In 1989 California pools engineered and built a swimming pool in our backyard. The pool cracked and leaked almost immediately. We had it repaired 9 times in the first 10 years. Finally we insisted that they repair it properly by "stitching" which involves saw cutting the cracks and reinforcing the rebar...which was found to be substandard to code requirements. This crack was in the deep end of our pool and has not leaked since. Recently we noticed that a similar crack appeared in the shallow end of our pool and we have been trying unsuccessfully since last April to get California Pools to repair the leak under their "lifetime" structural warranty. The salesperson that sold us the pool Fred Schiel visited the pool in late April and told us that business is really slow and that he could not honor our warranty even though he promised us that our pool was built strongly enough to stand on its own
without any soil supporting it at all. Cal pools is now saying that our pool is cracking because of soil movement as it was built on fill. They knew this when they built the pool as they did the engineering and gave the OK to build. If a soils issue was present, they should not have built the pool in the first place which is what Fred told us during his visit. He also told us that he hoped we would move swo that the lifetime warranty was no longer valid. Fred is no longer responding to our phone calls and he only answers his voice mail if the call comes from one of our friends phones numbers as he thinks it is a new customer. Dealing with Cal pools corporate has been just as frustrating as they are apparently also apparently also conspiring to not honor their
warranty. We have complete documentation of all these leaks starting back when the pool was built. This pool was obviously poorly engineered and built using substandard materials and we would like it repaired or replaced with a properly constructed pool. We paid a lot of money for this pool...over $33,000 back in 1989 and we have not been able to enjoy it due to all the problems we have had with it. We would like to settle this amicably if possible but Cal pools has so far refused to do the right thing and repair their defective workmanship on our pool. I tried to attach 8 exhibits to this email, please let me know if you did not receive them.
Thank you
Betty Miller
West Covina,#2UPDATE Employee
Wed, October 19, 2011
It is unfortunate that Mr. Menjou has had to experience these challenges with his California Pool. Since 1952, California Pools has built over 60,000 swimming pools. We build each one hoping that it will provide years of pleasure and memories for our customers. When our customers are not happy, we are not happy. As Mr. Menjou has stated, we have tried to help him solve his challenges for over 20 years now all at our expense.
Pursuant to his most recent request, we sent representatives out to his property, yet again, in order to assist him. However, we have reached a point where we believe the root of the problem must be addressed before we can be of further assistance.
On August 4, 2011, California Pools hired a structural engineer to inspect the property. The following statements came from his report:
A review of the hardscape surrounding the pool area shows distress in many areas.
The location and nature of the cracks witnessed in the above-mentioned pool strongly suggest that it has experienced continued stress due to movement of the bearing soils.
The cracks in the pool also suggest that the property may be gradually creeping or moving in the same direction. The evidence also shows that the pool is struggling to maintain structural integrity with this movement condition.
The homeowner may want to consult with a soils engineer and attempt to determine the cause of the soil movement of the pool area and suggest possible mitigation measures to stabilize the area. It is apparent that this movement has been on-going for years.
Mr. Menjou has a beautiful hillside property in Rancho Palos Verdes. Unfortunately, the property is experiencing soil slippage, which is beyond the control of California Pools. We have always done our best to inform our customers of the conditions which might limit our lifetime structural warranty, including the following statements contained in our Contract and on our Warranty Certificate:
Buyer warrants that the soil within the construction area is compacted to a least 90% and has a minimum bearing capacity of 1,000 pounds per square foot.
Warranty Limitations: Damages caused by earth or fill, ground movement, earthquake, acts of God, or acts of others.
A copy of the Warranty Certificate can be viewed on our website at: californiapools.com
California Pools stands ready and willing to assist Mr. Menjou with his property challenges, as we have for the past 20 years, however, the circumstances of his lot requires work outside of the expertise and responsibility of California Pools. We recommend that he seek the professional assistance of a certified soils engineer to evaluate and recommend solutions to his lot issues. Upon resolution of those issues, his pool challenges can then be addressed.
Betty Miller
Customer Relations