GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The sound of construction rumbled outside Mike and Christy Dewey's window, Friday morning.
"Super exciting. Feels good," Mike Dewey said.
It's just what the Grand Rapids couple has waited months for.
"I'm definitely glad that we called you," he said.
Long before their call to the FOX 17 Problem Solvers, the couple closed on their home in January. But it was their luck a tree uprooted earlier that same morning and damaged the land.
After the seller's insurance agreed to pay for the fixes, the Deweys said the seller held onto a portion of those funds for months which kept the driveway in poor condition. They said the seller demanded they not contact her anymore but to communicate with her realtor instead.
After getting no where, the Deweys contacted the Problem Solvers. We called the seller. The seller made the funds available to the asphalt company the same day. The couple said it was a $1,550 dollar project.
"It's nice not to have to drive through a puddle on my way in. It's nice to have the kids be able to play on it. It's nice to not look like the house that's still under construction," Dewey said.
Any lessons learned? Well, the Deweys purchased the home without the help of a realtor.
"I think that we would definitely have a realtor next time. Just somebody to go over the fine print. Somebody who knows the ins and outs," he stated.
The Grand Rapids Association of Realtors (GRAR) said that's a good idea. For one, a realtor might recommend a final walkthrough before closing.
Julie Reitberg, CEO of GRAR said, "And one of the things that a realtor will tell at closing, one of the questions asked will be 'is the property in the same condition as it was when we signed the purchase agreement?' And for your purposes today, that's a very important question to ask and did I get a seller's disclosure form?"
Those are questions that just might prevent a call to the Problem Solvers. But Dewey recommends making that call, if necessary.
"Yea, definitely. I don't think it would have gotten done had we not," he said.
The seller told FOX 17 this whole situation was a process. She said the check was written before we contacted her. She also said the only delay was that she'd been traveling for some time.
The Deweys are now satisfied homeowners. They're happy their daughter can ride up and down the driveway on her bike and next time they won't hesitate to work with a realtor.
