A local window installer suddenly filed for bankruptcy—leaving homeowners out thousands of dollars. They are still waiting on the windows as hurricane season kicks into high gear. 7’s Heather Walker investigates. Florida retiree Bertha Morgan had been saving for a long time to get impact wind ows installed at her Fort Lauderdale condo. Bertha Morgan, customer: “It would protect me if a hurricane came this year and keep my condo cooler.” Since she is on a limited budget and has to support her disabled son, she had to keep costs as low as possible. Her neighbors recommended BNT Services Inc.. It also goes by BNT Impact and Doors. Bertha Morgan: “I checked with the Better Business Bureau, and they had an A+ rating. I looked it up; they’ve been in business since 2007.” That gave her confidence to go ahead and sign a contract for a total of $16,000 to complete the job back in April. Bertha Morgan: “I gave them a $6,275 deposit.” That was more than 40% of the total cost. But after weeks passed with no windows, she started to get nervous. [Bertha calls numbers and goes to voicemail] Bertha Morgan: “I felt that there was a problem when I couldn’t get a hold of the office” She wasn’t the only one. Across South Florida, families were dealing with similar situations. Christie McGowen wanted to secure her home for her new baby. Christie McGowen, customer: “We have a baby, and it’s just better for her safety-wise and, you know, also just the insulation in the house because it’s such an old house, it’s really bad.” Christie and her husband signed a contract in late February and forked over an $8,356 deposit. Like Bertha, she started reaching out to the company when the windows never arrived. Christie McGowen: “I have a slew of text messages to the owner. Never, ever once responded to any of my messages, and to the point that I actually drove to Pompano to go to their warehouse.” BNT Services filed for bankruptcy this July. According to court records, more than 400 customers were left without windows, and the company owes millions of dollars to customers and creditors. We caught up with company president Bret Robbins outside the U.S. federal building after his latest bankruptcy hearing. 7’s Heather Walker: “What happened to the money?” Bret Robbins, president of BNT: “No comment.” 7’s Heather Walker: “I mean, it’s over $1 million in deposits alone; that is a lot of money.” Bret Robbins: “I agree” 7’s Heather Walker: “So where did it go?’ Bret Robbins: “We are going to find that out, thank you.” Heather Walker: “Do you have anything to say to those people who now have liens against their homes?” Bret Robbins: “I am very sorry.” He added that putting customers in this situation was … Bret Robbins: “It was never intentional.” Robbins did not explain what he meant and walked away. Consumer attorney Robert Pelier says people should be wary of requests for large upfront deposits. Robert Pelier, attorney: “Typically, it’s 10 to 20 percent, and there should be a contract that is clear and in plain language for the customer to understand that each payment is tied to progress.” He says even though the company has filed for bankruptcy, consumers still have options. Robert Pelier, attorney: “There is the possibility of filing a claim within the bankruptcy proceeding.” Customers can also file police reports or make complaints through the local state attorney’s office. All take time to resolve, which makes it hard to move forward with getting new windows. Christie McGowen, customer: “$8,000 is not chump change. You know, we sacrificed a lot and saved for a very long time to be able to pay for this. Now we don’t have our windows and doors.” And unless they can save again. They are shut out of hurricane protection for now. Heather Walker, 7News. CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:[email protected] ...read more read less