I
I HAD
I HAD NO
I HAD NO IDEA WHERE IT WAS GOING TO LEAD. I JUST DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO GET TAKEN
ADVANTAGE
OF"
ADVANTAGE OF" A BRAND NEW BATHROOM--- FOR A
WORLD WAR TWO
VETERAN..
THE KVUE DEFENDERS FIRST TOLD
YOU ABOUT RALPH
ELLIS-- WHEN HE GAVE 16-
THOUSAND DOLLARS TO A
CONTRACTOR, WHO NEVER DID THE
WORK..
WORK..
WORK.. MONTHS WENT BY-- AND HIS FAMILY
REACHED OUT TO US. AND AFTER OUR STORY AIRED--
PEOPLE STEPPED UP TO
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERICA
PROFFER FOLLOWED THE COMPLETE RENOVATION.
COMPLETE RENOVATION. "OKAY, HIT IT HARD .. GO!"
IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE.. REBUILD?..
RESTORE?..
REBUILD?.. RESTORE?.. MODIFY?
RESTORE?.. MODIFY? HARD TO DESCRIBE.
WHAT THIS IS . FOR RALPH ELLIS.
"IT'S KIND OF OVERWHELMING. "
BECAUSE THIS .
ISN'T WHAT HE PAID FOR LAST
APRIL.
"REMOVE THE TUB COMPLETELY."
RALPH ELLIS IS A 93-YEAR-OLD
WORLD WAR II VETERAN.
HE PAID $16,000 TO "ONE DAY BATH
OF TEXAS" TO MAKE HIS
BATHROOM HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE.
THE CONTRACTOR NEVER DID THE
WORK.
" I'M 93. HOW MUCH LONGER WILL I
GO?"
GO?" SO,
GO?" SO, THE FAMILY CALLED US. 1 DAY BATH'S DONALD BOCKMAN REFUSED GO ON CAMERA.
"I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF HE HAS
CONTACTED MR. ELLIS"
AFTER OUR STORY AIRED, GARY
HENLEY SAID HE WOULD
HELP.
"WE CAN PUT THE SHOWR BACK IN
THIS SPACE."
HE'S THE OWNER OF HENLEY HOMES
AND BOARD MEMBER
FOR OPERATION FINALLY HOME.
"SAW THE PROGRAM YOU PUT OUT AND
SAID WE HAVE
FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAN
COME HELP US."
THIS WALL OUT TO GIVE YOU
ANOTHER FOOT OF SPACE IN HERE,"
OPERATION FINALLY HOME BUILDS
AND MODIFIES
HOMES FOR VETERANS.
"YOU'LL HAVE A SPACE IN HERE"
HE BECAME THE ORGANIZER.
JOBS
"THE TUB COMES OUT AND ALL OF
THIS TILE"
"THE VANITY GOES AWAY, THE
MIRROR, THE LIGHTS" "IT'S KIND
OF
OF AN
OF AN UNUSUAL FEELING" "ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT ALL BACK
TOGETHER?"
BACK TOGETHER?" NOT AS FAST AS IT TOOK TO TEAR
DOWN.
"THIS IS THE THIN SET FOR
THE SHOWER PAN,"
PAUL RALEY OWNS RALEY DESIGN
BUILD. AND LIVES
THREE BLOCKS DOWN FROM RALPH.
"IN THIS CASE IT WILL BE PRETTY
LOW
LOW SO
LOW SO MR. ELLIS CAN GET AND OUT WITH EASE" HE DONATED HIS SERVICE TO BUILD
THE SHOWER.
"IT'S GOING TO BE A PERFECT
PRODUCT THAT'S GOING TO LAST A
LONG TIME."
LONG TIME."
LOWE'S
LOWE'S DONATED THE MATERIAL. MATERIAL SIX WEEKS..
TO GO.
FROM THIS..
TO THIS..
"CAN YOU SEE THE SEAT ON THE
INSIDE?"
"IT'S SOLID. I CAN WASH MY FEET
NOW"
"COOL ISN'T IT? THIS IS MY PRIDE
AND JOY"
"THIS TOO IS A WOW"
THE BATHROOM MEETS DISABILITY
REQUIREMENTS.
"THEY ALSO PUT BALANCE BARS"
THE RENOVATIONS WENT BEYOND THE
BATHROOM.
"THIS IS CALLED A BARN DOOR,"
JUST SLIDES REAL EASY,"
NEW CEILING FANS IN THE BEDROOM.
FLOORING, PAINT AND ADDITIONAL
LIGHTING THROUGHOUT
THE HOME.
"I THINK IT'S GREAT. SOMETIMES I
WONDER IF I'M
ASLEEP OR DREAMING"
PANTRY DOOR
IN THE KITCHEN. NEW DOORS LEAD
TO A FULLY
STOCKED PANTRY.
"YOU GOT THIS STUFF
HEB
DONATED THE FOOD.
"THEY FILLED THE CLOSET UP."
"JUST
"JUST TO
"JUST TO HAVE HIM HAPPY. THAT'S THE WIN-WIN FOR ALL OF US."
THE WORK..
TWO ONE
WENT BEYOND THE HOUSE WALLS..
"I'M SO PROUD OF WHAT THE
GEORGETOWN POLICE
DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO DO,"
GEORGETOWN POLICE INVESTIGATED
BOCKMAN.
THE FAMILY GOT REIMBURSED.
MONEY THE FAMILY DONATED TO
OPERATION FINALLY HOME.
"I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PAY IT
FORWARD,"
SO. NO..
IT'S MORE THAN REBUILD.
MORE THAN A RESTORE.
TO NEW
MORE THAN A MODIFICATION..
"WHAT A NICE JOB THEY'VE DONE
WITH
WITH MY
WITH MY HOME" HE GOT. MORE. "I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO SAY. I'M JUST FLABBERGASTED
"
. GOT TO EXPERIENCE A
COMMUNITY.. COMING
TOGETHER SO SUPPORT ANOTHER.
"FEEL LIKE A CELEBRITY"
WE
WE REACHED BACK OUT TO DONALD BOCKMAN. THE CONTRACTOR WHO DIDN'T DO THE
WORK.
LILLY BOCKMAN, THE PERSON WHO
RUNS THE COMPANY,
ISSUED A STATEMENT.
IN PART. IT READS. ".AFTER OUR
COMPANY SPENT SEVERAL THOUSAND
DOLLARS IN SUPPLIES, OVERHEAD
AND EMPLOYEE TIME, LISA ELIS.
RALPH ELLIS'S
DAUGHTER.. BREACHED THE CONTRACT
AND REJECTED OUR
ATTEMPTS TO COMPLETE THE
PROJECT. MY SMALL BUSINESS
SUFFERED A LARGE FINANCIAL LOSS
BECAUSE OF
THEIR VIOLATION OF THE
CONTRACT."
THE FAMILY DENIES ANY BREACH OF
CONTRACT.
FOR THE KVUE DEFENDERS. ERICA
PROFFER.. KVUE NEWS.