Caring for Your Home

Just Companies, Inc. has constructed your home with carefully selected materials and the effort of experienced craftsmen and laborers under the supervision of our field personnel, with the administrative support of our office personnel. Although this group works from detailed plans and specifications, no two homes are exactly alike. Each one is unique; a home is one of the last hand-built products left in the world. Over time, each behaves differently.

Although quality materials and workmanship have been used in creating your home, similar to an automobile, it requires care from the first day. Regular homeowner maintenance is essential to providing a quality home for a lifetime. This section of our manual was assembled in to assist you in that effort.

Homeowner Use and Maintenance Guidelines

We are proud of the homes we build and the neighborhoods in which we build them. We strive to create lasting value. This is best achieved when you, as the homeowner, know and perform appropriate maintenance tasks. Periodic maintenance is necessary because of normal wear and tear, the inherent characteristics of the materials used in your home, and normal service required by the mechanical systems. Natural fluctuations in temperature and humidity also affect your home, resulting in maintenance items. The natural and manufactured materials, the components interact with each other and the environment.

We recognize that it is impossible to anticipate and describe every attention needed for good home care. We focused on items that homeowners commonly ask about. The subjects are listed in alphabetical order to make finding answers to your questions convenient. Because we offer homebuyers a variety of floor plans and optional features, this manual may discuss components that are not present in your home.

Checklists

You will find several checklists included in this manual. These cover fire prevention reminders, energy and water conservation tips, suggestions for extended absences, appliance service information, home maintenance supplies list, and a maintenance schedule. Again we make no claim that we have included every detail. We do believe we have provided you with a good start, and we've allowed space for you to add your own notes to our checklists.

Prompt Attention

In addition to routine care, many times a minor maintenance attention provided immediately saves you a more serious, time-consuming, and sometimes costly repair later. Note also that neglecting routine maintenance can void applicable limited warranty coverage on all or part of your home.

By caring for your new home attentively, you ensure uninterrupted warranty coverage as well as your enjoyment of it for years. The attention provided by each homeowner contributes significantly to the overall desirability of the community.

Manufacturer Literature

Please take time to read the literature (warranties and use and care guides) provided by the manufacturers of consumer products and other items in your home. The information contained in that material is not repeated here. Although much of the information may be familiar to you, some points may differ significantly from homes you have had in the past.

We make every effort to keep the information in this manual current. However, if any detail in our discussion conflicts with the manufacturer's recommendations, you should follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Activate specific manufacturer's warranties by completing and mailing any registration cards included with their materials. In some cases, manufacturer's warranties may extend beyond the first year and it is in your best interests to know about such coverages.

Just Companies, Inc. Limited Warranty Guidelines

While we strive to build a defect-free home, we are realistic enough to know that, with repeated use, an item in the home may fail to perform as it should. When this occurs, we will make necessary corrections so the item meets our warranty guidelines. In support of this commitment, Just Companies, Inc. provides you with a limited warranty.

Corrective Actions

In addition to the information contained in the limited warranty itself, this manual includes details about the criteria we will use to evaluate concerns you report. The purpose is to let you know what our warranty commitment is for the typical concerns that can come up in a new home. The manual describes the corrective action we will take in a many common situations.

We Sometimes Break Our Own Rules–In Your Favor

Our criteria for qualifying warranty repairs are based on typical industry practices in our region and meet or exceed those practices. Please note that we reserve the right, at our discretion, to exceed these guidelines if common sense or individual circumstances make that appropriate, without being obligated to exceed all guidelines to a similar degree or for other homeowners whose circumstances are different.

We Sometimes Say No

With a product as complex as a home, different viewpoints regarding which tasks are homeowner maintenance responsibilities and which are Just Companies, Inc. warranty responsibilities are possible. If you request warranty service on a maintenance item, we will explain to you the steps you should take to care for the item. We are available to answer your home-care questions during and after your warranty period. Providing normal maintenance for your home is your job.

Warranty Specimen Provided for Your Review

You will receive the signed limited warranty document at your closing. We provide a specimen copy for your review at the time you sign your purchase agreement. Please read through this information, as well as the service procedures and guidelines discussed on the following pages. If you have any questions, please contact our warranty office.

Warranty Reporting Procedures

Providing warranty service for a new home is more complicated than for other products. When you purchased your home, your actually purchased hundreds of items and the work of 35 to 50 independent trade contractors. With so many details and people involved, a planned system is essential.

Our warranty service system is designed based on your written report of nonemergency items. This provides you with the maximum protection and allows us to operate efficiently, thereby providing faster service to all homeowners. Emergency reports are the only service requests we accept by phone. Please put all nonemergency service requests in writing.

You are welcome to mail, fax, e-mail, or drop off your list in person at our main office. Keep a copy for your records. This written system permits Just Companies, Inc. personnel to focus their time producing results for you and following up. Experience has taught us that accuracy and efficiency suffer when we work outside this system and sacrifice careful documentation.

We plan two standard warranty contacts with you. The first is 60 days after your closing and the second is at 11 months after closing. We also have emergency response procedures and have provided for miscellaneous warranty requests between the standard 60-day and 11-month reports. Service for your appliances is handled differently and is described in detail on the next page.

60-Day Report

For your convenience and in order for our service program to operate at maximum efficiency, we suggest that you wait 60 days before submitting a warranty list. This allows you sufficient time to become settled in your new home and to use most components repeatedly. As you notice items, jot them down on a service request form (found at the end of this manual).

11-Month Report

Near the end of the eleventh month of your materials and workmanship warranty, you should submit a year-end report if you have any items to report. We will also be happy to discuss any
maintenance questions you may have at that time. Again, keep notations of items on a service request form. This is also the best time for you to request the "one-time" repairs we offer on several components such as drywall.

Emergency Service

While emergency warranty situations are rare, when they occur, prompt response is essential. Begin by checking items you can check. Troubleshooting tips appear in this manual for several of your home's components:

Please refer to the individual categories to review these hints; you will find them at the end of the corresponding sections. Often the appropriate action by you can solve a problem immediately or mitigate the situation until a technician arrives.

If your review of the troubleshooting tips fails to solve the problem, during business hours, call Just Companies, Inc.'s warranty office:

(970) 245-9316

After hours, or on weekends or holidays, call the necessary trade contractor or utility company directly. Their phone numbers are listed on the Emergency Phone Numbers sheet you receive at orientation. We suggest that you insert the Emergency Phone Numbers sheet in this section of your homeowner manual or secure it inside a kitchen cabinet, near your phone.

Our trade contractors or local utility companies provide emergency responses to the following conditions:

Note that if a service (gas, electricity, water) is out in an entire area, attention from the local utility company is needed. Trade contractors are unable to help with such outages.

Air Conditioning. Understandably, if your air conditioner is not working, you want it fixed pronto. In a typical scenario, many other homeowners across our region will discover they too need service on their air conditioners on the same hot day that you do. The trades who address these needs generally respond to calls on a first come, first served basis. If your call for service comes during this time period, you may wait several days for a technician to arrive. For this reason, we recommend that you operate your air conditioner as soon as warm temperatures begin. In this way, if service is needed, you can avoid the rush and get a more satisfactory response.

Roof Leak. While we agree with homeowners that a roof leak is indeed an emergency, the reality is that repairs cannot safely or effectively be performed while the roof is wet. During business hours, contact our office with the information, take appropriate steps to mitigate damage, and we will follow up when conditions make repairs possible. (See Roof for more details.)

Other Emergencies. In addition to emergency situations covered by our limited warranty, be prepared for other kinds of emergencies. Post phone numbers for the fire department, police, paramedics, and poison control near phones in your home. Have companies in mind in the event you need a locksmith, water extraction, glass breakage repair, or sewer router service. If you are new to the area, neighbors may be able to recommend good service providers. Introduce your children to neighbors who might be available to help in an emergency if you are not home.

Other Warranty Service

If you wish to initiate nonemergency warranty service between the standard 60-day and 11-month report, you are welcome to do so by sending in a service request form (we've included 3 copies of this form at the back of this manual) or simply by writing a letter that includes your name, address, phone numbers, and a list of your concerns.

Homeowners who want to arrange 60-day or 11-month warranty visits receive priority scheduling. We schedule appointments for miscellaneous requests on a first come, first served basis between the standard appointments. As a result, service on miscellaneous requests may take a bit longer to address.

Kitchen Appliance Warranties

The manufacturers of kitchen appliances have asked to work directly with homeowners if any repairs are needed for their products. Customer service phone numbers are listed in the use and care materials for each appliance. Be prepared to provide the model and serial number of the item and the closing date on your home. For your convenience, we have included an Appliance Service information sheet among the other checklists in this manual.

Appliance warranties are generally for one year; refer to the literature provided by the manufacturer for complete information. Remember to mail in any registration cards you receive with manufacturer materials. Being in the manufacturer's system assures that in the event of a recall the company can contact you and arrange to provide the needed correction.

Warranty Item Processing Procedures

When we receive a warranty service request, we may contact you for an inspection appointment. Warranty inspection appointments are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We inspect the items listed in your written request to confirm warranty coverage and determine appropriate action. Generally, reported items fall into one of three categories:

If a trade contractor or an in-house employee is required to perform repairs, we issue a warranty work order describing the situation to be addressed. If the item is home maintenance, we will review the maintenance steps with you and offer whatever informational assistance we can. Occasionally the inspection step is unnecessary. In that case, we issue the needed work orders and notify you that we have done so.

Help Us to Serve You

We can provide service faster and more accurately if we have all the necessary information. With your warranty request, please include:

Access to Your Home

Just Companies, Inc. conducts inspections of interior warranty items only when an adult is available to accompany our representative and point out the items you have listed. Both our in-house service technicians and those of our trades contractors will likewise perform repairs only when an adult is available to admit them to your home. An adult is a person 18 or older who has your authorization to admit service personnel and sign completed work orders.

We do not accept keys, nor will we permit our trade contractors to accept your key and work in your home without an adult present. While we recognize that this means processing warranty service items may take longer, we believe your peace of mind and security should be our first concern.

Exterior Items

Exterior items can usually be inspected and repaired without an adult present, provided access is available (for instance, no locked gate). However, we will contact you the day prior to any visit and let you know we will have someone on your property. If you prefer to meet with us and discuss the item(s) in question, we are happy to arrange an appointment to do that.

Repair Appointments

Depending on the work needed, at the conclusion of the inspection appointment, the warranty manager will most likely ask you to designate a work date-—a date a minimum of 10 days from the inspection date—for approved repairs to be made. This 10-day time frame allows us to notify appropriate trades people and arrange for most repairs to occur on the same day.

Although on occasion work must occur in sequence and more than one work date might be needed, this system works well in the majority of situations. Once work date appointments are set, we confirm them the day before and our warranty manager follows up to confirm repairs are completed.

Inspection and Work Hours

Many homeowners ask whether evening and weekend appointment times are available. Just Companies, Inc. understands the desire for appointments outside normal business hours. We recognize the trend to services being available "24/7" in many businesses. However, in investigating how such appointments could be arranged, we discovered many factors that make extended service hours impractical.