Bill Carr said he’s had a couple of sleepless nights this month as he thinks about the state of his American Legion Post 600 in Oakmont.
Carr said he’s spent years restoring his building – and his post’s reputation. A healthier bank account, a new meeting space and a renovated second floor. He said he has a diverse membership with people who believe the post is an extension of their home.
He walked past broken tiles on the first floor of the historic building, mentioning that he planned to renovate the main gathering space and bar with the approximately $20,000 his group saved up.
That money is now gone – thanks to a tree and an ongoing dispute between a contractor and an insurance company.
The problem started September 3, when a tree came crashing down during a severe storm in Oakmont. The tree took down the power line running to the Legion, which in turn damaged wires running to the building’s meter and the meter itself.
Carr, concerned about several scheduled weekend events and thousands of dollars’ worth of food in the fridge, called around to different electricians hoping to get someone on an emergency basis.
Carr said he finally found luck with 412 Emergency Electricians, which agreed to come out for a $650 trip fee.
After inspecting the building, the contractor told Carr the final price would be $18,250 for repairs.
“I almost fainted,” Carr recalled. “He’s like, ‘Oh, don’t worry, your insurance company will pay for it.’ And I’m thinking, what am I going to do? It’s a holiday weekend. I can’t even get a hold of my insurance company until Tuesday.”
Carr paid and service to the building was restored. However, when the Legion’s insurance company – Hanover Insurance – received the claim, they asked for an itemized receipt for the work. 412 Emergency Electricians’ owner, Tom, texted Carr that they only billed in a lump sum.
Carr said Hanover Insurance told him their in-house contractor said the work was only worth $4,000, leaving the Legion on the hook for the other $14,000.
“You’re talking six months to get that kind of profit after we pay our bills,” Carr said. “We don’t make a whole lot.”
Channel 11 reached out to multiple independent electricians to ask if the true cost of the work was closer to $4,000 or $18,000. They all agreed the higher price was very high for the work Carr described.
Several said prices would be higher on an emergency basis, and said contractors will sometimes even ask for more because they know insurance companies will low-ball their estimates. The hope, they said, is that the low-ball, take-it-or-leave-it offer is higher than it would’ve been.
That didn’t help Carr, who paid up front with a check, and there’s no indication that was a factor in the quote he received and agreed to.
When reached by phone, 412 Emergency Electricians’ lawyer pointed out Carr agreed to the work and signed a form saying he was happy with the service provided. He also said Pennsylvania does not have a law setting prices for emergency work.
Channel 11 also called Hanover Insurance to ask about the $4,000 quote and how it was calculated. Phone calls only reached voicemail inboxes, while Carr said he expected an itemized explanation to be mailed to him next week.
Several Legion members grumbled about the price outside the building Friday, while inside, Carr said he was looking ahead to the next challenge.
“We’re a small club,” he said. “With the skill games, the issue with that coming up next month… it’s going to be really tough.”
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