Citrus Park residents frustrated by local company hired to repair Irma damage

Homeowners looking to move forward after Hurricane Irma destroyed parts of their homes are now battling to get those repairs done.

Some residents living in the Citrus Park community hired local contracting company Suntec Aluminum to fix what the hurricane damaged.

But earlier this year, after paying thousands to the company for their services, residents say the work is still not done.

Cathy Petros and her husband Mike Tank thought the damage would be fixed by now.

“I’m past frustration, now it’s like I don’t know what to do anymore,” Petros said.

They hired Suntec Aluminum in February to replace their carport, fix the roof on their shed and repair their lanai.

“I haven’t seen them since the day I gave them the check,” Tank said.

It’s been 47 days since then and their home remains in disrepair.

The couple paid Suntec $5,500 but have not seen any repair work even begin.

“They promised us the sun, the moon, the stars, told us we were family,” Tank said. “I’m feeling like maybe we got swindled.”

A similar story popped up just down the street with residents Patty and Pat MacDonald. Suntec already built their brand new carport, but since then, their yard has been littered with construction debris and tools.

“We’ve given them $10,000 down and we haven’t seen them in a week and a half,” Patty said.

They hired the company in January, but they say they haven’t been able to get answers on when the work will be finished.

“They don’t answer their phone—it’s always a recording,” Patty said. “We just don’t hear back from them.”

Both couples say they signed contracts, but made verbal agreements on when the construction projects would be completed.

For Petros, it was April 1. For MacDonald, it was March.

But Suntec disputes this.

Company attorney Michael Kayusa argues that because the written contracts don’t have a completion date, Suntec has done nothing wrong.

“There’s been no default on my client’s part,” he said.

Kayusa says a disgruntled ex-salesman may have given the couples those estimates on when the work would be finished, but the company itself is only liable for what was signed and was in writing.

“The company takes responsibility for its contractual obligation,” Kayusa said.

Which, he adds, is to do the work. The company argues the work on Petros’ home started after they cashed the check and the materials arrived on site.

Both couples say they don’t feel the company is holding up their end of the bargain. And they now doubt if they can trust them with their money—and to finish the job.

“People put their faith in these companies, and if they couldn’t do it, let us know, just be upfront,” Petros said.

Petros says the company came to her home Friday and started drawing plans. She says the company agreed, in writing, that those will be done on Monday, April 16.

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The Lee Builder’s Association provides these tips on hiring a contractor:

• Check for arbitration clauses, in case there’s an issue with the work
• Get everything in writing—including estimates & start and finish dates for the project