Elderly woman ‘homeless’ for the holidays after issues with home project
The state has received nearly 800 complaints against contractors this year alone.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - An 85-year-old woman said she is homeless for the holidays.
Her family blames a contractor for not finishing her home renovation project on time. It was supposed to be complete six months ago.
Anneice Tisdale said she wants to go to church, talk to her neighbors and host her family at her home on Christmas. She can’t do that because her house is still a construction zone.
“Some days I just want to scream at the top of my lungs,” Tisdale said.
She has lived in the home for 24 years but can’t go inside right now. “It is all tore up,” Tisdale said. “I may fall.”
The floors are uneven, there is equipment and planks of wood throughout after a home improvement project has now lasted close to a year. The project was meant to make the home more accessible for Tisdale, who has a prosthetic leg.
Yolanda Albritten is her daughter. She signed a contract for the $200,000 project in January 2024. Paperwork provided to WSMV4 Investigates shows the completion date was May 31, 2024. Ultimately, Albritten and the contractor signed a letter terminating the contract in October 2024 due to the contractor’s “inability to complete work in a timely manner.”
Christina Barclay, a realtor working with the family, said this is part of a larger trend. The state has received nearly 800 complaints against contractors this year alone.
“It seems like people are running into this issue because the contractors who are the great contractors, are busy on larger projects,” Barclay said. “The contractors that are available are these people who I would say are tradesmen. I don’t think they are contractors. They are handymen and are taking on these jobs that are way more than anything they’ve ever done before, and they end up stiffing the client in the long run.”
We learned the contractor in this case was unlicensed at the time. The Albrittens said they have since filed a complaint with the state and are trying to get some of their money back from him. They said they had to hire a second company to finish the project.
Tisdale said she hopes to be home soon. “I pray this never happens to no one else,” Tisdale said.
The contractor has not returned our calls or emails for comment. State Rep. Aftyn Behn, who represents the area, said she is filing legislation soon aimed at “removing state restrictions that prevent municipalities from holding bad contractors accountable.”
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