A local window installer suddenly filed for bankruptcy\u2014leaving homeowners out thousands of dollars. They are still waiting on the windows as hurricane season kicks into high gear. 7\u2019s Heather Walker investigates.<\/p>\n
Florida retiree Bertha Morgan had been saving for a long time to get impact windows installed at her Fort Lauderdale condo.<\/p>\n
Bertha Morgan, customer: \u201cIt would protect me if a hurricane came this year and keep my condo cooler.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since she is on a limited budget and has to support her disabled son, she had to keep costs as low as possible.<\/p>\n
Her neighbors recommended BNT Services Inc.. It also goes by BNT Impact and Doors.<\/p>\n
Bertha Morgan: \u201cI checked with the Better Business Bureau, and they had an A+ rating. I looked it up; they\u2019ve been in business since 2007.\u201d<\/p>\n
That gave her confidence to go ahead and sign a contract for a total of $16,000 to complete the job back in April.<\/p>\n
Bertha Morgan: \u201cI gave them a $6,275 deposit.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was more than 40% of the total cost. But after weeks passed with no windows, she started to get nervous.<\/p>\n
[Bertha calls numbers and goes to voicemail]<\/p>\n
Bertha Morgan: \u201cI felt that there was a problem when I couldn\u2019t get a hold of the office\u201d<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t the only one. Across South Florida, families were dealing with similar situations.<\/p>\n
Christie McGowen wanted to secure her home for her new baby.<\/p>\n
Christie McGowen, customer: \u201cWe have a baby, and it\u2019s just better for her safety-wise and, you know, also just the insulation in the house because it\u2019s such an old house, it\u2019s really bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Christie and her husband signed a contract in late February and forked over an $8,356 deposit. Like Bertha, she started reaching out to the company when the windows never arrived.<\/p>\n
Christie McGowen: \u201cI have a slew of text messages to the owner. Never, ever once responded to any of my messages, and to the point that I actually drove to Pompano to go to their warehouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
BNT Services filed for bankruptcy this July. According to court records, more than 400 customers were left without windows, and the company owes millions of dollars to customers and creditors.<\/p>\n
We caught up with company president Bret Robbins outside the U.S. federal building after his latest bankruptcy hearing.<\/p>\n
7\u2019s Heather Walker: \u201cWhat happened to the money?\u201d<\/p>\n
Bret Robbins, president of BNT: \u201cNo comment.\u201d<\/p>\n
7\u2019s Heather Walker: \u201cI mean, it\u2019s over $1 million in deposits alone; that is a lot of money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bret Robbins: \u201cI agree\u201d<\/p>\n
7\u2019s Heather Walker: \u201cSo where did it go?\u2019<\/p>\n
Bret Robbins: \u201cWe are going to find that out, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Heather Walker: \u201cDo you have anything to say to those people who now have liens against their homes?\u201d<\/p>\n
Bret Robbins: \u201cI am very sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that putting customers in this situation was \u2026<\/p>\n
Bret Robbins: \u201cIt was never intentional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robbins did not explain what he meant and walked away.<\/p>\n
Consumer attorney Robert Pelier says people should be wary of requests for large upfront deposits.<\/p>\n
Robert Pelier, attorney: \u201cTypically, it\u2019s 10 to 20 percent, and there should be a contract that is clear and in plain language for the customer to understand that each payment is tied to progress.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says even though the company has filed for bankruptcy, consumers still have options.<\/p>\n
Robert Pelier, attorney: \u201cThere is the possibility of filing a claim within the bankruptcy proceeding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Customers can also file police reports or make complaints through the local state attorney\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
All take time to resolve, which makes it hard to move forward with getting new windows.<\/p>\n
Christie McGowen, customer: \u201c$8,000 is not chump change. You know, we sacrificed a lot and saved for a very long time to be able to pay for this. Now we don\u2019t have our windows and doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
And unless they can save again. They are shut out of hurricane protection for now.<\/p>\n
Heather Walker, 7News.<\/p>\n