-
May 14, 2008 10:09 pm US/Pacific
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Call Kurtis: The Fence Feud
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
Wind blew down a fence shared by two neighbors, but getting half the cost reimbursed from the out-of-state owner was hard. Maybe we could help.
"Yeah, this thing's a lot more solid than it was, that's for sure," said homeowner Doug Weinrich.
He put a lot of work and money into that fence. January storms blew fences down all over the Sacramento area, and Doug's was one of them.
"The fence basically blew over from this way," all 90 feet of it. It runs down his property line and separates his yard from his neighbor's, which has a pool.
So, he took some two-by-fours and propped it back up for safety. His neighbor didn't know about the damage -- they live in Washington.
Doug called their property manager, Resa Property Management, and it took two months, but Resa finally told him the owner agreed to pay half the cost of repair, and to go ahead and start the work.
Doug did. He bought the materials, "8-foot steel posts, the concrete mix," then he and a small crew labored all weekend and got the job done.
It cost him more than $360.
"Well, in my mind I'm owed for half of it, just like I said in the invoice," Doug said.
On March 8th, Doug faxed that invoice and the receipts to Resa Property Management, and waited for the check he was promised. A month went by, and despite making several calls, no check arrived.
Resa last told him their accountant would get to it soon.
"And that's when I decided, heck with it," Doug said. "I'm not going to deal with him anymore. I'm not getting any results. I'll call you guys."
We called Resa Property Management. They initially told us they didn't owe Doug anything. We reminded them they agreed to pay half the costs and they're responsible for keeping that pool safe.
That's when their story changed.
They said they told Doug the check would be cut during their next rent-collection period for that property.
Safety was always on Doug's mind, but for him, it also comes down to being a good neighbor. "In my mind that's how you know a judge of character," he said.
"You say you're gonna do something whether it's in writing or not, you know you do it."
Resa Property Management says it mailed the check to Doug four days ago. He still hasn't received it.
A building inspector with the county told us that not having a pool is a violation. If an owner refuses to fix it, they can drain the pool and put a lien on their home.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)