COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) — David Chamberlain bought a new home on East Shore Drive in Coventry so that he wouldn’t have to deal with maintenance. But ever since it was built in 2022, he said, it only takes a few minutes of rain to cause a lot of problems.

“It’s flooding and flooding and flooding and no action,” he said. “And the basement was getting wet.”

Chamberlain said his house was built by D2 Homes, a company based out of North Kingstown. Owner Robert DeBlois did not return Target 12’s multiple requests for an interview.

Chamberlain said DeBlois told him he would fix the foundation. But after those conversations stalled, the homeowner says he tried to fix it himself.

“I personally spent $20,000 this summer,” Chamberlain said. “I installed my own drain system.”

Chamberlain is not alone. Some of his neighbors told Target 12 they have now filed complaints with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office, asking for help.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office said those complaints are open and are actively being addressed.

Albert Schiavone, who lives next door to Chamberlain, said his backyard fills with water whenever it rains.

“If I wanted a river in my backyard, I would have looked for a piece of property where there was a standing river,” Schiavone said.

When he reached out to the developer about the flooding issue, D2 Homes installed a drain, but he said it hasn’t helped much so far.

“[They] came and installed the drain on the wrong side of the pool, and it’s completely nonfunctional,” he said. “And after that, we’ve been unable to communicate with anyone.”

In emails to Target 12, Town Manager Daniel Parrillo acknowledged that the flooding is a problem, but said all 33 homes in the neighborhood passed all proper safety inspections.

“The building official feels all of the residences he provided [certificate of occupancies] to are safe,” Parrillo wrote. “The debate currently is who is responsible for the drainage issues that most of the neighborhood is suffering from.”

Parrillo said the town has been in talks with D2 Homes over the last several months to fix the problem, but there have not been any developments.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, five complaints have been filed against D2 Homes. Four were determined to be beyond the scope of the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board.

Schiavone said he hasn’t heard from DeBlois since April 2023. Meanwhile, flooding continues to be a problem.

“We’re still left high and dry,” he said. “Any time it rains, we panic. It’s not what we paid for.”

Kate Wilkinson ( kwilkinson@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook .

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