CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. — Helpless.
That’s how 71-year-old Air Force veteran Tony Finnell says he feels watching the Carroll County home he and his wife bought new in 2006 crumble.
“We’ve been pushed to the limit, I guarantee you,” Tony Finnell told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Aaron Diamant Wednesday.
About 6 months ago, nearly every seam in the house on Rockmart Road started coming apart leaving behind huge gaps, massive cracks in nearly every wall, and a living room floor with a steep slope.
A house like Tony Fennell’s is supposed to be built on a concrete foundation several inches thick. However, a cave-in in the garage exposed a slab barely 1 1/2 inches thick.
The collapse also crushed several of the home's pipes, so Tony Finnell and his wife, Cindy, can’t use their master bathroom.
“We’re kind of like camping out in here, not living, because you have to be careful,” said Cindy Finnell. “You can’t flush the toilets much. I can’t hardly cook anymore, because the plumber says don’t use any more water than you have to.”
A recent engineer’s report said the house is “not in a condition where it is reparable,” and “it appears to us that the builder cut a number of corners when pouring the concrete for the slab and foundation.”
The builder, Scotty Hicks, is long since bankrupt, but Diamant found he has a new job as a realtor in Carrollton. When Diamant showed up at the realty office, staff said Hicks wasn’t there, but were able to get him on the phone.
By phone, Hicks told Diamant the problems were not his fault and that none of the more than 40 homes he built over five years have had any problems. Hicks also claimed he did not have enough money, even if the Fennells go after him in court.
“I’m not mad at him,” Tony Finnell said. “I’m disappointed, very disappointed.”
Meanwhile, Tony Finnell says he and his wife are scrambling to find options. The home cannot be repaired, their insurance company has said it won't cover the damage, and they can't afford to rent another place and still pay the mortgage on their house. They say the deal their bank offered them to forgive the mortgage would ruin their credit.
“I don’t know how long we can live here,” said Cindy Finnell. “As long as we have to I guess, or until something terrible happens.”
The remaining question is, how did the Finnells' home pass inspection when it was built? Carroll County's new building inspector will be at the house Thursday to take a look.
The family set up a donation account for those wishing to help the couple. CLICK HERE.