A dismayed homeowner on Reddit sought advice after a costly home upgrade fell drastically short of their expectations.
A thread on r/heatpumps explained the situation: after finding that their new system couldn't heat their home properly, the original installer wasn't receptive to their requests, and they sought second opinions from other companies.
Their unanimous verdict was that the system was significantly undersized. The company that installed the system refused to admit fault and told them to take legal action. The post continued with several questions about their next steps, whether legal action was a viable option, and whether anyone knew "of a way to settle this?"
Their first response came from someone claiming expertise in the issue and experience with similar cases. Ultimately, the answer hinged on the wording of the contract: "In essence, did the contracting company do the things that they signed to do on the contract?"
Another suggested the company might be trying to offload the costs onto its insurer. "They can't file a claim against their insurance without a judgment against them. They'd rather take a hit to their policy than pay for $50k in materials and labor trying to make it right."
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Others on the thread suggested alternate courses of action to avoid an expensive lawsuit.
"Hit them a little closer to home for a lot less. File a complaint with the Enforcement Section of the Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes," one proposed.
Another noted that, regardless of what the contract said: "...your installer has a duty to adhere to code. You need to at least consult a lawyer FIRST to see if you have a case under the Consumer Protection Act, and get some sound guidance on what to do or not to do to try and recover your damages."
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