Management showed FAVORTISM to a selected few which were put at the best communities and were able to double dip in commissions. In a plea deal accepted by the judge on Thursday, Seeno III agreed to pay $3 million in restitution toFannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two taxpayer-sponsored financial services companies, within 120 days. Seeno III, who is the president of Discovery Sales, said he trusted his staff to run Discovery Sales while he focused his attentions on the building development side of his business, which includes A.D. Seeno Construction Co. started by his father Albert Seeno Jr., and Seeno Homes and Discovery Homes. 27 February 2023 . Jason Sterlino was sentenced in February to six months in prison for what Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hemann called minor fraud conducted to further the scheme. The city of Concord could be sued for not following it's own rules, just as Pittsburg is being sued for not following it's own legal guidelines. Save Mount Diablo Sues Seeno Discovery Builders to Protect Major Ridgeline in Pittsburg, Again this Website has Moved to ContraCosta.News, Yes! Lennar begrudgingly paid those extortive fees for fear of losing its investment in the project and in effort to show collaboration with the city, the lawsuit said. East Bay native Malaika Fraley is an award-winning criminal justice reporter and formerly covered courts for the Bay Area News Group. Do Benicians want tar-sands oil brought here? By comparison, next door and above the new park, Faria would include hundreds of acres of impacts. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. Thank you Seeno for building these homes.". Answer: Complaints filed against Appraisers: 45% of Complaints are filed by Lenders, AMCs, and Government Agencies (FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FDIC, OCC, etc.) If you are looking to get your feet wet in the new home industry give them a try but dont have high expectations. It wont, Seeno III said during an apology to the judge. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Franciscos Special Prosecutions Unit. This Website Has Moved to ContraCosta.news, East Bay Regional Park District Celebrates Green Friday. Compare and save your favorite communities and floorplans with MyDeNova. We make a lot more than I thought I would make. 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. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? But opponents of Seeno have won the latest skirmish, at least for now. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? It always felt like your last day wishing that they would end this horrible cycle and you would have a life on the other side. Save Mount Diablos lawsuit challenges the February 22, 2021 approval of the Faria project by the Pittsburg City Council. We are very happy with the courts decision.. New ideas or processes for efficiency, thoroghness or future retention were discouraged and bluntly rejected without any thought or discussion. "I wanted to write and thank you all at Seeno Homes and tell you how much I've appreciated your help when I had questions about the purchasing process and the house. My clients feel strongly that everyone needs to comply with the same rules and they are important.. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? They've been criticized for allegedly manipulating local politicians in their. 39% of employees would recommend working at, According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Discovery and Seeno Homes employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.6 out of 5. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. The companies also previously sued the Navy to halt it from transferring its property for any development. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. According to Shahids plea agreement that was unsealed today, DSI was created to sell new homes built by Discovery Builders Inc. (DBI), Albert D. Seeno Construction Co. Inc. (AD Seeno) and other entities affiliated with Albert Seeno III and the Seeno family. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. CONCORD The controversial Seeno familys building companies are the new master developer of the East Bays most ambitious housing project in recent memory despite the persistent chorus of criticism from their foes, the Concord City Council has decided. All rights reserved. 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 company was also placed on probation for five years, which gives the federal government another way to ensure payments are made, Hemann said. 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. Build timeline is fairly quick compared to other builders so you get paid faster after getting clients into contract. The district is creating a large regional park on the former weapons site. 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The best aspects about working for Seeno was the income that you could achieve. All of these testimonials and reviews for Seeno Homes are from verified homebuyers. The EIR failed to provide an adequate project description, for example, by omitting information about the location of elements of the planned residential development and about related public services, such as water consumption rates. Employees also rated Discovery and Seeno Homes 2.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.3 for culture and values and 2.6 for career opportunities. The treat the employees as if they were worthless. Among other flaws, the EIR lacks adequate analysis of numerous impacts, including biological resources, water supply, wildfire, traffic, and land use. When the other team pulled out last year in the wake of a labor dispute, Discovery Builders and the Seeno family returned for another bidding round and won the right to take over the Naval Weapons Station project as master developer. Open space, even privately owned open space is just too precious and too scarce to turn over part of it to development, former Mayor Tom Beamish said during an October city council meeting that set the stage for a 3-0 vote on Nov. 2 to kill the project. Council members Carlyn Obringer and Laura Hoffmeister, who voted in August to give the job to rival developer Brookfield Properties, joined their colleagues Tuesday to make the Seeno teams selection unanimous. Contact us here for assistance. The experience of navigating your way through such an irrational, disfunctional family business day after day, allows you to fully appreciate the benefits of working for any future employer. Add Interview. They do build a quality home. The project faced enormous opposition at the outset from both housing advocates who oppose urban sprawl and Pittsburg residents who feared an influx of more than a thousand homes south of the city. 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. Discovery was founded by a member of the Seeno family, which has built and managed properties in Contra Costa County for several generations. Seeno III said Thursday the company has an entirely new staff, and now has more oversight. By far the Worst company I have ever had the displeasure of working for!! Who let the Seenos into Pittsburg and why havent they all been kicked out of Pittsburg and other places long ago? Former Bank of America loan officer Jennifer Xiao, Homecomings Financial underwriter Tony Phan and independent brokers Sharon Wang, Heather Yin, Miguel Arenas, George Zevada and Chang Park were also charged as participants in the scheme. According to Clement, Throughout the East Bay, residents have worked hard to protect our ridges and views, and to defend our parks. Official websites use .gov Just keeping the buyers spirits up and pushing time lines along with construction and financing. Pittsburg council members could not be reached for comment on Friday about the court ruling. Seeno III has also been the subject of controversy. CEQA requires legally adequate environmental review, consideration of appropriate alternatives, and implementation of mitigations to reduce impacts. Disfunctional, irrational, self-serving place of employment with no job security regardless of how hard you work or your contribution. Further, DSI inflated the sale price of the new homes by offering significant cash and other incentives to new home buyers. 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. Hours are very strict - either 7am to 4pm or 8am to 5pm. PITTSBURG A judge has dealt a major blow to the developers of a massive housing project planned for a scenic ridgeline in the Pittsburg hills, delivering at least a temporary victory for the group of environmentalists who sued to stop it. This is the true culmination of a decades-long community effort, Beverly Lane, who has represented Concord on the East Bay Regional Park District board since 1994, said in a written statement. From 2006 to 2008, when Shahid was DSIs vice president, buyers with little or no money of their own were induced to purchase homes at prices that were inflated through the use of financial incentives. You don't know who is related to who or why, but favoritism is prevalent. 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! The overall vibe is a somber place to work. Single Family Homes and DuetsRio Vista, CA, 1,090 - 1,569 Sq. This employer has not claimed their Employer Profile and is missing out on connecting with our community. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. The development company, owned by prominent Bay Area builders Thomas Seeno and Albert Seeno Jr., filed suit in district court in Las Vegas on June 8 seeking to overturn King's decision. If client had a home to sell, we had to keep that on the move. 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. Allowing Seeno to break the city's own application process opens the city of Concord to a potential lawsuit. Having problems? They tend to let those they really like stay at high volume communities which keeps the same people as the highest earners. Plans to develop the hills date back to 2005 when voter-approved Measure P moved the Faria site within Pittsburgs urban boundary. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from IRS-CI and FHFA-OIG. 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. Since it is a family owned company if you were accepted by management they definitely treated you like a dysfunctional member. All rights reserved. Two of three former Seeno employees who cooperated with FBI investigators have yet to be sentenced for their guilty pleas as part of this scheme. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! We seek to ensure that all of the data presented on the site regarding new homes and new home communities is current and accurate. 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