Prestige Pools Of VA - Charlie Fusco - Melody Dyson Left us high and dry with a pool we can't use. Harrisonburg Virginia

Prestige Pools, aka Charlie Fusco and Melody Dyson began excavation and installation of a Barrier Reef pool and spa at our home in Fredericksburg on March 17, 2007. After a few setbacks with the spa heater which Prestige left us to resolve with the heater's manufacturer, our pool was up and running for about three months before having it winterized. Melody's position was that they just install them. The rest is up to us.

Spring 2008, our pool was opened for the summer. Around July, we noticed a bubble in the fiberglass at the bottom. Unable to reach Charlie or Melody by phone and email, we had a local pool company come to our home to take a look. We were advised that there was water trapped between the pool shell and earth. We also contacted a representative from Barrier Reef who also came out to our home to look at the pool. He offered no clear-cut solution and said that Barrier Reef was not responsible for what Prestige Pools did.

The local pool company's recommendation was to have three well points drilled and pumps lowered into them to pump the water out. Unable to come up with $7,000.00 - $10,000.00 to pay for it, we decided to winterize the pool and spa early and think about other options that weren't as costly.

Spring 2009, our local pool company came to open the pool and spa. When the cover was removed, we were shocked at what we saw. The coping on the skimmer side had separated from the concrete deck and dropped down two inches. We also found partial separation of the coping and concrete deck on the other side.

Looking into the pool we could see the walls bowed inward about two feet! The cover had to be placed back on. Our local pool company advised us that the bowing could have disconnected connections and if we turned on the pump, water would spew into the earthen hole--forcing the shell up and out of the ground!

Meanwhile, we are without the use of our pool and face thousands of dollars in repairs. What recourse do we have? If the pool had been installed properly, we would not be faced with such a dilemma.

John & Wendy
Fredericksburg, Virginia
U.S.A.