From: Jack <jackay_boy@...>
Subject: [postpoliosyndrome] I want you to know why I haven't been on-line for quite awhile
To: postpoliosyndrome@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 8:50 PM

Hello from sunny Ontario
It has been quite awhile since I have been on-line, but this move has
been a nightmare. We have had nothing but problems, and now I wish I
was back in snowy Alberta.
Lisa and I were so looking forward to moving into a beautiful home
here, but it has been nothing but a money pit from day one.
We were told that this house had a high efficiency furnace, but what
we ended up with was a furnace from the late 80's. We needed to
replace the furnace, which came to almost $4000.00. We now have a
antique furnace sitting in our garage if anyone collects old furnaces.
The house was sold to us with a garage that was supposed to have
power in it. Well it cost me $1200.00 to run power with a breaker box
to this nightmare of a garage. I don't believe anyone has been in
this garage for at least 5 years. It is going to take months to get
rid of all the junk thats crammed into every square inch of this so
called garage. Need to have major renovation done before we will be
able to put a vehicle in it, as it has a door the size of a very
small storage shed. Already have an estimate from a contractor to
make this garage useable, and am looking at about $5000.00 to get
this fixed. Some mechanics dream....... ........
The back yard of this house had a huge Elm tree which needed to be
removed as the roots were ruining all the sewer lines running to the
city sewer system. Also had very large roots actually above ground
making it impossible for me to walk on, and virtually impossible to
run a lawn mower over. Got a real deal on this, as it only cost
$1000.00 to have the tree removed and the stump ground out. Didn't
realize that we needed 6 loads of dirt to level out the ground, and
that we needed sod layed to keep all of this from blowing away, or
washed away by all the rain we have had. That was only $800.00 for
that, and I am told we got a good deal on that.
This home, although it looks fairly new was actually a cottage used
by people from the States during the summer. The house was actually
built in 1955. Because it was only used during the summer, it has no
insulation at all. Sooooo we are scheduled for Monday to have foam
insulation blown into the crawl space, and 12 inches of insulation
blown into the attic so we wont heat the whole city when the snow
starts to fall. this is a big job and the cheapest I can get it done
is $1800.00 plus tax. Again I am told what a great deal I am getting.
The marble counters we were so anxious to see, were actually seconds,
and had chips and cracks in most of the tiles. The chips and cracks
were filled in with grout, and looked absolutely horrible.
The idiot that tried to install this counter using OSB, or what you
may know as chipboard. He did not realize that the tile actually
draws all the moisture out of the chipboard, and causes the counter
to sag and warp. He had the nerve to put braces used for flower boxes
under the counter to try and prop them up. Well the gentleman that is
going to build and replace this counter just left as he had to make a
template for the new counter. This is not marble by any means, and we
will have to live with a laminate counter that only looks like marble.
What a deal I got on this. I didn't have any place to spend the
$2500.00 anyway.
The beautful jaccuzi tub we have is really nice, but our water tank
is not large enough to allow us to use it. We need a new 80 gallon
water tank in order to ba able to use it. I would hate to even tell
you what thats going to us.
Heres the biggest heart breaker of all. During the re-model of this
house, they decided to convert the original garage into a family
room. This family room has a flat roof which has no slope to it
whatsoever. Unfortunately water has nowhere to run, and all the
sheeting is rotted beyond repair. Its a huge job to replace this
roof, and its going to put a $4000.00 hole in our bank account.
I could go on and on about all the repairs that we need to do in
order to make this house livable, but I think you get the message
about whats happening in our crappy little corner of this world.
We have a lawyer working on trying to get some of our money back, but
the owners have moved to Mertle Beach (sp?) to buy a condominium, and
are leaving on a cruise at the end of the month. By the way they
drove to the states in their new class A motor home, which I am sure
I helped pay for.
I finally have my internet set up and have a new e-mail address.
I am now jbabcock12@cogeco. ca
905-991-0434
404 Crescent Road
Fort Erie, Ontario
L2A 4P7
Not sure when I will be into chat, if there even is a chat, as I am
litterally wearing myself out trying to make this house into
something my wife doesn't hate. She is very upset over the fiasco we
have going on here, and she cries enough for 4 people over it.
I hope you all understand whats happening here, and why I have not
been in chat for a couple of weeks, but by supper time I am so tired
and sore that I really not fit company for anyone.
Hopefully I will catch a break soon, and we will get back to a normal
life, but its going to take awhile I think.
I think of you all, and miss you all something awful. I send you all
a big hug, and may God Bless you.
Jack