My House?

You may already know or have the information.
Several people have told me that they met Paul Grimes during the building of their homes, and that he represented himself as an architect to them. If that's the case, you may want to go here to see some of your options.

If you have a copy of the original building permit, the "architect" will be listed on the document. It may also be on other documents that came with your house.

Besides your building permit, your home warranty information should have the name of the company that built your home. Check to see who is listed as the builder. Paul Grimes commonly worked with Sunrise Homes and United Home Builders. Both are local Lombard builders. Even if your home was built by a different builder, Paul Grimes may still have been used.

How to obtain the information from the Village of Lombard.
For $0.25 you can obtain a copy of the original building permit for your structure through the Village of Lombard. Using a Freedom of Information Act request, you can make the request on-line. (Click here.) It’s a good idea to provide your PIN# for your property. That can be found on your Township Assessor’s website. I have provided links to the different Townships that cover Lombard on the home page.

You can also get a copy of your original building plans for the cost of copying them (which I recommend) or make arrangements to inspect them for free at the Village of Lombard at 255 E. Wilson Ave. in Lombard.

Viewing the plans.
On the plans, pay particular attention to who sealed the plans (if they are even sealed). Make sure that there were no additional pages added or modifications made at a later date without the seal of an Illinois licensed architect. Make sure that the seal is the seal of an Illinois licensed architect and that the name on the seal matches the name of the architect or architectural firm listed on the building permit.

I honestly don't know, although I'd be very concerned if I found out my home was designed by Paul Grimes and built by either Sunrise Homes or United Home Builders. What I can tell you is that a porch, only a few years old, on a house listing Paul Grimes as the architect on the Lombard building permit, collapsed and a person was injured.

Three adjacent porches next door were the worst-built porches I'd ever seen. All were in need of major structural repair, and the defects were not visible to the naked eye. I can also tell you that Paul Grimes is not an Illinois licensed architect. Construction and design defects can show up right away, in a few years, or maybe not for many years -- maybe not until you install a new, heavier bathtub, or move a heavy appliance up your stairs. That's why the law requires that an Illinois licensed architect design a home.

According to the law, you must use an Illinois licensed architect to build a new home in Lombard. The road to becoming an Illinois licensed architect is a long and expensive one, and includes years of schooling, an internship, multi-day testing, licensing and continuing education. The reason Illinois licenses architects is because the practice of architecture in the State of Illinois has been declared to affect the public health, safety and welfare of citizens.

The license ensures the public and the consumer that the architect is qualified and observes the rules and laws of the State of Illinois, resulting in a safe structures. It also holds architects accountable; they can lose their license. Architects are highly trained and knowledgeable people, responsible not only for the look of a structure but for it's integrity and performance. Using a licensed architect is especially important these days with open floor plans, new materials and complex building codes.

Would you rather someone impersonating a doctor or an actual doctor perform surgery on you? Change doctor to architect. Paul Grimes is not an Illinois licensed architect, but he plays one in Lombard.

There are many issues here. Has there been incompetence or complicity by Village of Lombard officials? There appears to be preferential treatment given to Paul Grimes and the two local Lombard builders in the form of immunity from prosecution, recommendations, variances and rezoning. There are also issues of fraud. Paul Grimes and the two local builders have represented Paul Grimes as an architect. A person must be licensed in Illinois to be represented as an architect. Paul Grimes is not an Illinois licensed architect. If you have paid for architectural services by Paul Grimes, you were defrauded, because he can't legally offer those services.

If you have been affected, there are several things you can do. You may ultimately wish to speak with an attorney who can tell you what some of your options are. The law requires an Illinois licensed architect design your home in Lombard. If Paul Grimes/Grimes & Associates is listed as the architect on your building permit, you did not get what the law requires.

You can and should file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. You can file a complaint online at http://www.idfpr.com or through the mail. (Call them first, and they will send out a complaint form):
Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Division of Professional Regulation
Complaint Intake Unit
100 West Randolph Street, Suite 9-300
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312/814-6910

I would also recommend filing a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General and the DuPage County State's Attorney.

I have not had much luck with the Village of Lombard. I informed them of the illegal activity quite some time ago, and as of yet, I'm aware of no action that they have taken on this matter. I would still recommend reporting it to them. Maybe they will address the matter if enough complaints are filed. You may also wish to talk with your local Trustee and/or attend a Village of Lombard meeting and raise the issue. But, keep in mind that Paul Grimes/Grimes & Associates was listed the "architect" on several Village of Lombard Officials’ homes.

Join forces with other affected homeowners. The strength of your numbers might be an effective way to get results on this matter.

If there is anything I can help you with, feel free to contact me at eyeonlombard@yahoo.com , or use the contact button on the menu at the top of the page.