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Metro Detroit family says contractors stopped showing up mid renovation

Posted at 6:37 PM, Apr 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-12 22:28:07-04

A Hamtramck family spent thousands of dollars to make handicapped renovations for their disabled son, but halfway through, they say contractors stopped showing up.

The builder's permit was issued in October and the family was told renovations would be done in a month, but nearly six months later, the work is still not done.

Cyndi Harry said she paid a contractor, Total Home Solutions, nearly $40,000 to make the major renovations after her son Harry was hit by a car and left with a traumatic brain injury.

After they stopped showing up, the family was left with a leaking ceiling, electrical wires out, exposed nails and much more. Their staircase has also been in place for months with no railing or protective barrier.

David Chiangi was a former project manager at Total Home Solutions. He says he quit out of frustration with the company's handling of the renovation. He said every time she brought up needed heating in her home, the company told him they didn't care.

Tom Bugbee from Total Home Solutions released this statement to 7 Action News.

During the entire construction process, we have never left Mrs. Harry and her son without communication or forward progress. The upstairs conversion project was not Mrs. Harry’s primary living quarters, and she was never left without a heat in her home.  Mrs. Harry would agree, that we never stopped working on the project, from before and after Channel 7’s arrival, which questions why we are accused of abandoning her and her son.  This is simply not the case. Even on the day the news crew arrived at her home, we had our crew on site completing the agreed punch list, which further adds to our confusion of this story.  Our last communication with Mrs. Harry was today (4/12) to communicate lead times of the materials we are waiting for.  Our responsibility as a professional remodeling company is to provide our clients with a complete job, which is no different for Mrs. Harry.

In regards to the comments made by our former project manager, we terminated him for poor management of the project.  Furthermore, we did in fact return your phone calls which you have confirmed you missed, so the statement of us not responding is simply not true. We stand FIRMLY that we never once said the words “We don’t care” about Mrs. Harry, when quite the contrary is the actual situation.

The stairs have the necessary hand rails now installed as of nearly a week ago, which it is not accurate to show as not complete. Mrs. Harry and her son’s safety is paramount to us, and your video shows work in-progress.
The following picture shows the last remaining punch list that was signed by our staff and Mrs. Harry. 100% of this last punch list has been completed, so your video of the work is not as it is today. We are only awaiting for a few materials that were on back order for the heater system. This is all that remains on the project.

We trust that channel 7 will update the current report on the accuracy of this story in a truthful manor for both parties involved.