Help Joseph & Kristen Rebuild After Contractor Disaster

Hello,

My good friends are dealing with a huge issue that can ruin your life . I had the same issue. Myself . Please read their story . Any help would be appreciated.

My name is Joseph Ferraro, and I want to share the nightmare that my wife, three dogs, and I have been enduring. In January 2024, my father and I made the decision to add an in-law suite to my house to accommodate my aging parents, especially my mother who was facing medical issues. We thought it would be best for them to live with us, and they agreed. We hired a contractor named Chris Ferragamo from Ferragamo Custom Builders, who was supposed to be a family friend.

The project began with a deposit, but tragedy struck in March 2024 when my mother unexpectedly passed away on the 14th of the month. In the midst of preparing for her wake and funeral, I asked the contractor to halt work out of respect for the occasion and to resume afterward. However, on the Friday of the wake, as my wife and I were getting ready, we returned home to find the contractors tearing the roof off our house without permission.

I was shocked and angered to see the mess they had created - sheet rock, insulation, water, and dust had infiltrated and damaged all our personal belongings. In a fit of frustration, I demanded that they stop work immediately and leave. Before departing, I instructed them to at least cover the exposed roof with a tarp to prevent rain damage, as a storm was approaching.

Unfortunately, the storm lingered for days, causing extensive water damage not just to the addition but to our entire house. Our ceilings, cabinets, and floors were ruined, and we had to place 50 Home Depot buckets throughout the house to collect the water leaking in.

It has been a devastating experience dealing with Ferragamo's incompetence and the havoc it has wreaked on our home and our lives.

We have spent countless days moving belongings, cleaning up water, and drying out the house after the disastrous incident. When I reached out to Ferragamo to hold him accountable for the damage and seek coverage through his insurance due to his failure to properly secure the tarp, he shockingly denied any responsibility for the property damage caused.

Realizing the enormity of the loss we were facing, I decided to seek help and hired a public adjuster from Peabody to assist with filing a claim with Progressive Insurance. Unfortunately, despite the clear negligence on Ferragamo's part, Progressive Insurance has yet to acknowledge their responsibility or take action to address the situation.

In the midst of this ongoing struggle, I have also had to engage a law firm to pursue Ferragamo for restitution. Meanwhile, the financial burden on my wife and me continues to mount as we are forced to rent a temporary residence, incurring thousands of dollars in additional expenses each month. We are also facing storage fees for most of our belongings, including furniture that has been damaged by water and needs repair, as well as windows that were affected by the water damage and now refuse to open. Additionally, the property damage has rendered our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors inoperable, posing a serious safety risk.

Despite all these challenges, no party involved seems willing to take responsibility for the havoc that has been wrought upon us. The lack of accountability and the ongoing struggles we face in seeking justice and resolution have only added to the emotional and financial toll this nightmare has taken on our lives.

In addition to the previous events, there is another disturbing incident involving Ferragamo that I would like to share. During the storms, when multiple attempts were made to contact Ferragamo for help, he was unresponsive and seemingly unreachable. Despite numerous calls from me, my wife, and my father, he remained elusive. Finally, after several days, he answered the phone when my father insisted that he come to the house and fix the improperly secured tarps.

That evening, Ferragamo arrived at the house while I was out with my father, leaving my wife alone at home. He gained access to the property using a garage code that had been given to one of his workers. Upon entering the house, Ferragamo proceeded upstairs and barged into the living room through the door, confronting my wife in the kitchen. He began to yell and push her, accusing us of lying about the water damage, despite clear evidence in the form of pictures and videos that proved otherwise.

Distraught and alarmed, my wife immediately called me to report Ferragamo's aggressive behavior. I instructed her to tell him to leave and that I would contact the police as I made my way home. The police arrived at the scene and detained Ferragamo, although he was later released. Subsequently, he has been charged with assault and battery, as well as trespassing. A court date has been set for later in September, and we possess a copy of the police report documenting the incident as evidence.

This distressing turn of events has only added to the already overwhelming challenges we are facing as we try to navigate the aftermath of the construction disaster caused by Ferragamo's negligence and misconduct. The emotional toll and sense of violation stemming from this altercation have further compounded the difficulties we are enduring in seeking justice and resolution in this harrowing ordeal.

My wife and I are taking turns staying up every six hours at night with the windows open, as we remain deeply concerned about carbon monoxide in the house. After nine months of waiting for insurance to take responsibility for the damage and for Ferragamo Builders to address their negligence, we are now facing severe issues with black mold, which is continuing to spread.

This situation has taken a serious toll on both of us. My wife, who already suffers from severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD, is becoming increasingly ill due to the mold, and I am experiencing health issues as well. We are still dealing with ongoing water issues, collecting moisture from DampRid packets throughout the house.

To navigate this nightmare, we not only hired a public adjuster but also engaged Jason Cohn from Cohn Rios and Wholly, a firm that specializes in fighting insurance companies. Unfortunately, we understand that this process could take years to resolve in court, and we feel as though we can’t hang on much longer.

We urgently need assistance to begin the demolition process and restore our home to livable conditions. Please be aware of Ferragamo Builders from Wakefield, MA; you might want to check their background before engaging with them, as you never know what you might uncover. Your support in this matter would mean the world to us as we strive to reclaim our home and well-being.