His dream home had it all — except enough heat to keep him warm
CBC
When the weather turned cold, William Lobodici found himself packing on the layers of clothing while constantly cranking up the temperature in his home.
"It's asinine," Lobodici told Go Public. He moved into a new development called Chedoke Heights in Hamilton with his wife in June.
"The floor is freezing, so we turn it up. But when I do that, the furnace runs and runs and runs and doesn't stop. We're very worried about the gas bills."
According to the City of Hamilton, Lobodici and about 20 others bought brand new homes only to discover they were missing a key component — furnaces that could keep them warm during the winter.
"It's maybe efficient for a 1,200 square foot house, but not a 2,300 square foot house like ours," Lobodici said.
The owners had to agree to rent the furnace from the HVAC company, Reliance Home Comfort, as part of the purchase agreement with the builder, Starwood Homes.
The owners didn't get a say on the type or size of the furnace installed. The air conditioner installed in Lobodici's $675,000 townhouse was also smaller than what had been approved by the city. He says it couldn't properly cool the place in the summer.
Complaints to Starward Homes and Reliance Home Comfort went nowhere, he says.
Lobodici and some of his neighbours say the builder ignored their pleas for help.
Meanwhile, several homeowners said Reliance told them it wasn't their fault, since they just installed the units the builder told them to.
But Reliance kept charging $92 a month to rent the A/C units, furnaces and a few other pieces of HVAC equipment.
"The frustration was really setting in," Lobodici said. "To have two major companies show no interest in helping. You feel like throwing your hands up."
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