FOR YOU. >> CUMMINGS. >> WHERE WE HAVE THIS HOUSE
WERE NOT EVEN BEEN AT BECAUSE
WE’VE BEEN DRIVING ALL OVER
THE PLACE. WHY DON’T WE GET
A BUS?
>> SELLING A HOME TO LIVE IN AN
OLD SCHOOL BUS MAY SOUND LIKE A
STRANGE THING TO DO, BUT IT’S
A GROWING TREND AS COUPLES AND
FAMILIES SEARCH FOR MORE
FREEDOM LIVING ON THE ROAD.
>> CONVERTING THOSE OLD BUSES
INTO MOBILE HOMES IS BECOMING A
BIG BUSINESS OVER THE PAST 5
MONTHS, THE DEFENDERS HAVE
FOUND CUSTOMER AFTER CUSTOMER
WHO SAY THEY HIRED A LOCAL BUS
CONVERSION BUSINESS WHO THEY
CLAIM TOOK THEM FOR A RIDE BOTH
EMOTIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY.
IT’S TONIGHT’S DEFENDERS
INVESTIGATION.
>> WE GAVE HIM $75,000 TOTAL.
IT WAS GOING TO BE $100,000
BAIL. JI-MAN TRULY CROUP HOCKEY
HIRED LONESTAR SCHOOLEY
CONVERSIONS TO MAKE THIS BOSS
THEIR HOME ON THE ROAD.
>> WHAT THEIR DREAMS SOON TOOK
A WRONG TURN. SO THIS THIS IS
LEFT YOU ALL FINANCIALLY
WRECKED.
>> YEAH, IT HAS. IT HAS TO
COMPLETELY CHANGE THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE OF WHAT WE
HAVE BUILT ON FOR YEARS TO FOR
OURSELVES. THEY SAY BUSINESS
OWNER BEN POTTS TOLD THEM HE’D
HAVE THEIR BOSS FINISHED IN
6 TO 8 WEEKS WHEN THE COUPLE
CAME TO PICK THEIR NEW HOME UP
IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, IT WASN’T
DONE AND THEN FOUND THEMSELVES
LIVING OUT OF HOTELS AS THE
WEEKS TURNED INTO MONTHS.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE BEING IN
A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP WITH NO
END. FINALLY IN NOVEMBER, POTTS
TOLD THEM THE BUS WAS FINISHED,
BUT WE KNEW IT WAS A MASK, EVEN
THOUGH THAT WAS STANDING RIGHT
IN FRONT OF THIS TELLING US OUR
BEST WAS WORTH $100,000.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, IT LOOKS
LIKE THAT THE JUNIOR HIGH
PROJECT, ROSS TAYLOR IS A
SCHOOLEY EXPERT. HE WAS SHOCKED
BY THE CONDITION OF THE CREW
HOCKEY’S BUS THAT I WAS JUST
ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO PLYWOOD
POPPED LOOSE HERE PRETTY SOON.
HE FOUND ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
THIS WASN’T ATTACHED ANYTHING.
SO IF THEY USE THE TOILET THE
YEAR AND WILL RUN OUT ON THE
FLOOR, HIS BIGGEST CONCERN, THE
NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL HAZARDS HE
DISCOVERED SOME OF THEM
POTENTIALLY DEADLY. THERE ARE
THINGS DONE IN HERE THAT A
FIRST-WEEK APPRENTICE
ELECTRICIAN WOULDN’T DO APPEAR.
THERE’S A 30 AM.
>> A CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH 12
GAUGE WIRE AND 12 GAUGE WIRES
ONLY RATED HIM. THE LEAD TO
20 AM CIRCUIT BREAKERS. SO
>> A FIRE HAZARD. AND THEN
THERE WAS THIS. IF YOU DO AN
INTERNET SEARCH FOR SUICIDE
CABLE OR WIDOW MAKER COURT,
YOU’LL FIND THIS. SO. THIS
PLUGS INTO THE GENERATOR.
AND THIS PLUGS IN HERE WITH
THIS IS PLUGGED INTO THE
GENERATOR. THESE ARE LIVE.
AND THAT’S WHY IT’S CALLED THE
SUICIDE CAME TOUCH THAT YOU’RE
GOT. YOU CAN’T BUY THESE
BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT SAFE.
I MEAN, THEY’RE SUPER
DANGEROUS. THE DEFENDERS HAVE
IDENTIFIED MORE THAN 20
CUSTOMERS WHO SAY THEY DIDN’T
GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR. A RAIN
STORM HIT ON THE WAY HOME AND
WE FOUND OUT THAT THE BUS WAS
CAN LEE LEE LEAKING IN EVERY
SINGLE? WELL, THEY DID PRETTY
MUCH.
>> WATER WAS POURING THROUGH
THE BUS. HE STILL OWES ME
>> I DON’T HAVE US. WE GOT
THERE AND
>> NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE.
OUR BUS HAD NOT BEEN MOVED.
>> NOT BEEN TOUCHED. ZACH AND
TARAH MARKS GOT FED UP DEALING
WITH ALL THE DELAYS AND PULLED
THEIR BUS BEFORE IT WAS
FINISHED.
BUT NOT BEFORE THEY SAY BEN
POTS OFFERED TO MAKE THINGS
RIGHT BY ADDING MORE SOLAR
PANELS WITH EXTRA MATERIALS.
HE HAD IT.
>> THIS IS WHAT HIS EXTRASOLAR
LAYING AROUND WITH ALL
DIFFERENT WIRES, DIFFERENT
AGES.
NOW, THE GAMES THEY’RE SUPPOSED
TO BE FOR THAT CIRCUIT RUNNING
THROUGH THEM. THEY SAY THEY’RE
NOW OUT $15,000 AND WILL NEED
TO PAY EVEN MORE.
>> TO FIX THE DAMAGE. LONESTAR
SCHOOLEY CAUSED. SO RIGHT NOW
YOU’RE AT LONE STAR SCHOOL
HEADQUARTERS. OKAY. AND HERE IS
WHERE ALL THE MAGIC COMES
THROUGH.
>> BEN POTS INVITED ME TO HIS
WAREHOUSE TO SEE HOW HE
OPERATES. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE
ACTUALLY CUT THE ENTIRE BUS.
>> FRONT TO BACK.
AND WE RAISE IT ANYWHERE FROM
ABOUT 10 TO 22 INCHES. BUT WHEN
WE QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT HIS
MANY ANGRY CUSTOMERS, THE
ANSWERS DIDN’T COME WHAT WAS SO
WHAT’S THE I’M
>> WARMER TIME. THE BUSES THAT
WE’VE SEEN HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED
AS DEATH TRAPS.
THEIR HAZARDS ACCIDENTS WAITING
TO HAPPEN. IF THERE WAS
ANYTHING LIKE THAT SAID WE’D BE
ON IT AND WE WILL WOULD LOVE
TO FIX THAT. HE BLAMED MOST OF
THE PROBLEMS ON A FORMER
CONTRACTOR. I STARTED
CONTRACTING OUT A COUPLE BILLS
BECAUSE WE STARTED IN VERY BUSY
AND WE NOTICE THAT EVERY
SINGLE.
>> ONE THAT HE TOUCHED. ARE
THE ONES THAT ARE UPSIDE.
HE ALSO BLAMED ITS CUSTOMERS
SAYING THEY’RE OUT TO GET HIM.
SO YOU FEEL THAT THESE PEOPLE
ARE DAMAGING YOUR BUSINESS?
TEY’VE THEY’VE DESTROYED.
MY COMPANY POTS DID EVENTUALLY
TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY.
AND MANY TOOK ON MORE CUSTOMERS
THAN HE COULD HANDLE, WHICH
RESULTED IN THE SUBPAR WORK.
>> HE SAYS HE WILL NOW PAY TO
HAVE THE BUSES FIXED OR GIVE
CUSTOMERS FULL REFUNDS. WE’RE
NOT GOING TO LET ANYBODY GO.
AT LEAST BEING.
>> REFUNDED BACK OR HELPED ARTS
SPOKEN TO DIRECTLY. BUT THIS
CUSTOMER SAYS IT’S ALL LIP
SERVICE. MY BUS WAS DELIVERED
MID DECEMBER AND WE’RE NOW IN
MAY. AND IT’S BEEN THE BACK AND
WE’RE GOING TO EXIT OR GOING TO
THAT. SO WE CONTACTED THIS
PERSON TO FIX IT. AIR FORCE
VETERAN LAURA AND ALREADY WAS
HORRIFIED WHEN LONESTAR
SCHOOLEY DELIVERED HER BOSS.
THERE’S LIKE NO. WHEN THEY WERE
SO EVER.
>> NO, THIS IT’S COMPLETELY
CRACKED. WAS THE GUY DRIVING
THAT LIKE THE NFL IN ON HIM?
ALSO THE FLOORS WERE RIDE IT
OUT. THIS IS OLD BOSS, FLORIDA.
THAT’S THE MOLD.
>> AND RUST ON TOP OF IT.
WIND ALREADY CHECKED THE TITLE.
SHE SAYS SHE LEARNED THE BUS
HAD BEEN FLOODED.
>> SOMETHING SHE SAYS POTTS
NEVER DISCLOSED TO HER AND EVEN
WORSE. HE ALSO JUMPED THE TITLE
SO WAS NEVER TRANSFERRED INTO
HIS NAME. HE DOESN’T ON SITE
TO GET A BONDED TITLE. SHE ALSO
SAYS SHE WAS CONTACTED BY
ANOTHER LONE STAR SCHOOLEY
CUSTOMER WHO PAID FOR A BUS.
THEY NEVER RECEIVED THAT
CUSTOMER HAD THE EXACT SAME
TITLE AS DOHERTY. AND SO THEY
WENT THAT WHOLE TIME, NOT
KNOWING THAT THEIR BUS WAS SOLD
OUT FROM UNDER THEM. SO WE
ASKED POTS ABOUT IT PARTICULAR.
>> I CAN’T TALK DUE TO
LITIGATION TO ACTUAL POLICE
REPORTS. BUT HE SAYS HE’S PAIN
THAT CUSTOMER BACK. SO THE BUS
REFUND WAS GIVEN.
>> AND THEN WE’RE ACTUALLY
STILL ON A PLAN WITH THE
REFUNDING. THE REST OF THE BILL
DOES WELL TO SAY YOU’RE PAYING
THEM BACK IN AS WE SPEAK TO
SIR.
>> AND NO WAY WE
BEST FEELING
>> YEAH. DOHERTY CAME TO SAN
ANTONIO 2 WEEKS AGO WHEN FILED
A LAWSUIT IN SMALL CLAIMS
COURT. YOU KNOW, IF I CAN DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT TO MAKE SURE
THAT SOMEBODY ELSE DOESN’T HURT
WHETHER OR NOT I GET MY MONEY
BACK IS IS MINUSCULE IN THE
IN THE LARGER SCHEME OF THINGS.
SHE WAS JOINED BY JOE BAKER, AN
ARMY VETERAN WHO SUING POTS
FOR TAKING $15,000, BUT NOT
DOING ANY WORK ON HIS VETERAN
OUTREACH BUS.
>> HE HAS A COURT DATE ON JUNE
7. THIS IS CRIMINAL. HE’S
TAKING PEOPLE’S MONEY AND NOT
PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
>> AND WE’RE JUST BLATANTLY
JUST RIPPING PEOPLE OFF.
SO WE’VE GOT SOME WATER COMING
THROUGH HERE.
>> WE GUY SO THEY CAN.
>> ACTUALLY POTS HAS NOT BEEN
CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME. DESPITE
ALL THE TROUBLES HE’S FACING.
POTTS IS STILL CONVERTING BUSES
AND HE SAYS DOING IT EVEN
BETTER AND IS NOW HOPING TO WIN
BACK. CUSTOMERS WERE GOING TO
GET THE MONEY BACK TO HIM.
>> WE’RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF
THEM. WE’RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE
NOBODY TIME DRY. BUT AS FORMER
CUSTOMERS SAY THEY DON’T
BELIEVE A THING. HE SAYS WHAT I
WOULD LOVE FOR HIM IS TO BE
HONEST. AND I THAT I JUST DON’T
THINK IT’S IT WILL HAPPEN.
I JUST DON’T THINK HE’S
CAPABLE.
THAT CONTRACTOR POTS BLAME SAYS
HE’S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY
OF STEP BUSES. HE SAYS HE ONLY
SUPPLIED LABORERS WHO WORKED
AT POTS AS WAREHOUSE.
>> UNDER POTS DIRECTION,
SEVERAL CUSTOMERS SAY THEY’RE
NOW STUCK WITH UNLIVABLE BUSES.
THEY DON’T EVEN FEEL
COMFORTABLE SELLING BECAUSE OF
ALL THE ELECTRICAL HAZARDS ON
THE LEGAL FRONT POTTS HAS
ALREADY LOST ONE CUSTOMER
LAWSUIT TO THE TUNE OF $26,000.
AND HE HAS PAID THAT JUDGMENT.
BUT DESPITE OTHER CASES BEING
FILED, POTS INSISTED HE’S ONE
OF THE BEST SCHOOL, THE
BUILDERS OUT THERE. AND ON
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, HE STARTED
SUPPLYING US WITH THE NAMES OF
WHAT HE SAYS ARE HAPPY AND