(WSVN) - He had windows installed on his house, and then he discovered they were leaking and caused thousands of dollars in damage to his floors and walls. The company that made the windows said they don’t have to pay for the repairs, but do they? It’s why one South Florida man called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Whenever you see a single parent with children, a parent that works every day, you wonder, how do they do it?
Dale Engle can answer the question.
Dale Engle: “Just get ’em up, get ’em ready for school, get ’em to school, go to work, come home, fix ’em dinner, get ’em ready for bed and then get some sleep, and it’s another day.”
Dale has four small girls, and a few years ago, he bought this house for his family.
Dale Engle: “I got a good deal. It was a place I could raise my family.”
Dale got a good deal because the house needed some work, and so he went to work.
Dale Engle: “I replaced the floors, I replaced the windows, the doors, the kitchen, the bathrooms.”
Not just regular windows, impact resistant windows. And then, two years later, the problems appeared.
Dale Engle: “In October of last year, I noticed that one of the windows was leaking, and it was causing some damage to the floor in one of the bedrooms.”
Dale called the company he hired to install the windows. He says they blamed the sprinkler and the cracks in the house, then did some patching to solve the problem.
Except it only got worse.
Dale Engle: “Now I have damage in three of the four bedrooms in my home. I have to replace the floors in all three bedrooms because there was so much water, it started to seep up the walls.”
Water damage, mold, a complete mess. Finally, Dale gave up talking to the installer and contacted the manufacturer of the windows.
Dale Engle: “They accepted responsibility, saying that it was their fault. Some of the windows didn’t have a sufficient amount of sealant on them.”
The manufacturer fixed the windows and stopped the leaks. Dale then faced repairing all the water damage.
Dale Engle: “I was able to get an estimate, and it totaled a bit over $10,000.”
It was $10,519, to be exact. Dale then asked the manufacturer to pay for the damage.
Dale Engle: “The manufacturer stated the windows were no longer under warranty, and that they were not going to cover the damage that was caused.”
The windows leaked, but Dale is being told the manufacturer won’t cover the damage because the one-year warranty expired. Not fair, Dale says.
Dale Engle: “It was their fault, their problem that caused the leak.”
But they counter, their warranty expired, so Howard, is Dale out of luck?
Howard Finkelstein: “No. While the warranty has expired, because the windows were flawed when they left the factory, this is considered a defective product, meaning not only does the manufacturer have to repair the windows, they are also responsible for any damage the leaks caused.”
I contacted the window maker, Eastern Architectural Systems, and explained why we legally thought they should cover the damage.
It was another reminder of why you should hire companies with great reputations.
Jim Flesher told me that, “If the installer had told us right away there was a problem, there would not have been any damage at all.”
Flesher then said he would turn it over to his insurance company, and if they didn’t cover the entire $10,519 for repairs, his company would make up the difference.
The insurance company then sent Dale a check for $8,699, and Flesher kept his word, sending Dale another $1,819 to pay for the rest of the repairs.
Dale Engle: “Be persistent. You can’t give up.”
Dale was persistent. Now, instead of moldy floors, his girls have new floors. His walls are being replaced after he did what many South Floridians do — call Help Me Howard.
Dale Engle: “I’m ecstatic. I don’t think that I would be here today without the assistance of Help Me Howard.”
Glad we were able to help. And how do you prove a product you bought has a problem? Dale was lucky to be dealing with a great company that was honest. If the company you bought from isn’t so great, you may have to hire an expert in that field to determine if the product is defective.
Floored by a problem you have? Ready to construct a solution? Let us open a window to shed some light on it. We don’t hand out warranties, but we give our word we will do our best for you.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
On Twitter: @helpmehoward7
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