Complaint Review: Roofing & Restoration Services of America -

SUMMARY:  This complaint is against the company Roofing & Restoration Services of America (RRSA), Waxahachie, Texas for their failure to bargain in good faith to settle my $2,404 claim for collateral water damage to my house as a result of the complete shingle replacement they did on November 15, 2016.  Evidence shows that somebody on the RRSA roof crew, or equipment they were using (such as a heavy bundled pack of shingles) struck the PVC furnace exhaust stack on the roof with such force that it tore apart two PVC joints  - both ends -(and their insulation) attached to the gas furnace in the attic, one 90 degree PVC elbow joint outside the furnace in the attic and one PVC joint inside the furnace that carried away condensation to the outside drains.  This caused condensation to form on the exposed PVC pipes with no insulation which dripped down from the attic floor through interior walls and into our bathroom light switch, closet floor, and under the wood floors outside the bathroom and closet below, which we discovered on January 20 and 21, 2016.  Hot furnace exhaust gas, including deadly carbon monoxide, seeped into the attic space due to the pulled apart PVC joints.  This could have been a deadly situation, something RRSA fails to recognize or even be concerned about.  RRSA would not pay the $2,404 damages unless they could get estimates from their own subcontractors.

EVEVTS:  I called the RRSA Warranty Manager in Waxahachie, TX on Friday, January 20, 2016 regarding the water leak in my bathroom coming from the attic.   I had originally thought the leak was from one of the roof PVC stack flashings.   Upon my inspection, I did not see any water leaking from the attic roof.  But, I did call an HVAC Tech to come out and look at the furnace since the insulation was torn off the exhaust stack and there was visible condensation on the exposed PVC pipe that was leaking  and dripping onto the attic floor (above the bathroom).   Another problem, the HVAC Tech discover  was the PVC exhaust stack connection that was pulled apart, which had condensation and was also dripping, and had also been leaking deadly carbon monoxide  gas into the confined attic space. (Note:  RRSA was provided pictures from the attic of the broken PVC connection and the ripped off PVC exhaust stack insulation.)

I informed RRSA that an HVAC tech discovered the leak was due to a break in the elbow joint of the PVC exhaust stack in the attic that was attached to the gas furnace.  The insulation around that broken PVC exhaust joint had also been loosened and some of the exhaust gas had condensed on the exposed PVC pipe and dripped onto the attic floor and down the inside wall into my bathroom through a light switch plate.

 The HVAC tech asked if anybody had been on my roof since they did the annual winter inspection on October 23, 2016 (my HVAC system is less than 2 years old). I told him RRSA roofers had just replaced my shingles in November 2016, just a month after I had the HVAC system in the attic checked for the winter.  No such damage to the PVC exhaust stack existed then. 

The HVAC tech stated that this was his belief that one of the RRSA roofers must have struck the exhaust stack on the roof, since it would take a lot of weight to pull apart the two PVC joints and rip off the pipe insulation.  There is no other plausible explanation.  The PVC stack joint was sealed and the pipe insulation secured by the HVAC Tech and the leak in the bathroom light switch stopped.  The question was, since the roof was done more than two month ago, was that leak going on for two months?  Were there other leaks?

I asked RRSA if they could call the Manassas, VA. Project Manager that was in charge of the crew that did the shingle replacement in November 2016 and have him talk to the crew members to see if anybody knew if the roof PVC exhaust pipe had been hit.  RRSA laughed and said the crew “wouldn’t remember” and they were now scattered around several jobs in other areas anyway.  During the shingle replacement in November, the RRSA project manager had told me that the crew that did my house, “Was his best crew”, but I guess not good enough to remember if anyone of them hit the roof exhaust pipe stack.

The next day, Saturday, January 21, 2016, we discovered a new leak dripping from one of the closets outside the bathroom and onto the hard wood floors, again directly under the HVAC in the attic.  I went up to the attic and discover water coming out from under the furnace.  The HVAC Tech was called out again and found that another PVC joint inside the actual gas furnace itself was also pulled apart.  It was the pipe that drained condensation from the furnace exhaust stack to the outside drains.  This occurrence of another PVC joint being pulled out backed up the  earlier HVAC Tech’s claim that a lot of force had been exerted on the exhaust stack on the roof for that joint to be broken, too.  The PVC joint inside the furnace was resealed and there were no more leaks. 

Luckily we didn’t die from any fumes that built up in the attic from the broken PVC joints.

On Monday, January 23, 2016, I told RRSA about the second leak.  RRSA asked me, “What I wanted?”  He was obviously fishing and could sense that I would be asking RRSA to pay for the collateral damage.  I didn’t give RRSA a figure since I didn’t know the extent of the damage.  I told RRSA that I would call my insurance to get an estimate.  In an excited voice RRSA said, “Don’t call your insurance, they will subro me!” (i.e., the insurance company would try to recover any payout they would make to me directly from RRSA’s insurance by “subrogation”).

On Wednesday, 25 January, 2016 several insurance company adjusters came out to inspect the damage.  Using “Xactimate,” the industry standard replacement cost estimating software for property claims, they came up with a detailed nine page estimate of $2,404 for dry wall repair, painting, and hard wood floor repair.

On Friday morning, January 27, 2016, I called RRSA and told them what I wanted (to answer RRSA’s question from Monday) was for RRSA to pay the $2,404 and I wouldn’t accept the insurance payout and would cancel the claim, so there would be no subrogation.   I e-mailed RRSA the nine page estimate.  RRSA never called me back or acknowledged the e-mail.  Stall tactic.

On Monday morning, January 28, 2015, I called RRSA again.  RRSA gave me what I perceived as “the run around” and asked me to send several pictures of the wall and floor damage, which I did.  I told RRSA it was hard to see in the pictures what the water damage was on the wood floors due to the glare and low light, but the three insurance adjusters saw it and that is why it was in their estimate.

On Tuesday morning, January 29, 2016, I called RRSA again. This time they said they would not agree to “just” send me a check for $2,404 based on just one estimate, even if it was from insurance.  RRSA said Xactmate was overrated and always estimated high.  It didn’t make any difference that it was detailed nine page estimate.  RRSA wanted me to use “their” own mold testing and remediation (that was never an issue), dry wall, painting, and floor estimators.  I was not comfortable with that.  I wanted to use my own contractors and not ones that subcontracted with RRSA.  RRSA told me that I could just file with my insurance company and they would take their chances with subrogation.  That was the last straw and ended our discussions.  I just hung up as I was totally frustrated with dealing with this company (and maybe that’s just what RRSA wanted).

RRSA will probably say I was unprofessional because I hung up.  So be it.  I have to eat the damages (which I didn’t cause) if I don’t file the insurance claim (because I have had the previous shingle replacement claim) and don’t take a payout of $1,404 ($1,000 deductible).  RRSA will also probably state they negotiated in good faith (but then again, only if I agreed to use their estimators).    They will say I didn’t.   RRSA will also probably declare everything I wrote is not true.  What else can they say?   RRSA will probably moan that I sent a complaint to the Dallas Better Business Bureau (BBB) to early because they were not through with “negotiating”, so I’m to blame.   Enough.  In the final analysis, RRSA refused to take responsibility for their actions, or lack thereof, in this matter.  Simple as that. 

Al-in-all, I don’t think RRSA ever considered the serious ramifications of their actions in his matter. I don’t think they ever thought that my wife and I could have died from the carbon dioxide poisoning from fumes leaking from the attic because of the broken PVS exhaust pipe most likely caused by RRSA  ………  I just don’t think they care.

Funny thing is, RRSA has an A+ rating with the Dallas, TX BBB.  Wonder what the requirements are for membership?