Agenda Packets - 1993/05/03 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

"SO WE TURNED on the AS A LAST resort, the Cowells furnace,"said Beth.it made a lot of noise from day one." Beth called contacted the park manager,who put Northern State Power Company, the couple in touch with Bill who said the noise was possibly Toberman, MHI owner. "Bill said, . from delayed ignition in the furnace. , 'From now on,I'm the bank,' "Beth .. "NSP came out and checked die recalled.."He said that from then on, furnace," Beth said: we.should leave the check with the "They said it had to be replaced.They said it was manager. We paid Bill directly for never maintained. The filters had two or three months." been removed and never replaced. But that still didn't solve their The combustion chamber was ready problems with the windows or to burst." furnace. "He [Toberman] said he "We contacted Harold [Olson, really wanted to work with us;for us the MHI sales representative]. to be happy. He said that instead of Harold quit returning our calls,"Beth us making mortgage payments,we said. "Then we got an answering should make $235 (the amount of machine and still our calls weren't their monthly mortgage payment) returned. Then [MHI's telephone worth of repairs and turn in the number]was disconnected complete- receipts.We did that for one month. We went $60 over our mortgage ly.Until our warranty was up." „ Efforts bythe Bulletin to contact Payment. Then their furnace was MHI, Olson or Toberman were "-tagged'by the power company. "Toberman told us to go to the unsuccessful. A telephone number Lions Club and ask them to buy us a listed in the directory for MHI had new furnace,”Beth said."We didn't been disconnected. But we contacted the club, and they The Better Business Bureau, did give us some certificates for however,did answer their telephone. did nas." A representative there said they had By then, Joe and Beth had had at least one outstanding complaint enough. Half a year after moving against MHI. h prob- into what they thought would be In addition to the physical their home,the Cowells left lems with the trailer, the Cowells "We realized that the house was were at a loss as to where to send not worth what we paid for it,"Beth their monthly payments. said."We decided to give it back.He "When we purchased the home," [Toberman] said we wouldn't get a said Beth,"we were specifically told penny back because we had lived in that we would be paying a bank. it for seven months.Then he agreed MHI said the bank would send us a to give us our down payment,but we payment book." With no payment would have to sign a paper that said. book and no one to pay,the Cowells we owes receivedus5900:a'full refund. He still fell 2-1I2 months behind in payments on the trailer.They did continue their Now the Cowells are trying to lot rent payments—on time. put the experience behind them. They are in a newer trailer in another mobile home park. Some of the mysterious illnesses they'd been experiencing in the deteriorated trailer have nearly disappeared. "They knew they caughtusat a bad time," Beth said. "We had an infant,and my husband was just in a wheelchair." Now the Cowells— Joe,Beth and their son—can again concentrate on making a life for themselves. Standing on their own . feet.