TRINITY, N.C. — As a kid, Angela Hazelwood used to love going swimming. The water brings a sense of joy and exhilaration.
Those days of running along the pool deck and jumping off the diving board are in the rear-view mirror, but Hazelwood still likes the idea of owning a pool.
“We’ve owned above-ground pools before, but I wanted an in-ground pool,” Hazelwood said.
In June 2021, it looked like Hazelwood was going to get her wish. She and her husband hired Harold Gray's H&G Pools to build a pool in their yard.
“We were ecstatic; he came out to talk to us, and he staked it off where (the pool) was going to be,” Hazelwood said.
The couple paid Gray $17,500 upfront. The hope was to have the pool ready for the Summer of 2021. However, not long after Gray was handed the check, almost all work and communication stalled or stopped entirely.
“It’s like he comes in and blindsided us and left,” Hazelwood said.
Gray never came back to the house, and no work on the pool had ever started. He would occasionally reply to a text message, but Hazelwood eventually figured out he wasn’t going to do the job.
“You are lost, you’re hurt, you’re angry, you want to hurt somebody,” Hazelwood said.
Later that year, after trying and failing to get Gray to start the pool, the couple filed a lawsuit for breach of contract. The two sides would reach a settlement agreement later that year. Gray agreed to pay back $20,000.
“He failed to do so; he never paid a dime,” Hazelwood said.
Hazelwood would go back to court, and this time, Gray was ordered to pay $60,000. The first payment was to be made before the end of the year. Gray never paid and didn’t make the second required payment either.
“It’s like he doesn’t care,” Hazelwood said.
At one point, Gray would file for bankruptcy. There were more hearings and more court dates during the new two years, but no matter the outcome, Hazelwood never saw any money. This was becoming a frustrating pattern for Hazelwood.
“All the hurt he’s caused us, all the inconvenience, and everything else,” Hazelwood said.
The couple would continue to try to collect the money they paid Gray. A lien was put on his home and there were more court dates.
“If he would just pay like $1,000 or $2,000 and say that’s all I can do now, that would be acceptable,” Hazelwood said.
After speaking with Gray a couple of times early on he stopped taking or returning our calls. Hazelwood said she would occasionally text Gray but never heard back. Her attorneys continued to work on the case and were able to have his wages garnished.
Earlier this year, more than two and a half years after she paid Gray $17,500 for a pool, she received her first refund payment.
A few others have come since then, and while she says they are always different and not the required amount, it’s progress.
“It’s never-ending with him; like I said, he is supposed to pay $620 a month, but you don’t know what you’re going to get,” Hazelwood said.
So far, Hazelwood said Gray has paid around $3,000, which is still far from the $17,500 she paid him in May of 2021, but it’s a start.
Cases like this, while uncommon, do happen. All you can do as a consumer is research the company you are hiring to ensure they have been in business for a decent amount of time or come with many positive reviews. If you can pay with a credit card, do it. The credit card company will help you dispute the charges and assist in collecting a refund.