A Clearwater, Fla. couple is at risk of losing their home because a window company they hired allegedly failed to pay a supplier.
Andrea Atherton and Mike Gonoub had just bought a place they envisioned as their “retirement Shangri-La,” and, like many Florida homeowners, hired a contractor to install hurricane-resistant windows and doors, according to a report from local ABC affiliate Tampa Bay 28 (1).
Months later, the job remains unfinished, the company has gone silent and a nearly $39,000 lien has been placed on their home.
“It makes me feel like I did something wrong, like I broke some sort of law,” Gonoub told Tampa Bay 28, who first reported on the story. “I’m a consumer who needed new windows, that’s all.”
This couple’s story highlights a little-known risk in home renovations: Even if the contractor gets paid, you could still be on the hook if others in the chain haven’t been — and they could come after your home.
Last year, Atherton and Gonoub hired Mister Window to install new sliding glass doors and windows, using a 12-month, no-payment financing plan offered through a financing company the contractor worked with.
Initially, the project seemed to move forward. The couple said the doors failed inspection due to minor issues, but those were corrected. However, one critical step was never completed: sealing the doors with caps and covers to ensure they are fully weatherproof.
The company scheduled a return visit in January to finish the work. But they never showed up and became impossible to contact.
“I called every number I had for Mister Window and every number was dead,” Atherton said.
After failing to reach Mister Window, the couple attempted to hire another company to complete the project. However, they claim that no contractor was willing to take on a job that had already been inspected and partially completed by another firm.
Then came the lien.
The project was financed, meaning a third-party lender paid the contractor, but it seems Mister Window didn’t pay all of its suppliers. A supplier who worked on the project claims they were never paid. They filed a lien against the couple’s home for $38,926.68.
