>> What would you do if you
were suddenly stop stuck with a
huge bill all because of
someone else’s mistake on this
could happen to anyone who
hires people to do work at
their home. Just so happened
here. Desperate homeowner
contacted KPRC, 2 investigator
Amy Davis with the contractors
caused thousands of dollars
worth of damage. And now this
lady can’t seem to get anybody
to help. Amy, good morning.
>> Yeah, good morning, guys.
We all know that mistakes
happen. They do, right. But
when it comes to who is
responsible and who should make
it right? Well, that depends on
what side of the fence you’re
on.
>> My heart stopped. You know,
I couldn’t breathe. $18,000.
It’s a really big bow.
>> Bernadette Hagan is stuck
with a giant bill. It started
with this new fence. It’s in
our backyard in Kingwood, but
she doesn’t own it because her
property backs up to public
Greenbelt. The fence belongs to
the Sherwood Elm Grove Trail
Association. The Association
hired a contractor to replace
the fence last August.
Everything seemed fine until
months later. So on Tuesday,
December, the 6th.
>> I suddenly lost half the
power to my house. Several
experts told Bernadette the
same thing. The underground
electric line was damaged
during the fence installed.
>> I said, well, that’s a long
time ago. And he said, well,
that’s what happens. He says,
if you don’t several wire
completely and you, Nick, it
then in about 3 to 6 months,
it will snap and you lose power
and the kicker repairs wouldn’t
be as easy as just replacing
the damaged line. My house is
an older home. It’s
grandfathered into old or
codes. So in order for them
to legally do the job, they
have to bring the house up to
code the repair total, $18,293.
Which pretty much put me in a
heart attack. But I’ve needed
power with no power. She
couldn’t wait. Bernadette
finance the whole job. I don’t
have 18,000. Callers. I don’t.
And when the repair crews dug
up the line. The wire is under
the pole and cemented to the
poll. They told her this could
only have happened when the
concrete was poured for the
new fence in April, the fence
company filed a claim with its
insurance to cover the repair
costs.
>> But they denied the claim.
They called me and said that
they were denying the claim.
>> Because they felt that the
lying marker that the 8, 1, 1,
didn’t mark the right lines.
>> The fence company never
returned our phone calls, but
Bernadette’s as a
representative told her, they
explained to the client that
they are not responsible for
damage to any unmarked utility
lines. But in this case,
Bernadette is not the client to
client is the Trail
Association.
>> Over 4 months passed and
it’s there’s no resolution and
I’ve spent most of that time
reaching out
to be trails association after
repeated calls and e-mails.
The association president told
KPRC 2 news.
>> They are actively working
with the relevant parties to
resolve this issue and settle
any claims for damage caused by
the associations contractor.
I did reach out to a home
owner’s rights attorney who
told me it is unclear whether
the fence company or the Trail
Association who hired them is
responsible for bernadette’s
damages.
>> But he said it is clear that
burned at is the only party who
didn’t take any action that
caused the damage. In
hindsight, Bernadette says she
wishes she would have taken
more photos to show the utility
flag marker. She remembers in
her backyard at the time.
And if you’re having work done,
you should also ask for the
names and contact information
of contractors. Even if you
didn’t hire them or you’re not
responsible for the work that
they’re doing, we have more
information for you on this
case in your rights. When
companies do work on your
property, you can find that
on click 2 Houston
dot com. There’s so much.
You know, 2020 haha. I think so
many people have, you know,
for one reason or another,
you’ll find contractors in your
yard or right by your yard and
just kind of pay attention to
what they’re doing and whether
they’re that extra step.
And yeah, questions take some
pictures or videos to help you
down the road. Okay. It didn’t
rise. Actually. That’s the sad
part of the whole story is that
she’s there. They’re taking
care of everything. And so
she’s just sitting in her house
while this is going on.
>> And then you have this issue
pop-up months later and then
she’s the one taking the floor