner on your selection, and let’s bring it home this November!”

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, who Christiansen is challenging for the seat, didn’t mince words on social media, saying:

“Harris has doubled down on weird with this choice, unless MN really is in play. Perhaps together the two of them can let every city in America burn to the ground after closing businesses and requiring vaccines. I like Republican chances this year.”

Julie Fedorchak, North Dakota Public Service Commissioner and Republican candidate for North Dakota’s U.S. House seat, released a statement that reads:

“Kamala Harris picking Tim Walz as her Vice-Presidential running mate underscores the direction they want for our country. More of the same failed policies that have Americans suffering under inflated prices for everything and a country and world in turmoil.”

This is a developing story. Your News Leader will update as more reactions come in.

Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.

Regina Evoniuk, 89, entered into rest on July 22, 2024, in California. She was born October 15, 1934, in Dickinson, ND, to Polly (Kramchuk) and Demetro Pedeliski. Regina was the youngest of 10 children; her father passed away within the first year of her birth. As such, she was raised by his older siblings. Later, at age 13, her mother passed away. The family grew up on a homestead north of Belfield, ND. She graduated on May 21, 1953, in Belfield, ND.

On November 8, 1956 she married Michael Evoniuk at St. Josaphat Church in Gorham, ND. Michael was 25, Regina was 22, and both were from Belfield, ND, at the time. In June of 1969, they moved to Longmont, Colorado from Belfield.

Regina and Michael co-owned the Red Owl grocery in Belfield until moving to Longmont. In 1970 she took a position at the First National Bank of Longmont until 1986, then in 1988 she went to work at Francis Street Pharmacy as their postal clerk, retiring in 1993. She was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Regina’s love for old-time country music and polka dancing on Sunday afternoons was only surpassed by her love for gardening and growing roses, mums, and others. She was an exceptional bowler and enjoyed playing in the leagues in Dickinson, ND. Earlier in her life, she relished crafts classes, including ceramics, but her true hobby was engaging in daily conversations with community members, always ready with a kind word or a compliment.

Regina was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Michael and her brothers: Anton (Tony) Pedeliski (Elaine Brown), Joseph Pedeliski (Margaret Hahn), James Pedeliski and Metro Pedeliski, her sisters Mildred Dutke (Bill Dutke), Catherine Kubik (Tony Kubik), Rosalie Williams (Raymond Williams), Mary Smith (Leon Smith) and Ann Dutchuk (Nick Dutchuk).

Her survivors are her sons Perry (Christine) Evoniuk of Hidden Hills, CA, and Marco Evoniuk of San Francisco, CA, and her grandchildren Natalie and Michelle Evoniuk.

A visitation for Regina will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Howe Mortuary & Crematory located at 439 Coffman Street, Longmont, CO. Rosary prayers will commence at 6:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 16, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church located at 323 Collyer Street, Longmont, CO. Regina will be laid to rest at 11:00 a.m. at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery located at 620 11th Avenue, Longmont, CO. Following the committal service a reception will be held in Benedict Hall at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com for the Evoniuk family.