An 81-year-old Jacksonville woman says \u201cfree\u201d grant-funded home upgrades left her with crushing debt. When Anthony Austin dug deeper, he found she\u2019s not alone.<\/p>\n
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 At 81 years old, Bobbie Anderson says she believed she was getting help, not debt.<\/p>\n
Living on a fixed income and battling cancer, the Jacksonville woman said she was told home improvements, including a new air-conditioning system, would be paid for with government grant money.<\/p>\n
Nearly two years later, Anderson says she is being told she owes tens of thousands of dollars for work she never agreed to finance. Her family reached out to Ask Anthony<\/a> for help.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need nothing over my head,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cAnd this here, it\u2019s over my head. I don\u2019t have no money to give these people.\u201d<\/p>\n Anderson said it began nearly three years ago with a community meeting that promised assistance for homeowners. She applied for help and received new windows and bathroom work, which she said were covered as promised.<\/p>\n Around that same time, Anderson said a man approached her about replacing her air conditioners.<\/p>\n \u201cHe kept emphasizing grant money,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cI said, \u2018Oh, so they gonna pay for it?\u2019 He said, \u2018Yes, they gonna pay for it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The air conditioners were installed, but Anderson said nearly two years later she began receiving phone calls and certified letters from bill collectors.<\/p>\n One notice stated she owed $19,000, with a warning that the balance would increase to $23,000 if it was not paid by a certain date. Anderson said she had no idea she was signing up for a loan.<\/p>\n \u201cDid they explain to you what you were filling out?\u201d Anthony Austin asked her.<\/p>\n Paperwork reviewed by the\u00a0Ask Anthony<\/a> team lists the cost of the air conditioners and labor at $16,000. The billing notice identifies Magnum Opus Construction, with a listed address in Ponte Vedra. Anthony attempted to contact the company multiple times over two weeks but did not receive a response.<\/p>\n Anderson\u2019s story is not unique.<\/p>\n Days after interviewing her, another First Coast homeowner reached out with a similar experience.<\/p>\n Sheila Sanders said she was told she qualified for a government program designed to make her home more energy efficient. Sanders said a man recommended an energy-saving water heater and attic fan and told her it would not cost her anything if she signed over what she believed were federal vouchers.<\/p>\n She said she never saw a contract with a price listed.<\/p>\n Two years later, Sanders said she received a call claiming she owed $17,000.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, what?\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n The company listed on Sanders\u2019 paperwork is PureEnergy Solutions of Pensacola. When Anthony called the phone number provided, he reached a recorded message advertising a \u201cfree medical device.\u201d<\/p>\n The Better Business Bureau<\/a> lists PureEnergy Solutions with an “F” rating. One BBB complaint reads in part: \u201cNow that it is time to claim the so-called rebates and refunds under the Inflation Reduction Act, they have suddenly gone silent. I am retired and now am burdened with how I am going to pay off this $36,000 debt.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Anderson and Sanders believe they were misled and possibly targeted.<\/p>\n The Federal Trade Commission has issued warnings about scams<\/a> involving supposed government grants. The FTC says offers of \u201cfree\u201d money for home repairs are often red flags. Legitimate government grants require applications and are limited to specific purposes.<\/p>\n