TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – After hiring the same company to build swimming pools in their homes, some southern Arizona families were left with nothing more than a hole in the ground.
The projects also left holes in families’ pockets after spending thousands of dollars.
13 News spoke to two Vail homeowners about their experience.
Christian Pagan is the father of four daughters.
He hired a company to help him build his dream pool. Several months into the project, the company stopped construction, leaving a giant hole in its backyard. The company billed him $30,000, which he says he still hasn’t recovered.
“It looked like a real war zone,” Pagan said. “It looked like a crater at the bottom of my garden.”
One of Pagan’s daughters fell into the hole because the area was not secured by the previous company. This left him with a huge gash on his head.
“It got to the point where we felt like we were locked in a prison because my kids couldn’t come back from here and it wasn’t safe,” Pagan said.
Just a block away, Heath Vinyard was facing a similar problem with the same company.
They each had a hole several feet deep in their backyard, and each of them had lost $30,000.
“They actually showed up to do the digging, and they dug the hole and pretty much the whole yard was just one big hole,” Vinyard said. “They finished early the next day and never came back.”
As Pagan and Vinyard tried to look for another company to complete the work or explore other options, they were either turned down or asked to pay more than the original project.
Pagan made contact with a local business owner, Richard Mainwho not only offered to complete the projects but also to work with their budgets.
“I put myself in his shoes because I have kids and I was like, ‘What a bad situation,'” Main told 13 News. “So I did everything I could to help him through the process.”
Pagan recommended Main to his neighbor, and within three to four months, the families finally got the pool of their dreams.
Main told 13 News the reason for the success of the projects and referrals is that he values relationships with his clients and believes actions speak louder than words.
“Your actions show who you are,” Main said. “Money is the word currency. It flows, comes and goes, but the relationship with my clients means the whole world to me, the whole universe.
Pagan and Vinyard have been enjoying their new pools since September 2024. They tell 13 News they hope people can learn that even in the face of difficulty, showing compassion can go a long way.
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