Complaint Review: Home Comfort Now - East Hartford Connecticut

To the X-owners rebuttal:

Ok, I understand money being tight, but most of us just want someone to talk to and to straighten out our warrantee problems. You say we can contact the builder of these sun rooms in your rebuttal, so can you post up the name of the builder, their phone number, and or email address and or company address, so we can contact them with our problems? 

I am one of the customers with a leak, and the sun room twisted due to the snow load over the winter. I had problems before this and was never able to contact anyone.

Where the construction workers went into my roof to make the "saddle", leaks and there's shingles falling off and missing, and the roof sinks in. Plus the room itself sank in one corner, the sonic tube is sinking slowly and needs to be addressed. I was assured that the room and the cement tubes would never be a problem, guess what, they are! I was also told it would be warranted if I ever had a problem and is in the contract. 

Please step up and do the right thing for the customers who trusted and supported you and your company. Post up the information we need to take care of our wantantees!!

As owner of a successful home improvement company, I was in business for over 10 years and built my company, Home Comfort Now (HCN), into a $7 million dollar enterprise.  The company changed names at one point to be more inclusive and expand to other products rather than just Sunroom Design. I utilized the same tax ID number since it was in effect, the same business.

 

After many years, in order to continue to expand HCN, I went into Sam’s Clubs in 2003 and Home Depot in 2007 as one of their approved vendors.  To qualify for these programs my company and I were thoroughly checked out, including our financial statements, through the Better Business Bureau, Office of Consumer Protection, etc. who each found no negative or unanswered complaints or poor business practices both professionally and personally.  To finance the Home Depot opportunity I borrowed approximately $1 million from the same bank I had been doing business with for over thirteen years.  In the end, the high cost of doing business with Home Depot, the financial terms that they changed midstream, and the severe recession that impacted all home renovations eventually became too large a drain on my cash flow.

 

In the last 6 months of HCN’s existence I sold my property, took a second mortgage on my house, and cashed in life insurance policies to fund my failing business, believing that I need only wait out the recession.  During all this time, I did not take a personal paycheck.  The recession went deeper and longer than any of us expected and the home improvement lenders were backing out of the business as home equities dropped.  The economic bounce back I was waiting for never happened.

 

When I realized my company would not survive, I stopped accepting new work and focused on completing jobs under contract. I paid all my employees, thus there were no open complaints at the CT Dept. of Labor.  My bank lender took all my assets including our commercial building, trucks, and office furniture to cover a portion of the company debt.  I filed personal bankruptcy in August of 2009 and the company, having no remaining assets, was dissolved.  The FBI evaluated my business and me to be certain I was not hiding assets or engaging in illegal activity. Finding nothing, I was discharged in bankruptcy.

 

My company had outstanding jobs that I was unable to finish since all my suppliers were “cash on delivery” and I had no cash. With no money to finish those jobs, people were angry with me.  I did not have the financial resources to handle it any differently nor the legal right or authority to help them.  They couldn’t contact me because I no longer was able to pay my phone bill.  My greatest regret is that they trusted me and I let them down. To those ten customers I continue to say I am sorry; but I understand that words will never make it right. Due to my licensing with the state, there is a fund where those individuals can seek compensation. I sincerely hope that each of them contact Consumer Protection to access available funds.

 

For the over 1500 HCN satisfied customers who have warranty concerns, the manufacturer is required by state law to warranty the consumer directly thus there should be no warranty issues should you have structural problems due to this winter’s heavy snow loads.

 

For three months after my company went out of business I worked for Ideal Energy Solutions. I was an employee of that company. With 33 years of experience in the industry and 17 years as an owner, I felt I could provide lower prices and better workmanship if I were in business for myself.  In March 2010 I opened my new company, Jacob’s Ladder, to provide green friendly home improvement products and promote energy savings products to save money on heating and cooling costs.  I work out of my home to keep overhead low, prices even lower, and my plan is to keep my company small so that I can provide the best customer service, best prices, and outstanding quality to my customers. I hope that you will be willing to give me a chance to work with you.  As my present customers will tell, you won’t be sorry. 

 

Best wishes,

Sam Flory

Jacob’s Ladder

 

We have tried to call no answer! Some lines have machines no call backs! We drove there shop closed,office closed. All trucks parked looks like they shut down! Look out they have changed there name before! THERE NEW NAME AT THE STATE OF CT Ideal Energy Solutions LLC, 13 Highland St., East Hartford, CT 06108. Samuel J. Flory