PARMA, Ohio — In the heat of the summer, people’s personal pools are a paradise — a big relief. However, some customers of a local contractor told the News 5 Investigators it’s been an even bigger nightmare just trying to get their pools fixed.
Bob Paulo, 68, from Parma noticed his pool had seen brighter days.
“In certain areas, you’ll see that there are rust spots,” said Paulo.
He and his wife Zophia said they hired Lake Erie Pools and owner Austin Reale to take their pool down and put up a new one. Paulo said there were delays, but Reale finally got the required city permit. However, he said there were more problems.
“So, another week had passed, two weeks had passed, and still nothing,” Paulo told us. “Never called, never showed. Nothing.”
FILING A POLICE REPORT
Paulo filed a police report against Reale with Parma Police that said he “went to (Reale’s) pool supplier … and they told him (Austin) did not purchase a pool.”
Paulo said he got a call from Reale.
“'I thought you told me you were buying the pool.' He says, 'Well, I haven’t as of yet.' I said, 'Well, what the hell are you doing with my money?'” Paulo told us.
OTHERS SAY THEY HAD ISSUES, TOO
News 5 Investigators also received emails from other Lake Erie Pools customers, like Lakisha Young from Parma. She filed a small-claims-court case against Reale saying — in part — her pool liner “was not done properly …” that “it started leaking …” and “(Austin) won’t return (her) calls …”
“I called him, no response. I reached out to him again, no response,” said Young. “I called my neighbor (who referred him to me) to see if she could get in touch with him, no response.”
Angela Nemeth from Grafton told us she had issues with her liner installation.
“I think just to ghost someone is very unprofessional,” said Nemeth. “It’s very immature.”
CONTRACTOR WRITES, OTHERS SAY IT'S NOT HIS FAULT
In a post online, Reale wrote — in part — he “installed (Young’s) liner perfectly” that “the leak had nothing to do with (him) …” and she is “an awful customer ...”
According to the Lake Erie Pools website, it claimed the business had 100% customer satisfaction. We found positive reviews floating online, but according to Young’s lawsuit, Reale has had issues with other people, too.
We called Reale, emailed the business, and even visited various addresses listed for the company, including Reale’s home. On the second visit, a woman through a second-story window identified herself as Reale’s girlfriend. She told us some people who’ve complained online are lying or their problems are not the company’s responsibility.
“That is not their fault at all,” said the girlfriend.
When we asked about Paulo’s $5,000, she said this about Reale, “I think he knows he needs to get him the money back,” she told us. “He did say something about trying to transfer … or … having problems with like trying to transfer his like … the- the money or refund or some s***.”
We asked again for an interview, but we never did hear back.
As for Paulo, he said Reale blocked his calls and texts. “But he still has my money. And I said, well, what am I going to get for my $5,000? And he has never responded to anything that I had sent,” said Paulo.
ARREST WARRANT ISSUED
Parma Police told us there’s now a felony theft warrant out for Reale’s arrest.
In the meantime, the Lake Erie Pools website has been taken down and the former customers wanted to step forward about their experiences with Lake Erie Pools.
“I want to warn others about his work and to just be very cautious when dealing with him,” said Young.
“You only have a limited swimming season in Ohio,” said Nemeth.
“It’s been very frustrating,” said Paulo. "Believe me, it’s been a very tense several months. It really has.”
