LANTANA, Fla. — A Lantana homeowner is breathing a sigh of relief after turning to WPTV for help with a roofing contractor he said left him with unfinished repairs and a lien on his home.
Stephen McCoy, a disabled and retired veteran, came to WPTV's Let's Hear It event in Boynton Beach after months of frustration.
"I didn’t have any luck," McCoy said.
WATCH BELOW: Veteran says lien lifted after WPTV started asking questions
McCoy said he needed to replace his nearly 20-year-old roof ahead of hurricane season, so he hired Seabreeze Roofing and Sheet Metal in Boynton Beach.
"I (saw) them a lot in this neighborhood," McCoy said. "They came out right away. They started on the roof. I made my payments."
McCoy showed WPTV investigative reporter Kate Hussey six payments made out to the company, totaling more than $17,000. He said he was mostly satisfied with the work, except for two holes he said were left unfinished on the back side of his home.
"They left a big hole up there," McCoy said.
That is when McCoy said the company stopped responding.
"I have not been able to get in contact with them," he said. "I have sent plenty of emails. I even went physically myself up to the building like two or three times."
Screenshots McCoy shared with WPTV show that between Jan. 26 and Feb. 10, he called, texted and emailed the company. One email shows he heard back from a worker on Feb. 5, who said the owner would call him.
"He never did," McCoy said.
Then, McCoy said letters from Gulfeagle Supply started showing up in his mailbox, warning that the company had filed a nearly $7,000 lien with the county on his home.
The lien document says Gulfeagle Supply furnished materials to Seabreeze Roofing for McCoy's property but was not paid for those supplies.
"They’re basically saying they never paid them the $6,900, so now they took a lien out on my house," McCoy said. "I wanted to throw up, seriously. I've never had anything like that."
McCoy said he worried he would have to hire an attorney or go to court.
"I'm sure you know that costs me a couple thousand," he said.
Hussey went to Seabreeze Roofing and spoke directly with the owner, asking about the unpaid materials and the lien. He declined to comment on camera, citing legal reasons.
But within an hour, there was a major update in McCoy's case.
Hussey returned to McCoy's home with a final waiver of lien, signed by Gulfeagle Supply and notarized.
"This is the final waiver of lien, so the lien has been lifted off your home," Hussey told him.
"Oh my God, how did you do that?" McCoy said. "Are you serious?"
McCoy also learned the contractor would send someone back to fix the two problem areas on his roof.
"I've been going through hell," McCoy said. "I have not gotten a response, not even a phone call from these people in months. You just left here like two hours ago."
About an hour after McCoy received the waiver, he sent WPTV a photo of crews back on his roof finishing the job.
"I felt like crying,” McCoy said. "You just don’t know how much of a burden this was off of me. You went through detail after detail and really took care of me."
Relief, after months of waiting and worrying.
"I'm going to frame this with your picture," McCoy joked.
