Woman purchased “guaranteed energy saving windows” with 50-year warranty. 4 years and 13 service calls later, she has black mold, stucco problems and damage to the wood frame of her home.
In 2007, Cecilia Tapia, a single mom and caretaker of her elderly father, hired Rolox Home Improvements to install retrofitted windows for $10,200.00. Rolox advertised the windows as being far superior to those of the competition. Rolox said the windows were weatherproof, provided greater energy savings and efficiency, and they came with a 50-year transferrable manufacturer’s warranty. Within a few months of installation, the windows began having problems with air infiltration, water leakage, staining of the walls and woodwork, and damage to the stucco on the exterior of the house. Over the next four years, Rolox made at least 13 service calls to the residence, but never fixed the problems with the windows. The continued problems caused an estimated $30,000 to $35,000 in water damage to Ms. Tapia’s residence, including causing black mold, causing the stucco to peel, and causing damage to the wood frame of the house. Rolox ultimately refused to replace the windows and refused to continue making service calls.
Ms. Tapia hired a Missouri Consumer Attorney and filed a lawsuit under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Ms. Tapia’s case would not be possible without the MPA.