PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Two Local 10 News viewers independently contacted the Call Christina hotline to tell investigative reporter Christina Vazquez that a South Florida company walked off the job while doing work at their homes.
When Cheryl Perez hired Universal Group Inc. to install a new roof at her Pembroke Pines home, she claimed the company stopped working shortly after it started. Perez believes inclement weather then caused her roof to collapse.
"I lay right here and that piece right there would have hit me in the head, and this would have hit my body," Perez said, describing the debris left in her bedroom. "I had buckets and towels on the floor."
Light glimmered into her bedroom from small holes in the roof.
After many failed attempts to resolve the issue with Universal Group Inc., Perez contacted Vazquez.
As the Call Christina team began investigating, a subcontractor showed up to finish the roof for which Perez paid, but then told Local 10 News he had yet to be paid by the contractor.
Local 10 viewer Patricia Miller also contacted Vazquez shortly after Perez did. She hired Universal Group Inc. to renovate her bathroom in 2011 and gave them a $5,000 deposit.
"I wanted new cabinets put in and I wanted it to be a granite top," Miller said.
The company never started the job or returned the money, even after Miller took the matter to court and won the judgment in 2012.
"We never seen him anymore. He didn't do anything, and when I called him and continue to call him about my money he said to me, 'I need to take my family on vacation,'" Miller said.
The Call Christina team began to investigate both cases. The subcontractor for Perez's house showed up to do the right thing.
"They called me to take care of the problem, that's what I did and that's what we're here for," Jose Lopez, of All Construction and Developers Inc., said.
For 12 hours straight, his workers were at her house. Lopez later told Local 10 News that Universal Group had yet to pay him.
That could be an issue for Perez. You see in Florida, if a subcontractor is not paid by the contractor, it is the homeowner who can be on the hook. That subcontractor is able to put a lien on the homeowner's house. That is why securing a release of lien from a contractor is so important says construction and real estate attorney Ray Robinson.
"Under Florida Law, there's something called a 'Notice to Owner,'" Robinson said. "That is a notice to the owner that 'Hey, we're here. We don't have a contract with you, but we're supplying labor services and materials to your job and you need to be sure that we get paid when you pay the contractor, otherwise we have a right (to) lien the property."
Robinson recommends homeowners include a promise of receiving a waiver or release of lien in the original contract with any contracting company.
Web Extra: Call Christina conversation about contractor concerns with Ray Robinson
The next step in this "Call Christina" investigation was getting this document for Perez.
"The customers always arguing, 'Hey, I need this, I need that," said Javier Matos, father of Universal Group Inc. owner Gabriel Matos.
After hearing about the people who reached out to Call Christina and the numerous others who filed complaints with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as well as the Florida Attorney General's Office, he had one response.
"Fix it immediately," Javier Matos said.
Just hours later, Gabriel Matos and his business partner Angel David Banos arrived at Perez's house to address the unfinished business.
"We started working, it started raining, she got some water in the house. But we're here to fix everything," Banos said.
"We have one here that I'm going to give to her," Banos said, handing over the release of lien to Perez.
They also responded to the number of complaints against Universal Group Inc.
"We have 12 projects ongoing right now, you know, there's always going to be unfortunately a bad rose," Matos said.
"When it comes to home improvements, one is never satisfied," Banos said.
Banos said he would waive the remaining $500 Perez owed on the job and would also work with her to fix the damage inside her master bedroom.
Banos also told Local 10 News that they planned to settle the judgment with Miller.
"I'm definitely going to satisfy the judgment ourselves," Bano said. "We're gonna go to court and pay the court so the courts will pay Patricia Miller."
Lopez said Banos paid him in full.
"It's a shame it had to take this far, but again, without you it wouldn't have gotten done," Perez said, hugging Local 10 News reporter Christina Vazquez.
This case is still in development. On Monday, the city of Pembroke Pines confirmed with Local 10 News that the new roof failed final inspection.
Stay tuned for a Call Christina update on Perez's and Miller's situation.
Follow Christina Vazquez on Twitter @CallChristinaTV
Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10