CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi woman has asked the Troubleshooters for help getting Windstorm Certification for the new roof she had installed on her home.
She said this is an issue because the new roof was installed more than six months ago.
We contacted the roofer and the engineer for this project.
"Why did you call us?" we asked Sandi Barnett. "I called you because I've been having problems getting my final Windstorm Certificate from the roofer that put a new roof on my home."
She showed us the new roof installed on her house, in April, by MC Roofing.
Barnett said she's lived in this house eight years, but her insurance told her she needed a new roof.
So, in April, she hired Manuel Castro and MC Roofing, $6500 down in May when the job was done.
The contract calls for Castro to provide a Windstorm Certificate. But he has not.
At least not so far.
Why not?
"The initial reason was that it was submitted timely, but someone at the state had transposed my address," Barnett recalled Castro told her. "They had it, but that it had to be corrected."
Barnett said Castro's stories have changed again and again ever since.
"You needed a new roof why?" we asked Barnett. "I needed a new roof because my insurance company had sent me a letter stating that my roof was old enough that they weren't going to cover it 100 percent."
The Troubleshooters spoke with Manuel Castro by phone Wednesday Dec. 14. He promised to care of this matter within 2-3 days, but he has not.
We also left him a voicemail Monday, Dec. 19. He has not responded.
Barnett shared one of many text exchanges she's had with Castro.
"You don't need to burn me. So give me this week and I'll give you the papers and sorry for the time. Sorry for your time. And my response to him was 'you burned me and I'm done with your lies, Pinnochio,'" she sent in a text.
We also contacted the engineer on the project, Orlando Ortiz.
He told us Castro still hasn't paid him the $350 standard fee for a re-roof like this, even after we informed Castro we were doing this story.
Ortiz further told us he's had late payment problems with Castro before.
Once he receives payment in full, he'll submit the necessary paperwork to the Texas Department of Insurance. Then 1-2 days later, TDI issues Barnett the WPI-8 Certificate.
