Advanced Aluminum of South Florida made it big building a big sunroom for the TV show, The Vanilla Ice Project. Months later the company's owner, Judy Noel, cried thinking about how it all went downhill after the show.
"We were a small mom and pop operation," Noel said. "Now thousands in debt."
In debt to customers like Hector Velez.
"They pulled a fast one on me," Velez said. And up to 25 other customers who gave Advanced Aluminum of South Florida a down payment for a screen enclosure that was never put up.
"It's pretty frustrating," explained Velez.
Homeowners called the Consumer Watchdog this summer when they couldn't contact the company.
That's when Noel and her worker, Shawn Hendon, answered our questions.
"We're going to take care of you. That's the bottom line," explained Shawn Hendon at the time.
They even showed us the schedule including a date for Velez's job.
"I was so excited they were going to come out," Velez said.
Despite that promise, the job still isn't done.
"I'm sorry," Noel said tearfully. "I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean for it to happen."
"How did this happen?" Strathman asked.
"I keep going back to the salesman and when he sold all those jobs and we started losing money on every job we did," Noel said.
Noel admits she wasn't as involved as she should have been. She says she was trying to hand off the business to Hendon but it went broke.
"I let the people down," Noel said.
She said $200,000 of homeowners hard earned money is gone.
"Will you ever be able to repay them?" Strathman asked.
"No. The number is too big," Noel said.
Noel filed for personal bankruptcy. The company did not file, but Noel said it has financial problems too.
"I wish I had a lot of money and I could write a check to each and every one of them with a letter of apology," Noel said.
"People are obviously upset," Strathman said.
"Sure. I don't blame them. But I don't know what I can do now," Noel said.
The state handles complaints against licensed companies. Seven cases against license holder, Judy Noel, are pending. She says she voluntarily relinquished her license. You can file a complaint with the Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
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