News4JAX attempted to contact both the contractor and the pool supply company recommended by the contractor. However, the company stated that they are not accountable for the contractor’s actions, performance, or mistakes.
The evidence is clear: there are checks and contracts documenting the transactions.
Jerry Witt and Jessica Vaughn expressed their frustration as they still don’t have the pools they paid for over a year ago.
Vaughn hired C&C Above Ground Pools, the same company that was working on their neighbor’s pool. The contractor responsible is Joel Compton. In March of the previous year, Vaughn’s family provided a down payment of $42,000 to initiate the project.
Vaughn mentioned that Compton took significantly longer than expected to complete their neighbor’s pool—about seven months. However, during that time, he remained in contact with them. He instructed them to file permits with the county, sign an affidavit, and have it notarized.
Afterward, Compton went silent, according to Vaughn. She spoke to him in April of this year, and he claimed he had been in the hospital but would visit in May. However, he never showed up. After waiting for 30 days and sending a demand letter, Vaughn decided to involve the police.
Jerry Witt faced a similar situation. His backyard has turned into an eyesore.
“We feel embarrassed when we have guests over,” Witt said. “The erosion underneath the concrete has caused issues. That’s why I have sandbags here, trying to control it. I even have a pump over there, which I have to use every time it rains.”
Witt paid $22,000 to replace his old pool, but it was left in ruins.
He has filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
“I asked Joel, ‘Are you assuring me that this will be completed, that the pool will be purchased and installed?'” Witt recounted. “He hesitated and eventually said ‘Yes.’ I then demanded a definite completion date. He responded, ‘You want a completion date? Fine, I’ll give you one.’ He hung up, and I haven’t heard from him since.”
When News4JAX visited the address of C&C Above Ground Pools, nobody answered the door. A neighbor mentioned that Compton had gone to Pennsylvania around two weeks ago, possibly in search of a job and with intentions to relocate there.
News4JAX also left a message after unsuccessful attempts to reach them by phone.
These families are now trapped in this situation.
Vaughn doubts she will recover her money, but she remains hopeful.
“We’re upset about it, but we have to move forward and find another solution,” Witt expressed.
Their only hope is that involving the police will have some impact.
Witt stated that he was compelled to come out of retirement to try to recoup the lost funds and is spending a considerable amount of money in an attempt to maintain the state of his backyard.
Vaughn revealed that she had to demolish her daughter’s treehouse in the backyard, only to have no work done.
They advised people to carefully review contracts, particularly looking for specified completion dates, and conduct thorough research on contractors before hiring them.
