Lake Stevens relatives suffers dwelling renovation nightmare

LAKE STEVENS, Clean — It started out as a uncomplicated program to flip their garage into an condominium for Shawn Alameda’s elderly mom and dad, but items came aside quickly.

“It really is a nightmare,” mentioned Shawn. “This is honesty the worst factor we have at any time expert as grown ups in our lives.”

The Alamedas say their contractor located a leaky roof which unleashed a torrent of problems, to the issue where the pair moved their three little ones out of the household about basic safety fears.

“It’s so unfair,” mentioned Julie Alameda, the kids’ mother. “It’s unbearable.”

Soon immediately after the roof fix commenced, it begun raining.

H2o soaked the couple’s grasp bedroom and bath up coming to the garage, doing extensive problems. That was again at the beginning of June, and the family even now has no roof.

Incomplete repairs have remaining the family with no jogging water. Bottled h2o cleans the dishes. The few showers at a close by campground, and they can not use their rest room.

“We get in touch with it the walk of disgrace to go use the lavatory, a Porta Potty in my front garden,” stated Julie, shaking her head in disbelief.

“It can be hell. It really is,” Shawn added.

The pair claimed they paid the contractor a total of $82,000 and their house is scarcely habitable.

“This just isn’t $82,000 really worth of perform, but I ensure you it’s $82,000 well worth of problems,” reported Julie.

Generating matters even worse, the family members claimed industry experts informed them the water harm just isn’t confined to the spot all over the garage. It’s all over the total household.

“They’re suggesting that my total property be taken down to the studs,” said Julie. “That could price tag $180,000.”

The Alamedas invested 10 years constructing their house together a bucolic region road. They have lifted chickens and developed their have food. Now, their days are consumed with only putting a roof above their heads.

They’re approximately out of dollars, and they are jogging out of time as the seasons change and rain is looming.

“The worry, the anxiety … I’m physically unwell,” explained Julie. “The stress has me vomiting every working day.”

At this point, the pair is just hoping to someday have their loved ones less than just one once roof again.

“We go to mattress making an attempt to determine out what we’re gonna do tomorrow to make it a better day,” claimed Shawn.

The Alamedas questioned KING 5 Information not to use the contractor’s identify simply because they’re still hoping to operate out a resolution.

In a assertion to KING 5, the contractor accused the pair of making bogus allegations versus him and violating their contract.

The contractor stated he is functioning on having the good permits to finish the job and added, “I have generally done my ideal to give all my consumers what they shell out for and go previously mentioned and over and above for them.”

In accordance to the Lawyer General’s Office environment, contractor-connected grievances are not uncommon. In 2022 by itself, their place of work has 710 contractor grievances. In 2021, they acquired 893 problems.

Washington Office of Labor and Industries (L&I) has in-depth steps on how to opt for a contractor. The steps consist of making a specific challenge system, verifying the future contractor’s license and finalize a penned settlement. Much more details can be discovered on L&I’s internet site.

Pals of the loved ones have started off a GoFundMe for them. It can be discovered below.