The Troubleshooter 8-19-24

Ripped off who you don't have, come running just as fast as we can. Shooter's gonna help coming, man.

This is the Troubleshooter Show now, Tom Martinez, welcome my friends to the only show of it's kind. We're here to solve problems, answer questions, take complaints. In fact, our goal in life is to make your life just a little bit better. You've been ripped off taking advantage of maybe some scumbag contractor took money and never showed up, and you need help trying to recoup the money or at least warn the public of such a scoundrel. This is the show for you. The number is easy to

Paul?

Good morning? How are you? I'm doing good? How about you?

I'm awesome, awesome, living the American dream here in Colorado. Yeah, how's a water biz? It's good. Were It's it's really good. We've had a great you know, June, July, and August is even better. So you guys do water systems. You did ours, you did a soft water system for us. What I'm what I really want to know is why is this time of year better than say winter or the or is it just happened to be busy right now?

It just happens to be busy right now. Yeah, because unlike a fern business or air conditioning, I mean, you're probably pretty steady all year, maybe when it's really cold out.

I think people are paying attention to articles that they see with water quality, especially the microplastics, pharmaceuticals, you know, especially forever chemicals.

I was looking knowing you were in studio. Now I'm going to absolutely kill this word, poly flor recal. Look, do you know what it is. Yeah, it has to be really bad. If you can't pronounce it, it's got to be really nasty. But that stuff gets in the water. A lot of it's plastics, it's yeah.

So the forever chemical issue is something that when it started a year ago, Mark there was four of them in the pifos family. Now there's only Now there's over fifteen thousand. Why is that, Well, because they're doing theirs, they're doing the testing, they're finding more other elements.

And what it is.

It's a water resistant element that gets in water and it does and break down. It stays and then that element bonds together, you know, like mercury. You separate mercury and it went back together. That's what this come up to tell you.

I'll tell you what's really scary about it. If you look into it, it's everywhere. Now, of course we drink water all the time we're human, so that's probably the major source of where we get it. But it's in the food supply that puts in the air. It is everywhere, absolutely for every chemicals. Our body I think eventually is going to have to learn to adapt because you could test anybody virtually anywhere and there's forever chemicals in their body.

The other concern is now these nanoplastics in the body, and with people that have stints, that nanoplastics can basically build up around the stints. So stints are there to help break down plaque, but plastics can accumulate.

Around it, around it and then create well a block blockage, and then all of a sudden you get a stroke. It's seriously, yeah, it's crazy. And then to think about the cows drinking the water. So basically it goes like this, So forever chemicals get in there through the air, they hit the water, and then once you're in the water, the cows eat the chemicals. We have a steak, we have the chemicals.

And then then there's a study being done. They're concerned about babies that are getting levels of microplastic because it's in the human body.

Because it's that's it's insane, it is, it's something we've got to adapt to. Deputy Bow, what's going on with you? Would you do this weekend?

I can be a sad weekend. I'm prepping my daughter to move her into see you boulders.

Oh well that's so close. Come on. I packed my daughter up and we had to drop her off in Wyoming, see you Boulder? What is that twenty minutes away? Forty five minute drive? They still forty five minutes thirty six seconds. But I'm leaving.

I'm keeping her car at my house. Who she stays on campus?

Yeah, that's cool though, first year they should I believe that at least.

Yeah.

And then it spent the weekend working on four cases Camping World.

Oh man, we are getting a lot on Camping World. Can't get any of themselves. We'll get to that in a little.

That four cases I'm working on, but they're all struggling, but.

We're going to get through it. Yeah, Camping World has turned out not to be a great company in my opinion. We're getting more and more on them. It's getting a little crazy, all right. Three oh three seven one three eight two five five. I diagress, Brenda, what is going on? What is this issue with employment or unemployment? Him?

My name is Brenda. I was calling to let the public know of the unfair practices that Grandma's Goodies.

Grandma's Goodies? What is that?

It's an Italian restaurant.

It's an Italian restaurant. I'm looking it up as.

We go restaurant on Harlon Street and Wheat.

Rich and what what is the unfair? What are they doing?

Well?

First of all, I went in greeted everyone. I am bilingual. First I greeted everyone. Ninety five percent of the staff in the back is Hispanics, but reading them in Spanish whole good morning man.

They got great reviews, they got strode up almost three thousand reviews for now.

Yeah, that's why I worked, That's why I wanted to work there. And then the owen's daughter told me that I was not allowed to speak Spanish.

Now, why would she? Now, hold on, hold on, I want to understand, and I'm not asking for you to get in her brain, but I'm asking you your thoughts on it. Why would she not want you speaking Spanish?

I don't know.

I think, well, hold on, I just think it's maybe think it's through, come up with something for me.

I don't know. Her excuse was saying that she was trying to teach them how to speak more English. Okay, and that was what she said, but I took it totally the wrong way, Like you do not ask someone that's speaking Spanish to not speak their native language.

Yeah, but you're working there for I'm not I'm not so sure I understand why that's a big deal. If I hire you at my automotive shop and I don't want you speaking Spanish to the customers, I rather you speak English.

Oh No, it wasn't to the customers. It is to them.

I mean, I mean even to the employees in fact, in fact, probably more to the point. With the employee. Saying not to do it with the customer wouldn't make any sense, but saying it with say, the kitchen staff or anybody else, the technicians in the back. I'm not so sure. I don't understand why you would have a problem with that.

That was one of the issues. The other issues is I made tips the whole day. Yeah, and I was not allowed.

To keep my tips.

Well, what happens, sir, that's a bold statement. What happens to the tips?

That's what I asked.

I asked what happened to the tips? She said, if you want to ask about the tips, you could. I could give you the owner's number and you could ask him.

Well, I don't understand.

So were you a waitress?

Were you a waitress?

Yes?

I was waitressing, So help.

Me out here.

Everything.

Okay, help me out. When you're playing waitress and you deliver the food and they're happy, and at the end, let's say they give you cash, like a twenty dollars bill. Are you telling me you have to give the twenty dollar bill to your manager? Yes, okay, and then what happens to it? I would assume at some point I want to know.

That's why I'm calling because I believe this is way on fair practices, Like who gets to keep this money if I don't get a chance.

So they're telling me a grandma's goodies, Hold on a grandma's goodies. They won't even tell the staff what happens to the tips?

Nope, they will not.

So not just you, but anybody that works there, as far as a waitress or kitchen staff or a bus boy or whatever. None of them get any tips.

Nope, nobody's allowed to get the tips. And there's a jar in the front of the register and we have to put all our tips in there.

What do they pay you?

Seventeen dollars an hour?

Okay, So maybe they're thinking they keep the tips because they're paying you higher wages. And what a weight staff would make, I mean, does that make sense.

No, because people like that. No, because my cousin wass at Corner Market and she gets paid seventeen dollars an hour plus tips. At the end of the night. They do tippulling, so everyone gets a portion of the time allowed to even have a tip.

But I'm talking more of the legalities of it. I realize there's places you might get paid twenty five bucks an hour and get to keep your tips. I'm not arguing that, but there's two different ways of paying someone as a waitress hourly or as a server. I should say one would be a very low amount and then they get to keep the tips. I'm not sure what the state minimum tip amount is now or wages that

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All right, three oh three seven one three a two five five.

No.

Employers in Colorado, No, no, no, they cannot keep any portion of employee tips. This is according to both the flssay and the Compsorder number thirty eight, whatever the hell that is. Employers can collect tips for redistribution through tip pulling, and a lot of restaurants do that. That makes sure the bartender, the bus boy, the waiter, everybody gets a cut of that tip because everybody's part of that experience

It's a true fact.

Go down. Question. Hold on, Bo's got a question. He called over there, Colin, and I have a question. Were you only employed there for six hours?

Yes?

Six hours? What the hell? How would wait? Wait, wait wait wait wait wait six hours? What possibly happened in six hours to where you no longer work there?

I was getting multiple tips. People were get this. One guy gave me two fives, had me two fives for just giving him water, and I was being super polite. He said, thank you so much, you were super ply. Can I give you this? And I said, no, I cannot accept that. So what I did? I told him it's that tip jar over there, so that at the end of the shift, I told her I can I can no longer work here like this is not fair, Like this is unfair practices. There's no way. I told

The Ownkay, listen, Brenda, I'm convinced it's tick pulling, meaning they all go into the jar and then they get split up.

It's not she said, I will not receive any tips. Ever, that's who said that to you, Joey, the owner's daughter.

Joey said, you will never received I have a hard time believing it. I have an outright hard time believing that this restaurant is that stupid to where all their employees and I'm looking at their ratings, which has to do with they're food and customer service that appears to be pretty good. But not one other person that works there outside of management and owners makes a tip, They take it, and the owners keep it, is what you're alleging.

Well where does it go?

I have no idea, but.

You only work there six hours? Well would you know where it goes?

Because I'm not going to work there any longer. If they're going to take advantage of me, why would I want to work there for the whole entire weeks. I was only supposed to work Thursday and Saturday, and then next week I was going to get a new schedule. I was not going to continue to work there and let them keep my tip.

Brenda, I just call it the way I see it. In fact, that's probably one of my biggest problems in life. I get in a lot of trouble saying it and calling it as I see it. And I'll be honest, I think you're wrong one hundred percent. I think it's tip pulling and they cut those up. I don't know if they do it weekly nightly, but you were only their six hours, and I would have no idea how you can come on the air and a ledge that

Then that's why I'm calling to investigate. I asked her plainly, like, can you please tell me where it happens to bo?

I want you to call back later on. Is there someone there?

Now?

This is I think they're an upfront company.

They're very responsive.

When I called, Yeah, what they said? They said she worked there six hours.

And she says, we know this, this employee in question, you're only there six hours. I don't know what the issues were, but the person I talked to, Tyy said, the owner is going to call me within an hour and give me an explanation.

There we go. We're gonna find out what happens to that money, and if they are keeping it, Brenda, I will sho spotlight so big on Grandma's Goodies that you know she's gonna have to put on a different girdle or whatever the hell I'm trying to say. So we'll figure it out for you. All right. We're gonna call you back after we hear from the owner, and then if we don't hear something or it sounds shady, we'll

I believe they're splitting them up with the people in the back.

They probably do it on the paycheck. They probably keep it for the week. I mean, I don't know how they do it. Deputy Doc, you go out to eat? What the hell do you think's going on here? I think she's mistaken. Mistaken is one way of putting it. Three oh three seven one three eight two five five. We do have some lines open, two lines open, three oh three, Martino, you've been ripped off taking advantage of you want to talk about a bad dentist, a bad life,

Oh?

Hi, Hi Mary? How are you well?

I'm good, Mark, thank you for helping me out.

You got it? What's going on? It says something about Premiere Credit Protection. What is it?

Okay? Well, that's my question. That's why I'm calling. So on, let's see Thursday in the mail with my address home address. It says, thank you for choosing Premiere Credit Protection to safeguard your Premiere bank Card credit card account ending in two ninety seven to one.

Now, do you have a credit card from a Premier Bank that ends in.

That I did not Hotel Saturday when it came in the mail.

Did you fill out an application for one?

Absolutely not.

Well that's not good at all that I can share you Go ahead, Doc, I know. Hold on, Doc's perch.

They do that all the time, they send credit cards. Just throw it away and forget about it.

Well wait a second, doc, Doc, hold on, hold on. I can't think of the last time I opened up my mail and I've got eight I'm like you, man, I've got like perfect credit. I can't remember the last time I opened my mail up and there was like an Amex Platinum that I never filled out, or a City Bay card. I've never heard of anything like that.

Those legitimate credit cards, Mark, I'm telling you, I get them in the mail.

So you think the Premier card is just BS.

No, it's if she doesn't activate it, no harm, no foul, just throw it away.

Well, I don't understand why she would have received it either. It's fishing, that's all I Doc, Doc, I just don't think.

So.

I would love to get to the bottom of it. Here's what I would like to do. Why don't we In fact, Doc, I'm looking right here and it's says if your first premiere? Is it first premiere? Bank?

Well, it's confusing.

Could you take a picture of the credit card, the actual credit card and send it over to Kelly so I can look at it. Yes?

Is it the front and back or just not just.

The front with the numbers? Actually, yeah, front and back, take a picture of it. Hold on, hold on, let me take this break so I stay on time, Kelly, do me a favor. Giver an email to send a picture of that credit card over or a text or something, and I want to look at it. Then we're going to call over there. I want to see if someone filled out or did an app with your social Security number, basically stole your identity, or like Doc said, they just set you one out and they want you to do it.

You don't pay a cent until you're content.

Time for an insurance check up free no obligation comparison call Compass Insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies. Find out now three oh three seven seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

All right, folks, three oh three seven one three a two five five, don't forget. Please check out our YouTube channel. You can watch us listen to us during the break. It truly is a show within a show. Hey, Kelly, is that woman sending over a picture of that credit card? Haven't got it yet, but we're working on it. Awesome. I was told too, And I'm going to go to Ruben, who's got a comment on that. By the way, three oh three seven one three eight two five five, we

Hello?

Yeah, Ruben, what is your comment?

Oh?

My comment is that, uh, that I had a similar experience. I I received a credit card. I mean I did uh quite a few purchases uh at Lows and uh and uh after a while they sent me they sent me a credit card, a lost credit card from City Bank, and UH, I called because it was it was very strange to get a credit card without applying.

For it, big time strange.

Yes, So I called the the number two. I was, I was gonna question somebody why they sent me a credit card when I never.

Applied for it. And what they said, well.

They're recording the they recording the the activation thing. Uh, give me a balance of sixteen hundred, sixteen hundred dollars. So I hung up and UH called again because I had to hear it three times to understand it, be able to yeah, to be able to understand.

So ultimately what happened, well, it it looks to me like someone at Lows was committing fraud.

I got you. So look everything, I agree with you. And let me say this everything I'm reading everything now granted we're talking you know, AI, Google or Bang whatever I'm using. What it's saying is banks are not supposed to do that. What they can do is send you something that looks and smells like a credit card, but it is not until you go online. That's when you're actually filling out the application. So when you actually get

Yeah, I think so, I think so.

And what I did, I went, I went and title a police reports, yep, right away, and I went to the Lows and talked to the assistant manager and I give her a copy of the police reports. And I said, listen, I said, I better not hear from you guys ever again. And if I get if I get that credits, because.

I got I got you, Ruben. I appreciate it, man, I appreciate you calling in and you took care of it right, and they closed it. And that was that.

That was it. That was it. I've never heard from them again, and I never had any any issues with.

My credit reports.

All right, That's why I tell everybody, and we say that a lot on the show. You need to lockdown credit file. Now, Mary, looking here, you need to call this eight hundred number that looks like your credit card to me, that does not look like some promo, fake credit card, that looks like a freaking credit card. I would call them up immediately and go, hey, I didn't

Oh oh no, that's absolutely impossible.

Okay, here's the deal.

I did call the eight hundred numbers. What they say this, well, you can't get a live person. I hit the prompt that said enter your credit card number status status Yeah, no, no, no, I haven't received the card yet. This was Thursday. Yeah, I hadn't received the card, so I'd hit the prompt.

But Marry, where did this bring you? I mean, I appreciate the prompt by prompt playback, but where did it bring you?

I'm just telling you that what it said is a recording says we need your social Security number.

I bet it's a fake. This is this is even more insane. What number did you call? Because I want to see if it's the one i'm looking at.

Service what number do you know?

Yes, I have it right here, Yeah, eight hundred, yep, nine eight seven, uh oh five five two one.

That's not the number I'm looking at. Where did that number come? Did it come with the credit card.

On the no, on the Thursday paperwork that said thank you for choosing Premiere credit card.

Okay, this is the craziest thing this could. I have a hard time believing this is the most elaborate credit card hoax I have ever heard of, But I'm starting to think it might be. I have got a picture of that credit card. I'm going to have Deputy Doc. I'm going to have them call up this eight hundred number I have right here. Go ahead.

Thomas just walked in. I think I think I know what's going on. What do you think you had somebody else. You'll remember this. The scam was they stole their identity, or they stole this person's identity.

They got a card they were going to intercept it, a real credit card. Yeah, and this looks like a real one.

But the guy or woman who did that the scam did not intercept it in time.

Well, there's one problem with that theory. And the problem is she received this welcome letter as well that has a phone number to call. When she called it, they wanted your entire your entire social not just the last.

Four Oh wow, that's correct.

That sounds crazy to me. Give that phone number to Kelly. We're going to dig into this over the break hold on.

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Try three oh three seven one three eight two five five Martino in the house. You've been ripped off taking advantage of We want to hear from you. I'm going to go back to Mary in a second. But Tom, have you ever received I think years and years and years ago, I received maybe a credit card in a mail like a seer's card, without filling out any information. But I can't remember the last time I have Mary got a card. It it's like a credit card, smells like a credit card. Doc's gonna call to see if

I was just going to say on the credit card congratulations thing. It says that I owe them a first.

Payment of mark.

Did you see a picture of this card? Yeah, I'm telling you the card looks if it's not a legit card, man, I mean someone is going have you tried over have you tried.

Using it like on Amazon or something. No, I'm just curious. I'm curious if it would go through.

See this says, this says you're only two steps away from using your credit card.

I think it's a solicitor.

I think it's a solicitation. And that credit card they send just to really goose you, and then you end up paying their thirty dollars fee filling out the credit. Then you get the card and it says if you pay your initial program fee by check, we will hold the check for up to six days. This means your credit account won't be open for ten days. I mean, I didn't even know they were allowed to do stuff like this. I'll send you what. I'll send you the

Yeah?

So my question, thank you for picking my car. My question is I have Progressive, and back in December, I got in a car accident. Somebody rearended, okay, and then fast walk forward.

My car was just.

Repaired, and they're arguing that there isn't such a thing as disminished value.

So they hit you. You're dealing, Jessica, you're dealing with the other companies insurance or I'm sorry, the other driver's insurance.

Correct.

Well, there's definitely such thing as diminish value. But who is it? Who is it?

Mine is also progressed.

I don't care about yours. A hold on, Jessica. I want to make I want to make it was the other driver's fault. I want to make something clear. Though you did not go through your insurance. Correct?

No, I did not, okay?

And who was the other company? What insurance company?

Progressive?

Oh?

So you have Progressive and they have Progressive or no?

Correct, Yes, we both have.

There is definitely diminish value if the other party was paying, and honestly, I've never heard of Progressive not paying for it. What kind of vehicle was it?

So in December I bought a twenty nineteen Honda.

Pilot torn that should be fifteen percent easily on diminished value. That's crazy. Should we get you want to get petty details.

On back and forth? Since that?

Well, hold on, how much did they offer? Did they offer any of it? They fixed the entire car, I know, but did they offer anything?

Did not want to offer it as much as the car rental?

It was a fight back and forth.

But no, they don't want to give you any diminished value at all. You're saying none, No, not at all.

No.

Well, if they're really holding that tight, you got to enter what's called well, actually you don't even have an appraisal. No, she doesn't have a contract. But see that's where she can sue that other person. Well, she can definitely do that. All right, hold tight, let's get you back on.

We'll get some opinions.

Hold on, yeah, hold on three oh three seven on three A two five five. We've got a ton going on. We got some open lines. Now's the time to call three zero three Martino help at trevilshooter dot com. We'll be back after this.

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News.

So you don't have run just as fast as we can. Shooter's gonna help.

Come man, this is.

The Troubleshooter Show. No Tom Martinez, Welcome, Welcome to the only show of its kind. We're here to solve problems, answer questions, take complaints. Our golden life is to make your life just a little bit better. In fact, to the tune of what would you say, Tom, three hundred million, Oh oh freaking easy, I.

Was putting a pen to it. I mean it was like it's like a half a billion dollars. I mean over the full full scope of the show. And by the way, uh, this are brought to you by uh Excel roofing. Look at that you see that a's a solar fan I just had put up. I'm putting off.

Over the weekends. No he's doing them right now. I didn't realize the panel was sitting on the fan itself. Yeah, but it's all self contained. Henry sent that over to me.

Bretz.

You know, Excel does these this this addic ventilation. Okay, I thought I was all sad, and I had them examine it during this extreme heat. Do you know they said about eighty five percent of all addicts and roofs are probably below code when it comes to venting and it overheats you, your roof, your your attic, even though I have the whole house fan saved my ass, but even the whole house fan was being choked down because I didn't have enough. It couldn't put out enough air.

And they sell those pretty cheap, even if you're not getting a roof for.

Us, right, they'll drop those in. I forget what they were, but they're not more. They're not much more than a thousand bucks. And that's fully installed and it's self contained. You never have to touch it anyway. That's that's Excel roofing dot com. We love these guys. As far as credit cards, I also looked up some stuff people actually apply for a credit card, mark and get online access, and that's how they use it. They do use a virtual card sometimes, so yeah, before it comes no no

Yeah? But Mary received a hard credit card and it was just listening.

That's right up.

Yeah, And it came with a welcome letter. And what the welcome letter said is there's a couple more steps you got to take in order to use this card. One of them was like a thirty dollars fee. So I think it actually did come to the bank. It wasn't a credit card ready to go. But if she paid the thirty bucks and filled out the credit app and signed online, then she'd get up a deputy doc. You called over the break, I've called Premier, you.

Called the credit card company.

I called the two numbers we had and they're both phone trees and there's no way you can get to talk to an individual unless you entered the last four digital no I don't know if this will work, but I tried every option on the phone tree, and the only one that sounded plausible was if I entered Mary's less four digits of a social which I'm not gonna do, and I don't think Mary should do either.

I think it's so petty on by the way, Yeah, we'll go.

To petty details for Jessica. But so there's no way to get to a real person. Yeah, Mary, Mary, here's the deal. Just uh, don't call them. It's a solicitation. In my opinion one percent. They want you to pay the thirty bucks. They want you to finish the credit app. If you will, then you will have a credit card. If you don't want that credit card, and I highly suggest you don't use that particular one. I would throw it away, ShredIt and make sure your credit's locked for sure.

Okay on here, lock down.

Your credit, throw away that card and lock down your credit.

Yeah.

Now, make sure you cut it up, Mary, all right, you got it? What you cut it up? Yeah? Just yeah, get the entire card go, you know, unaltered. Yeah.

Hey, Justin is an expert at diminished value and this has been a topic now, this is a regular topic where people get their cars destroyed in an accident or hurt or even you know, not not I mean damage and they're not totaled, but they still lose value even after being fixed. And you know where it started the birth of carfacts if you think about it, there was not There might have been diminished value, but no one knew about it prior to services like carfact.

Might be it, that might be it.

And sometimes by the way, justin, have you ever seen where Carfax makes a mistake like Mark had a minor accident and they called it major.

I got no, No, Mine was worse than that. I'll say that in a second. But but justin, does that happen where it's all messed up on Carfax?

Oh yeah, I've got multiple cases where they're just completely wrong. Say there's an accident when there wasn't.

Or how are you able to get that fixed? I tried to write through Carfax.

Did you get it done?

Well? Okay, justin real quick, let me say this so other people out there don't make the mistake. I pulled the Carfax on one of my cars that was in an accident. I was trying to sell it and I was like, oh my goodness, they have it listed as a severe accident. So I sent them over. They requested all the information from the body shop, like the invoice, so I sent them everything they requested in order to

Oh no, So justin, diminished value is probably keeps you more busy than anything, doesn't it.

Yeah, I mean it's about half of what we do here.

Yeah.

So when you're fighting with an insurance company and it's not your of course, because we're talking diminish value, and they refuse to put you through to the diminished value department or just don't let you move forward, what do you do.

Jessica's being stonewalled.

She just had a car hurt in an accident and she can't get any information.

Jessica, what do they say when you actually ask about diminish value? Tell justin.

So then when I asked for it, they said if the car was and I quote properly repaired, there shouldn't be a need for such a thing when I escalated, since then they transferred me to another agent. The other agent stated, they demand proper documentation that proves that the car has diminish value, otherwise cannot move forward.

Justin and that's progressive by the way.

Yeah, almost every insurance company attempts to pretend like there's no way of calculating it. But it's just an appraisal. It's anytime you prove value of property, you get an appraisal. That's what you would use if you go to court to prove the amount of damages or what the value of the car is. And a diminished value appraisal is just an appraisal that's done at two different points in time prior to having an accident history and then host repair.

So what does she do at this point? I mean, it's there's definitely diminished value. If I went and bought a twenty nineteen whatever she has and it's accident free with the same mileage as a twenty nineteen, same car, same mileage that wasn't an accident, there's no doubt I'd rather have the non accident car, sure.

I mean, one of the sources that's easy to use is Kelly Bluebook. They have conditioned assessments that allow you to put in accident history and severity, and so that's one of the sources that I look at. I don't use it exclusively, but you know, yeah, it's gonna lose value. It's got it's less desirable, it's got a higher risk of future problems, and that reflects in the market.

Do cars ever get old enough where there's not much diminished value? Like what if it was a you know, really surely, if somebody calls you with twenty ten, what would you tell them?

I mean, it would have to be a specialty vehicle. You know, once they get to a certain age, they're gonna have an accident history. Anyway, most most vehicles that are over ten years old have had a you know, bender bender, and that's gonna kill the odd How about.

If Jessica's car Justin had been in a prior accident. Does that make the diminished value claim less or gone?

Well, that's a good question. It doesn't eliminate it, but it keeps you from being able to get one settled without a lawsuit. I've had many of those. It doesn't eliminate it, but it does create a problem. In the mind of the insurance carrier. They don't believe you can have it.

Twice, Jessica, did you have what did do you know if that car was in an accident before?

So I bought it cash as pree owned from the dealer in December twentieth and the car accident suffered the accident prior to me even getting the title in February of this year. And then they've been dragging it out ever since.

And I even you know, you might yeh, Brazel, you might just want you got to figure out how much it'll be.

How do you figure out diminished value?

Yeah, she's justin she's got a twenty nineteen what was it? A Honda minivan? What is it?

Yes, it's a Honda Pilot Touring or the limited version, And at the time of the accident was under a fifty thousand minds. I also did complete the abrasial man.

How much did they pay out though for the repairs?

By the way, Jessica, that was not chaired with me.

Well, you must have an idea. Was it like ten thousand something?

Yeah, the insurance came, I want to say, thirty seven hundred when I took it to the shop. They said, no, that's not that's not possible. And when they, I guess, did their own quote.

All right, justin what do you think as far as value? Just from what you've heard.

So that's probably a twenty five thousand dollars retail vehicle, somewhere in that range, depending on how many miles it's got on it, and if it's got medium damage, which is what it sounds like, it's probably around thirteen to fifteen percent of the pre accident.

That's three grandy, that's three four grand.

Do you sue this woman in small claims court directly?

Yeah?

What else would she do at this point? If Progressive is just simply saying we're not going to do anything. She has no contract with Progressive. I mean, what what does a person do besides sue them.

She's not going to sue the insurance company. She would sue the other party who did the damage to you. That's what I would do.

That's right, That's that's you have to be a credible threat if they're just being unreasonable, and you know, litigation is really the only thing you can do. You can't sue the insurance company. They didn't rick into you. You have to sue the individual, and then the insurance company will defend them in most cases so long as they know the suits.

You know, all right, listen, we got to take this break hold on both you justin. I got one more question then, you know what I was thinking, Tom, Do you think Compass they sell progressive? Do you think Brian could call over there and just actually get Compass to stand up and at least offer her something?

You know, I don't know a progressive even. Let's let let's find out if a Compass can call them. Let's ask Brian what he has done in the past or now by the way, it's true, well, we'll ask Compass insurance this rather than justin. I think most insurance policies disclaim it like if it was.

Her own insurance.

And this is what I'm thinking, because they both had progressive in this case, I wonder if her policy now because it Yeah, I don't think there are disclaimers in a lot of policies that say you're not going to come after us for diminished value.

By the way you're saying, that would carry even over to I don't know.

That's a good question I want to ask. First of all, I want to ask Brian. If insurance companies are still by contract excluding diminished value on their own collision coverage, that would be a good question, Paul, the waterman, I want to ask about.

I was reading some articles ten things to do.

Away with poufas, PUFA or forever chemicals, PIFAs, whatever people call them. There's way more, by the way, Paul, than in the water system, way more.

I didn't realize you get them from clothing.

You can get it from from upholstery, your house, carpeting, food, dental flaws exactly.

PFAZ is a global contaminant. It's in everything we have, from water to food.

But that's the problem because they go to the landfills and then that goes to the water supply.

That's why it's showing up in the water.

Absolutely, the ocean's habit, the Great Lakes habit, I mean PIFAs and what I was mentioning earlier, they started with only four known chemicals. It's up to fifteen thousand downs.

I hear we got to take a break.

But I heard that the government is cracking down a local water system.

Here's the problem.

One expert says, it doesn't matter how much you crack down the standards are impossible to attain with today's technology because you're too small, all right, talk about that coming back, Go with a sure thing Denver's best roofer Excel Roofing dot com.

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Cent until you're contenth.

Time for an insurance check up free no obligation comparison call Compass Insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three oh three seven seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

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No, typically it does not.

So typically when you buy insurance for yourself, you disclaim diminished value.

Yeah, the policy is going to get correct. Short answer, correct?

Okay. Out of curiosity, Jeremy, is that a statute by state or is that pretty much some states I thought outlawed it, Jeremy, I was told.

I'm not sure if it's by state or not. Okay, Yeah, I would expect if there is anything where there'd be a you can buy to take care of that. But on your own policy, you're typically not going to see that.

Well, well, Jessica got hit by somebody else. They paid for the damage of the vehicle, got it fixed to the tune of around thirty five hundred, maybe a little more. The other person had progressive Jessica has progressive as well. When she went to the insurance company, which happens to be your own as well, they said, we are not going to give you any kind of diminished value. Now, I just want to clarify that she did not turn it in to her own insurance. But both parties do

So it's very different with if the other parties at fault and you're using the other parties insurance. She absolutely can try and negotiate that.

Of course you can't.

And why did they ignore you? Though she's saying she is, how many times have you tried to get even a dollar for diminished value, Jessica.

In February that it happened and I even submitted the abrasial and they ignore me. I have to escalate it a lot of the times.

Well they're not going to be So what does she do, Jeremy, Besides, like Tom said, suing the other party? I mean, I thought Progressive was a decent company.

Well the problem is, yeah, you'd have to sue them and establish that diminished value.

Here's what I want to ask you, though, Jeremy.

If if she has Progressive and the other party has Progressive, she has agreed on her policy not to go after diminished value. I have a strange feeling that might cover this situation where she can't go after progressive for diminished value, even though it's progressive from the other from the other party.

I don't think so.

I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think it matters that they're both No other party obligated to pay diminished value.

They very well might, but it's not.

It's not standard or not.

By the way, Michigan does not outlaws a diminished value, so a policy has to have happened. No, No, you can't in Michigan.

That's what I mean. You can't enforce diminish value in Michigan. Oh wow, right, so she if she lived in Michigan, forget about it. It doesn't allow compensation for diminished value. That's crazy.

Other states may have joined, but right now Michigan is one of them for sure. I think that's because it's maybe a strong insurance lobby or something.

Sad time.

Anyway, thank you, Jeremy said Jessica. If I were you, I would take your Appraisaly'll show the loss and sue the other party. Now she's going to scream, say, wait a minute, my insurance page here. You're going to say, no, they didn't and unless you sign something saying this was

Seriously. What's going on, Edward? Yes, sir, what's happening?

Okay? I you know, I had some hail damage on my truck and I live in Thornton and a guy was walking down the street and you know, an insurance guy, and he, you know, says we can do all this repair.

An insurance guy. You mean a body guy.

Yeah, body guy.

He happened to be walking down the street.

Well you know how they try to knock on everybody's.

Door and yeah for your roof, but this was for your car or your roof.

Yeah, he noticed hail damage on my on my truck.

Okay.

So I talked to him, and you know, he said it would be about a week.

And a half.

So wait, did you pay him anything?

Didn't pay him anything?

Good?

Okay, So I take it to the shop and I go out of town for a week and I come back.

Well I wait, wait, you take it to this guy's shop.

Yeah, Okay, so this guy was walking around but he wasn't but he actually had a real shop.

Yeah, okay.

So then I take it to the shop and you know, they tell me a week and a half. So I actually go out of town for a week and I come back. I take it in on the seventh and on the thirteenth I called him, you know, what's going on with my truck? It's you know, almost been a week. And it's been a week and they tell me that, you know, they haven't started it yet or something like that.

Where does it sit right now?

Had Elite body shop, Elite Tails?

Why didn't you cancel when you got back and they hadn't started?

Why didn't you cancel?

Well, I'm trying to cancel.

How long has it been there since?

When the seventh?

Well that's not that long, No, it isn't.

The seventh of August?

Yeah.

Well have they.

Still not started or have they? Have they gotten parts? Like normally? And I just want to tell people, if you can drive your car, never drop your part. Never drop it off for repairs until the parts are ordered an end.

Right now, did they take your car apart?

No, they haven't done anything to it.

Well, then why don't you just cancel?

But it's all PDR, right, I mean there is no parts? Is that correct?

I don't know. Is it paintless dent repair or what is it?

I believe so like, do you know is it?

Is it a PDR shop?

What's the name of the shop, Elite, Elite, Elite, what Elite autobody? Elite hail systems, Elite hail systems. All right, hold on, we got to take a break. Let me dig into this hold type.

Yeah, well we'll come back.

Three oh three seven one three talk seven one three eight two five.

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Time for an insurance check up free no obligation comparison call Compass Insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three oh three seven to seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two. Hi Tom Martino here, three oh three seven to one three talk

Soap dishes and listen to this through two or three days. They're done.

You get to pay over seventy two months or no, you have seventy two months to pay. Three or three nine are a four to two thousand. Three oh three nine are a four to two thousand renew Home Innovations dot com.

So we're making a call.

On that paintless dent repair and do you think Mark there would be what what do you think? Do you think there'd be diminished value? I'm just curious. I know you're not going to collect on it, but on PDR. Yeah, what do you I think anything turned into your insurance you're going to have a diminished value because it'll show up on Carfax.

Yeah. So absolutely, can.

You ask them not to report to carfak There's no law that says they have to now, of course not.

It's usually not the autobody shop reporting, though, who is it the insurance company? Are you sure? Positive? Are you sure? Auto body? Autoboty companies don't want to They don't want to report it. They don't know, but they get paid by the insurance company who reports it. Absolutely sure, you'd be if you were an autobody shop. Why would you it wouldn't. I don't know.

Actually I never thought of where they get their info. But you're saying, why does insurance care?

Well, I don't know. I'm just curious.

Why do so many people cooperate with Carfax?

Well, the insurance companies do, for sure, and I think they're all in cahout so they know the claims. I mean, they report the claims. It doesn't matter. A clue report is going to show anything you've done on your house, doesn't matter what insurance company.

Okay, So Paul the waterman has a special thirty one hundred bucks thirty one ninety five or something. Now this is incredible. Oh, Mark might be pis because he just got his I want to refund though, No, No, so Mark's got that softening system. I have your drink reverse osmosis to leave has the matrix?

Now is the matrix the full Monty? It's the full Monty. It's a big daddy. What to do.

So it's a multimedia system that has activated carbon and chamber one drinking water.

Yes, right, that attacks the PIFAs.

You get rid all those you get rid of all those chemicals, right, and then it also softens the water.

Okay, so you have everything right.

So what we're doing is that for thirty one ninety five you get our base water softener, which is three quarters of a cubic foot, and then we also do a reverse osmosis for how much thirty one ninety five?

Wait a minute, that's drinking water and softening. Yeah, it's a sale going on right now. Holy crap, Wait a minute. The other one's fourteen hundred on its own, correct, So I thought that was just a softening.

You're you're getting both.

For thirty one ninety five.

Holy crap. That's no seriously that happen.

What our competition is doing right now, especially the guys that less than as wonderful.

How do you even know? This might sound silly, but how do you even know if you need a softener?

We do the hardness tests, if you've got the calcium build up on your faucets and fixture, just.

Said everybody, Paul, honest to guy. Do you ever go out somewhere and say you already have soft water?

Yeah?

There are parts of Colorado there are naturally soft water.

Absolutely, Yeah, there are places. There are places you won't even advertise.

Yeah, Louisville is naturally soft water, you know. Now, there's folks down in the springs believe it or not that I have naturally soft water, but they have another problems called silica, and that that basically requires a separate unit. But silica acts like hard water, and it's kind of silly. You could have You could have naturally soft water, but you have heart. It looks like hardwater build up in silica. No, no, Mark doesn't just doesn't know this yet.

But with his system, and I'm serious, you can you can take You can.

Take clothes almost without detergent. I swear to God.

Mark as an experiment, you ought to try it without not that detergent?

Is that expensive?

Mark, do me a favorite super glue your fingers? Yeah? I know, we did it. Yeah, okay, the glass of your waters, all the.

Super gloes immediately, like fift ten seconds at two super glue.

It's okay. I don't know if I like that because you're telling me it's not water can melt super it's.

Not because we're doing it chemically, not not corrosively empty water.

Yes, it is aggressive. Your body loves aggressive water because that's what your stomach asses.

The mark when it's it's the molecules, there's nothing in them. It absorbs everything, it washes away everything. It's I'm telling you, like, do you remember years ago they were somebody had.

This laundry ball.

They were Yeah, it was a scam. They were marketing. It was a multi level marketing thing.

Right, the laundry ball.

Yeah, wash your clothes without soap and water. Yeah, well yeah, if you have anything at all you can put in the wash to agitate it. I was thinking in a tennis ball, but that's probably not heavy enough. I don't know something that wouldn't deteriorate in the wash that you could put in with your clothes.

Mark.

I'll bet you that if you did it as an experiment with your soft water, soft water cleans so well, that you would not need detergent in your Now, I'm not saying detergent does more than just clean. So I'm not saying you shouldn't use detergent ever, because it deodorizes a bit and does things like that, and and so does soft water to an extent.

But like zero.

Res h when they do carpets, they're using essentially your water.

That's what they call the empowered water.

Yeah, or but but they they they they do a little more with the alkaline alkaline base or something or alkaline's I guess.

It's it's our water is acidic water, which they call it energized water. And what it does is that it dissolves stains.

Man. It it's incredible. We're going to stay on time. Hold on everybody. Yeah, we had a lot of cook and three oh three seven, one, three, eight, two five five we got some lines open. You've been ripped off, taken advantage of. You just want to report some scumbag. That's what we're here for. Three oh three Martino, Go with a sure thing Denver's Best roofer Excel roofing dot com.

You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance check up free, no obligation. In comparison, call compass insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies. Find out now three oh three seven seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

All right, three oh three seven one three A two five five. Look, we've got a few lines open. You've been ripped off, taken advantage of honest to goodness. We want to help to the tune of over rendred million dollars cash merchandise exchanges. And Ben has a problem. Now, Ben, I have never heard of this time. Have you ever heard of one switch? Rent a card?

Why is it called one switch?

That seems like an odde? They called one switch?

Do you know?

I mean, that's why it's a weird name. I just never heard of it. Where'd you rent the car? And what's going on? So?

I rented it in Miami, Florida. I went through Priceline. I rented in June, second, returned it on June Sava and then on July twenty six, I noticed five hundred dollars came out of.

My credit card.

So I called him and a man.

This is happening all over. Did they say it was due to damage?

Its due to damage, Mark, This is happening all over.

This is not new now, remember we heard about it with sixth Is that the name of that company it was. It's happening all over, don't It's like a new trend.

It always seems like it sees off brands we've never heard of.

Yeah, but but I can't believe how many complaints I've heard or I've had on the show.

Did they send me a.

Picture, Ben, Yeah, they did send me a picture, but they didn't send it with the time time hard gate stamp on their phone or.

You know now now when they showed you a picture, though, is it really really really minor like little road flex?

Yes, right at the bottom of a minivan, right at the like.

Like in other words, what would be normal road rash?

Almost. Yeah, that's just like the other one, just like it, just like it.

You they but did you walk around this before you rented it?

I walked around it before I rented it, and we walked around it when we returned it. But you know, no customer service would come out and verify.

They just throwing crap at the walls. I would stick.

I just want to tell you that the way to get around it, there is way to get around Well, they already dinged his credit card.

I mean he can fight that.

Well, there's a way to get around it. With Capital one.

Of you use a virtual credit card, you can turn it off. It's a day after your return the car.

If you use the Capitol one smart card, date cover it?

Yes, So what about your credit card? Did will they cover it?

I used well, I used Discover? Uh so I did do a dispute. The dispute went on for a little while, and I guess with the picture that they sent my credity ben.

Ben hold on. Let me put you on hold. Do me a favor, send us over that picture and hang on. Three oh three seven one three eight two five five. We got two hours to go. You've been ripped off. Taking advantage of call now three oh three.

Go with a sure thing Denver's best roofer Excel roofing dot com. You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance check up free, no obligation. In comparison, call compass insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three all three seven seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three all three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

Ripped of.

News, need advice? Who you don't have? Come run inxious stas as we can. Shooter's gonna help.

Come man, this is the Troubleshooter Show. Now Tom Martinez, Hey.

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Now, let's talk Mark. Who are we going to right now?

Oh, let's suh up with this poor car guy. He rents a car from Switch rent a car And just like the other calls we've had, did you look at it? Well, I didn't look at the picture yet. I haven't received it yet. Hopefully we get in a second. But the bottom line is this, he drops the car off, everything's good and then what was it? Ben? How much longer? And you got hit with a five hundred dollars bill? Yeah?

Like a month and a half later. Twenty six is when they took it out. We turned the car on June's savn.

When's the last time you rented a car?

I don't remember.

Well, I ran them all the time, and I'll tell you they do not look at them anymore. When you drop them back up off the airport, you pull up, you leave. I mean, who's this saying? No?

No, You're right, they don't. They don't.

They look at the odometer and the gas gage. Sometimes here's the other thing I experimented. One time we went to Miami, man, just like you did. We went to Miami and we did nothing but butt lift.

Yeah.

I decided let's try it one time and compared the bills, and we saved a ton of money doing a lift and not doing rental.

We do that in a lot of places like Las Vegas. I'll never rent a car. But if we're going somewhere like New Orleans and we're gonna be going, there's the damage on the carst oh, let me see it. In fact, we'll put this up on our hold on.

Where is the damn picture?

Though?

Oh?

There it is.

Wait, where's the picture?

The video? The video? It's a video so they sent you a video? Yeah, yeah, I'm looking at a video here? And which car would yours be? Like?

What where is it?

The white one?

Yeah, it's a white.

I see it. It pulls up in the very But they actually show us the damage.

This is crazy.

Well that's just you dropping it off. Yeah, this isn't it. Where's the damage?

Man?

Yeah? Well they they're saying there's little games on there.

But where I thought when I asked for a picture, did they send it to you the picture of the damage?

Yeah? Where is it with with a bunch of little scratches and stuff.

Bro, why did you send us this video just out of curiosity?

Oh?

I sent you the whole fio.

Oh okay, I'll take it. So anyway, here's the deal man.

Did your would your His credit card won't cover it? And he said he contested it, and I assume they reversed it.

What First of all, you got to get a credit card that covers this stuff. I think that's why they're doing it, Mark, because a lot of people with credit cards, the credit cards are just paying that stuff now, and they make it an amount that doesn't where people don't fight. You know, you need, you need to fight this though, I would not, okay if you took it off the credit card. Unfortunately, they're going to try to rebuild that credit card.

You know that, right? Well, I think he lost it. I mean I think he lost the battle already. Wait did they put it back on? Did they put it back on? Yes?

They did?

Why so when I called my Discover card, they said, because they sent them that picture?

What picture?

Damn?

Mark, do you have the picture?

I can't find the picture, just the video, like you, I'm trying to see if they're in Colorado. I'm looking at locations. They're not in Colorado at all. They were in Colorado. I'd bring them the small claims and I think you'd win every single time.

I mean, this is crazy.

What's to prevent these the rental car companies from doing this.

They're just in Florida. It looks like it's happening more so.

You know, when you walk around, they even tell you, or at least they tell me, Oh, I must have rented a car recently, Mark, because I remember this very vividly. Okay, they walk around, say you don't worry about anything smaller than a dime, you know, little chips.

Like that video. Every car we rent takes maybe one and a half minutes. And then I'll be honest I make stuff up as I'm going around. I will honestly say Suzanne laughs at it, but I'll be like, oh, and there's a little scratch are and a little ding here, whether there is or not, because the video shows it.

Because they're not going to complain if you take it back in better condition.

And you know, guys, I would pay for it if they would just give me a day and a time when they snapped that picture, if it was the day I returned it.

Hey, I'm more than happy to pay for it.

But yeah, but how do you know it wasn't there to begin with? And or they didn't charge the previous one.

Yeah, or they didn't charge the people that rented it after.

Right or before you. Well, here's what I here, here's what I got to say about it. Unless you go to Florida and see them in small Claims court, you're out five hundred and that's going to cost you more than that just to fly out there and get a place. You just lost five hundred bucks. This sucks. In the future, use the company we've all heard.

Of and use a credit card. That'll help you. Yeah, if you use why you have discovered?

Dump that damn card?

Yeah, I looked it up. They don't cover anything.

Dump that damn card. Why do you have discovered? No one has discovered anymore.

I just had it for a lot of years.

I don't know I would apply. Don't get rid of it, don't cancel it until you get a new one.

Capital One, Spark, AMX, Platinum, AMEX Business. There's a ton of them.

Okay, yeah, but like.

I like Capital one for business. They they they've got. You want the Spark card if you rent a lot of cars. Yeah, they and they don't seem to question it.

I think that's why some of these rental car companies are doing this.

Mark.

I think it's a scam with credit cards. Now, Man, It's the funny part is I've never heard of these companies. So all right, So, Susan ben Ben, I don't know. Man, if someone calls with that idea, let us know. But I would if I were you, I'd get another card, forget that card, and then I would, uh, it's not worth fighting. It's five hundred ball, but I wouldn't pay it. I wouldn't pay already paid it. Oh all right, Susan, what's going on? Hi, what's happening?

Okay?

So my mom died in October of last year. We had a family trust that dissolved upon her death, and it was administered by a company out of Rapid City, South Dakota called Independent Trust Company.

Is that where she was?

No, No, it was just one of the because of the terms of the trust, it was one of the only trustees we could find to take it on.

I wonder why they didn't have a family member, But that's okay.

You know a lot of people do what you're talking about. So what happened?

It was originally my grandpa's trust, and he was trying to protect it from my dad and so anyway, But so it was a relatively straightforward trust. The assets were to be distributed in kind to myself and two sisters. We notified itc on October twenty third of my mom's death, and it took until last month to distribute all the assets.

Right and how wait, wait your mom? When did your mom die?

October thirteenth?

Yeah, that in twenty twenty three. Yeah, okay, that's not outrageous.

Okay, but so okay, I did want to get your feedback on that. However, there were five concerning things that I had raised with itc to a guy named Michael Dunn, their chief fiduciarian attorney, and he came back. I know, like, breach of fiduciary is a legal thing and a whole different level. And he came back and said there was no breach. But he also said there was no incompetence or negligence.

Well wn't wait, wait, but what are you talking about now? You say, other than the time, what consequences were there that you would even ask about breach because.

Their lack of doing their job caused it to take this long.

Okay, let's say I did.

Okay, let's say they were negligent and it delayed it.

Let's just say that what were the damages?

I mean not a lot of money, like six hundred bucks.

But it's the wait, wait, the six hundred money in damages or six hundred?

Tell me what is six hundred?

Oh?

Six hundred? It's too I would be willing to give them, you know, until March.

Susan, Susan, you're not answering my question, dear, I need to know what.

Are they It's two months of trustee fees that they charges they were charging.

Oh oh oh oh oh oh.

I get you. You're saying it went on so long and they had they took an extra six hundred fees.

Yeah, and so that's one thing, Like it does hurt a little bit to be paying for what I think it's been a terrible experience.

Tom, Okay, what did they do? But what now?

Tell me something?

As a trustee, all they had to do was what did they have to do that?

Why were they even charging you three hundred bucks a month?

I mean, there's a there's closing there's a closing process to.

Show you before the closing, were you being charged each and every month?

Yes?

What were they doing investments for you?

No, we have a several so you have an investment advisor, and then you have the trustee the trustee. During the term of the trust, a trustee normally does nothing unless the trust calls for something like appraisals or distributions. So this is what I'm asking, just to get some idea here, during the term of that trust before it was dissolved, you're telling me the trustee charge three hundred bucks a month for nothing.

I believe so it was my mom was the was the beneficiary at that time, and the co trustee. So I'm not sure. I'm just more concerned about what happened.

What's the total value of the trust?

It was around seven hundred grand a little bit more.

Okay, here's what I'm thinking. You're not going to get anywhere. They're not going to voluntarily give you any money. They're they're going to make you go for it. And here's the thing. It is so hard to prove malfeasance or breach of fiduciary responsibility if in fact, it took.

Two extra months, and you thought it should.

I've heard of trusts being dissolved in as little as three months and going on for a year. Was it complicated? What did they have to do to dissolve the trust?

No?

Tom, it wasn't what assets. What assets did the trust hold?

I mean they just had, you know, like a mix of stocks, just like some.

Okay, were they liquidated or transferred?

No?

No, they were transferred in kind.

So they were divided up to how many heirs, three of us, So you had to divide stocks and maybe bonds and other things. What else was in the trust other than investments?

Yeah, it was mostly mostly stocked, some bonds, just a mix of traditional investments and they.

Were all transferred in kind to three different people. All I want to ask Ara, I want to ask one of our like Dan McKenzie.

Try to get McKenzie on. Let's get a you know what.

Rather than you getting my opinion on this, let's ask one of our state attorneys.

They'll know, okay, and Tom.

I want to share with you, and then I can share with you a couple examples of their incompetence and on.

Professional Well give me okay, maybe we wait for Dan and you can tell him too, because I want to know of anything. Okay, he's on right now, Thank you, Kachina. Dan McKenzie, real quick, Dan. He is our estate planning attorney and also a state expert. Hey Dan, I want to ask a quick question. Susan said her mom died in October of twenty twenty three and the trust was just dispersed recently, and she thinks it was unreasonably long.

No, not necessarily. You always have to be careful of the trustee and you don't distribute us before you know, like all the bills are settled and taxes are filed, so sometimes that can slow things down.

A little bit.

That does not immediately start me as unresall, but obviously you know it sounds I mean, it sounds straightforward, but.

You know, now independent, independent, trust company was the name of the play.

Have you heard of them?

It brings the both.

Now another thing, she said that the fees were about three hundred a month. That sounds outrageous to me for just sitting on a trust.

But I don't know. Do trust companies charge every single month.

There's different billing models. But so they charged twenty one hundred bucks at the end.

Of the day.

No, no, no, we're talking about three hundred for Susan. Your mom was paying three hundred a month.

Every month, I believe.

So I've only seen I'm only looking at the statements from during this closing process.

And how much total did they charge the estate during the closing process.

I don't have that number off the top of my head, but you know that was part of my concern. They were asking for more cash from our financial advisor, and when I pushed them on it, they came back with different accounting I think successive for some of the tax preparation stuff.

But whatever, I don't know, but give us an idea.

I like, for the tax prep what did they charge? Hold on a second, I have to take a break. I'm gonna ask Dan McKenzie. We can call him back or if we can keep him on, because this is important for those listening as well. On what to expect, I'm Tom Martino three oh three seven to one three talks seven to one, three eight two five five. Go with a sure thing Denver's best roofer Excel Roofing dot com.

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Help.

You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two. Hi Tom Martine three O three seven on three talk three all three seven one three eight two five five. By the way, probid Energy dot com another solo contractor we love. Pro bid energy for both

Probid Energy dot Com.

Okay, so listen.

Dan McKenzie is an attorney at law and he does the state plans and wills and trust and if you're facing probate or something, and Dan in general, Susan and we can bring up Susan to Mark. Susan seems to be upset basically with the whole process, and she was about to tell us some of the things she feels incompetent so far, though.

The timeframe doesn't seem unreasonable to you.

If she died in October and it took uh took less than a year to distribute the assets. And then, Susan, what else were you upset about? In general? It sounds like you're just pissed off at this trust company.

So really, I mean, tell Dan some specifics.

Yeah, Tom, Honestly, if they if they, if this chief fiduciary had just acknowledged that this did not go to a standard of confidence in their company, I.

Probably would not like.

What give me an idea?

You you haven't said anything really agregious yet, right.

Because we haven't talked about it. Just for example, she took three rounds of paperwork and my sister's effort in uncovering the fact that they were trying to initiate the transfer for her division of assets incorrectly because she had a Fidelity account. The assets were held with Schwab, so ITC did not have an understanding of that process and kept sending her the wrong paperwork the wrong process until her Fidelity representative was like, no, you cannot transfer between

I get what you're saying, but Susan, that is something that could. That doesn't sound egregious, though I know it sounds frustrating.

In other words, rather than going.

It delayed the transfer by a month. That's an example. They try to initiate a transfer of assets from the wrong Schwab account. They were trying to use my Schwab account instead of the trust.

But Susan, just if you didn't liquidate them, you might even have an argument if you liquidated them and the stock market went up, but you just transferred them. You never liquidated them. I don't even understand where there be a market damage.

What Mark is saying is there's no monetary loss. In other words, that the delay just delayed title not not there was no monetary loss.

And honestly, and I'll ask Dan this, Dan three hundred. While they're unwinding the trust or finishing it up three hundred a month? Does that seem excessive? I just don't know, Well.

Mark, they also or they charged all about thirty eight hundred for trustee closing fees during that time. And I also see a charge in April for an investment management fee of one thousand dollars.

What was that?

Do you know? Was that for assets under management?

I don't know if they took that or if they I don't.

Know, they might have paid that too.

I have a feeling I have a feeling did the investment advisor invest for the trust? Yes, I have a feeling that was I have a feeling they were paying the assets under management fee directly to the advisor, and then as far as thirty eight hundred dollars to close out a trust.

I don't know, Dan, I mean, did.

The analyst told me they were charging twenty one hundred for tax prep with it? Which is insane to me?

It was twenty one hundred part of that thirty eight?

I don't know because this guy was an idiot the analyst.

No, I mean you should know. In other words, are you paying thirty eight for closing fee? Use plus twenty one for taxes. It's not clear to me, Well it should be.

Is it on an invoice?

The thirty eight hundred is on the statement. The twenty one hundred is what was quoted from the analyst for tax tax prep fees that they needed from the financial advisor.

Okay, Dan, what is your what is your I know this is not a lot of it. You know, it's weird to ask you this, but what is your opinion of what you've heard so far?

I mean, I guess I'm still thinking, like I'm not hearing anything that's like whoa like it obviously agreed to, but obviously about the devil's in the details. I mean, if it was you know, ten minutes of work, Like you know, attorneys are obligated to be reasonable. So even if we agree to like charge ten thousand dollars or something, and it turned out to be ten minutes of work, we really can't take the ten thousand bucks. I don't know if these are attorneys or not, but you know, yes,

Okay, but what about this if it's a seven hundred thousand dollars trust? Yeah, does it doesn't sound I mean, my goodness, it doesn't sound like that much they were charged that much. But I look at I know she didn't call. I mean, she's called because she's upset. But if you don't agree, I mean, I don't seem to see anything. That's just staring at me thinking, I don't like, what is there a percentage? For example, Like it seems to me that it's seventy thousand dollars, right, or seven

You know? Well, I think it depends what they're doing, because that company also does asset.

If you ended up all the fees that you guys paid all of them, do they come to under ten grand?

Yes, I would say, yes, Okay, well they're just there.

It was handled so poorly. It is it is, I think Tom you said it. It's not so much about the money. They they breached trust with us because of how incompetent the people we worked with were from the very start, they didn't know that who the financial advisor was on this trust. The analysts didn't, and then they asked us to send details of our custodial accounts, full custodial account numbers, through regular email, not in a secure way, until we push back on that.

I mean, like, yeah, I know, I know, it does sound like they might have had some procedural problems, But I don't think you're I think you're going to be shocked when I tell you that this is not uncommon, Dan. Isn't that true when it comes to stuff like this.

I mean, it's hard because you're dealing with so many different financial institutions. They have their own all of their own papers and procedures and everything else. So now you know, yeah, I mean, obviously you help people who do this every day are running in the Schwab and Fidelity, which are probably where most of the money in the United States is.

All right, listen, guys, we have to take this break. I got dragon throwing stuff at me. Three oh three seven one three eight two five five. By the way, that was Dan McKenzie, CEO Plans dot Coe. He'll talk to you for free any estate questions CEO three.

Co Plans go with a sure thing Denver's best roofer Excel Roofing dot com. You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance check up free, no obligation. In comparison, call Compass Insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three all

All right, three oh three seven one three eight two five five three zero three Martino, you've been ripped off taking advantage of We got a couple lines open, but we're gonna jump right to Mandy. God, this happens this time of year all the time. Concrete problems, God, concrete, What happened Mandy?

Tom Harry, what's happening?

So I've sent pictures the top layer of my crete on my little porch has crumbled?

How old is that? How old is that? I'm looking at it right now. How old is this?

It was built in two thousand and five and it's been crumbling for about a year.

Okay, it's not okay, you can't twenty years.

It's okay.

It's crumble ever technically, but you know what, God knows what happened to it. It could have been so many little things that eventually gave out.

But are you asking how to repair it?

I'm asking should I get it repaired quickly? And who could I contact to do a small job. It's just a little porch on my tail.

Now. There are definitely materials that will patch that, but it will never blend perfectly. So something you can do is what you need is someone to blast the hell out of it to get rid of all the loose stuff on top, and then you're gonna have what's called exposed aggregate. Now, some people have taken exposed aggregate and grinded it down and they didn't bother pouring anything on top.

They just epoxy or seal over it.

And that can be attractive and durable because you've done away with all the loose stuff, but again you're gonna have what's called exposed aggregate.

Some people like the way, but you do.

Have to grind it a list, so you have to blast the hell of it, grind it, seal it, or you can get like an elite garage floors. Yeah, this guy, he is really good what he can do. He's still going to have to blast it, you know, with his power washer and all that, and do it. Do probably be blasting to get it down. Then he could coat it. Now here's what I'm going to tell you though, without

Oh, I think he could do that evenly.

Do you think he could first before he puts the coating on. Do you think that coating the coating doesn't really fill?

I know TJ will do this. TJ will make sure it's prepped right. And if he can't do it right, because he's going to do it, he won't do it because of his warranty. He's got to fix it forever you can you send that picture to TJ. Yeah, I'll do it.

Let's send that picture to our guy.

Okay, then she can pick out whatever color she could match that yellow in her house. She could do whatever she wants to be.

Yeah, that started. I'm looking at the other pictures.

Now I think he would blast the hell out of it and then cover it. Now again, you may have to put something over to patch it. Let's get him on the phone too. Let's just ask him a question in general about he knows what spalling is.

Let's do that. We'll catch up on branks three oh three seven one three eight two five five.

Go with a sure thing Denver's Best roofer Excel Roofing dot com. You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance check up free, no obligation. In comparison, call Compass Insurance. Pay too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three oh three seven seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three all

You mean you got a lot of new growth.

Yeah, Jim, seriously, I mean I'm not saying I'm Samson, but man, it really made a difference. And this has only been three or four weeks Denverregen dot com. So they do that plus regular stem cell therapy. Okay, let's talk now. We we did check her her picture. I want to talk to chij with elite garage floors, TJ.

How you doing? Good to talk to you man?

So Tom, thanks, Hey TJ.

She's got spawling where you can see some exposed aggregate and then you see some sections of the broom finish. You know what I'm talking about, exactly right?

Yes, I actually got a picture, and yes we can fix that.

Oh good, how do you do it?

So what we do is we grind the brush part of them. We'll put a pall of your thing mixture to make it kind of smooth, and we grind that. Then we put a coating on top of it.

Wow, that is very good. Hey, listen, you won't get a better job, Mandy. This could be the solution.

And you can match it any way you want, and I guarantee it'll be a heck of a lot lesson replacing it.

Oh no, you know what.

Plus it'll be prettier than what you had before. I mean it'll look finished, like really nice. You get to pick a color and a pattern.

Is that a.

Lot the original mix twenty years ago? Totally sad? Question? Is that too much aggregate? Would either of you say? Or is that pretty norm That seems like there's some pretty big chunks of rocks.

And you think she got goodwaar out of that? And it was put in two thousand and four.

I yes, Well they're more aggregate just because it's thicker, and it's more like a foundation wall, more of a structure, yeah, than than a floor.

Do you think, though, twenty years is all you can expect? Or theoretically, can you have a monolith that doesn't ever have a problem?

I don't think. I mean it depends on the concrete, Tom. I mean, I've lived at my house for almost twenty years and our concrete's perfect.

Well, then there's stuff they build these roads with my god, I mean, I guess you're right. All the trucks and everything every single day, in and out. That's good stuff. Yeah.

But anyway, man, let me give you his number.

Uh seven to zero two five two.

Tom, not that one.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's your personal Let me here, I'll get it.

I'll get it.

I have it from our commercials.

I'm sorry, man, Okay, yeah, okay, it's seven to zero nine nine two.

Four four eight. Hey, are you guys still doing the cabinet? Just to remind him of your Mandy from the show? What were you saying by I'm talking to TJ. Are you still doing cabinets big time?

Oh yeah, we're doing full complete garages, drywall, uh, painting everything.

Oh my god. So you'll go into someone's garage not only do the wait, wait, you'll not the cabinets, but you'll fix drywall.

Night.

Yeah.

What what he means by.

Drywall is a lot of garages aren't finished on the inside.

Oh wait, you'll finish the garage. Oh yeah, with drywall? Now, are you okay? I'll just put it to you like this. Are you cheaper than most people?

We're Coretti.

We're a little cheaper, but not much.

But you are cheaper.

If someone wants, I'll tell you what's cheaper about it or less expensive.

I know this floor coverings, you're cheaper than anybody ever. Say no, I know.

But he's mobilized once, so he's there already. So that's gonna help. Right there, that alone is gonna help.

God TG I didn't know you would refinish the whole thing, but as far as the garage floor part, I do know he does a great job because he's done multiple areas in my house. You can check out Elite Garage Floors three oh three ninety three nine two four four eight. We got a ton going on, we got some open lines.

Go with a sure thing Denver's Best roofer Excel Roofing dot com. You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance checkup free, no obligation. In comparison, call Compass Insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three oh three, seven to seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the Real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

Ripped News need advice, so you don't have.

Come running.

Just as fast as we.

Can, Shooter's gonna help coming.

Man Dix's the Troubleshooter Show. Now, Tom Martine, Hey.

Tom Martina here with Mark Major, Deputy docks In Deputy bou had to run. We got Paul the waterman who's doing a screaming deal on an in house system.

Let me tell you something. I'm serious now.

I routinely advertise softening at thirty four one hundred bucks fully installed in your house. I then advertise drinking water at your kitchen sank for fourteen hundred bucks reverse Osmos's wonderful drinking system. He's doing a combination right now at an unbelievable price.

I mean, you're here's what here's what you're doing.

You're getting a discount on the whole house oftener and then you're basically getting the reverse losmosis free. If you look at what he used to charge, and these are real prices people that we've paid. This is not something that he just made up. So why Paul, are you getting a special deer from the manufacturer or what what's going on?

Bro?

Yeah, it's a manufacturer, and so we're passing that on to the consumer.

So thirty one ninety five, thirty.

One ninety five, how long is this going to last? It's gonna last the end of the month.

How do I apply for a refund for the one you sold me at a higher price? Well, no, you had a different unit, So you're in waltwater.

Okay, okay, see okay? Three oh three eight six, two, five, five, five four.

You know I actually did shop around Tom you know me, No, he's a I shop around beyond what most I know. Do I know you do. We're doing our bathroom right now, and I shopped around five different people to give you an idea. But with Paul, I was truly blown away. Yeah, even more than that, because the highest estimate I got we talk about how we can save you up to fifty percent. But in all honesty, I got one estimate from somebody that we all know and love, and it

Here's what they Okay, and I talked to these guys about it. Okay, they're not dishonest machines.

I just hate them.

And let's just call it's Halo.

Let's just say we replaced one this morning.

I just want to say what this is. I want people to hear this.

This is really important that we give out accurate information. Halo does not soften water. Now, listen, it doesn't remove hardness from water. But what technically if you talk to these people that sell it and that make it, they say it makes hard water behave like soft water by aligning the molecules blah blah blah. So by doing that, even though you have hard water, they say, it won't cause the harm to your plumbing and stuff. But you can't feel the difference on your skin, not one bit.

No.

But where the controversy came up, and it was a couple of years ago. You'll remember this. Someone had a boiler system and they had extreme hot water. I believe it was a boiler hard water, and they were hard water.

And they put the they were told to put in a softener.

They sold them the boiler, the company sold them the boiler.

And thelo The HALO s was supposed to preserve the boiler.

It ruined the boiler.

The boiler was filled with cake caked up hardness.

We got them to refund the money on that one.

I know, but I'm saying that's who came up and you repaired it, right.

We repaired.

We put a dual tank water software in and then they eventually upgrade.

It to a whole house ro because of the other elements in the water.

The one thing I want to say about the HALO is that understand this water hardness is calcium carbonate, which is a scale.

It's a rock. You're not going to suspend a rock.

Why.

Okay, look at Paul I when I talk about this, I get in trouble.

Here's why you.

When I say there's complete transparency on my referral list, I mean at one thousand percent.

I don't go along with things just because I.

Have good people that sell them. I know great people that sell the Halo systems. But I think they've sold on it and and they don't work. Okay, now listen, now, listen, man. I don't know how they're getting away with it nationwide. I don't know how the Federal Trade Commission, the EPA. Why are they allowed to make the claims they do? These stems cost fifteen grand and they don't do near what yours does at thirty four hundred.

Well here's the other thing too, to be very candid, neither does aquasana. You know, there's no such thing as a salt free water softer. They don't exist aquasan and pelican.

And there's another misnomer.

Water softeners do not add salt to your water. Correct They use it to rinse the filters. I okay, So in other words, here's what happens when your softeners not being used. The filters have to be washed out because they have all the hardness in there.

They use a salt briny.

Water to do it, and then that is then rinsed with fresh water and all flush down your drain. That's how water softeners work. It doesn't add salt to the drinking water or your water supply. Now, there might be a tiny bit of residual after you wash out the filters that are in the filters that you get, but I don't think it's measurable.

Do you. No.

The water softening resin is the filter media and So what happens is is that it's the ion exchange. Yes, so if calcium carbonates hard news, sodium chloride is a detergent calcium chlorid go down the drain. The byproduct of a water softener sodium carbonate, which is baking.

Soda, you must be a blasted parties, I am.

Well, you know what, here's the thing man Again, there are people who are really really pissed off when I start talking about this. They call it whole house filtration and conditioning.

Well, that's the one thing that halo. The halo does actually filter the water as well, though no, I mean your typical softener doesn't do that part.

Well, it uses activated carbon mark trade. So what the halo is is it's a carbon filter back Carson carbon filter with a magnet, and so magnet is not going to soften the water, won't suspend the hardness.

Now I went to the Water.

Quality Association and said, hey, because the halo uses the seal, and I said, you got a hold their feet to the fire because this is not a water softener. And so now they're supposed to advertise under brochure water conditioner.

It seems, and.

Listen to how carefully they advertise, listen to the benefits. Listen, solves hard water problems. Do you notice the difference.

Yeah, I'm reading the same thing. Not it softens water, but it solves.

Although it does say softening up above it says high filtration softening Listen. I imagine some of that filtration does take some metals out.

It does probably right, well, certain carbon filters will take lead out, absolutely.

And they will take some of the hardness out filters not. Now, Halo does offer water softener. Halo offers a legitimate resin based water, so they do.

Okay, oh they do, but it probably costs twice as much as yours.

Right, and so the Halo five is not a water softener. Now, I'm a builder that put in a Halo five. The customer was upset. They went to Halo direct. Halo came out and put an actual salt based water softener in. That's the only way to soften the water.

So they do make conventional softener, right, they do make a conventional water softener Halo.

The Halo five is basically activated carbon with a magnet. That magnet is there's no way that you're going to take a rock which is hardness and have a magnet repolarizing.

You're right there. In fact, they don't. They've taken the word softener off of that Halo five.

That's right, they don't. They're right.

Yes, they called a conditioner. Now well they got slapped. Well it's legit. They're doing it right now.

Yeah, So people, I want to I want to amend something. Halo does have some real softeners, okay, of course, always price compare with other companies. They do have conventional softeners. And then they also have this thing called the Halo five which is a whole house filtration and conditioning and it's not a softener a softener. Yeah, they they've corrected that. So I was wrong when I said they were misadvertising. They did correct that.

Why was that because of the government or well.

No, it's because of the complaints because if you look at it, the Halo five, I mean they sell anywhere between five thousand, eight thousand, eleven thousand on up, and they were and I agree with you. I think the manufacturer misled certain plumber representatives and let them believe this was the greatest thing since you know butter, but it wasn't.

Well, we have time to get calls, of course, we have forty five minutes or more three oh three seven one three talks seven or three two five five or three oh three Martino got a quick follow up, and you're going to follow up on the hailstorm the hell claim the repair shop has had this car they feel for an excessive amount of time. Deputy Dot called on and we'll talk about that.

Frank time.

I like what I heard either, keep going.

Frank Dran the real estate.

Man, will to let you know what your house will sell for now. A lot of people think they have to get an appraisal, and appraisal will tell you nothing about that. Frank Duran will use actual stats to show you what that house in similar houses self work based on his thirty years of experience. Get some real information free of charge, with no obligation. Three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two. Go with a sure thing Denver's Best roofer Excel roofing dot com.

You don't pay a.

Cent until you're contenth.

Time for an insurance checkup free, no obligation comparison call Compass insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies. Find out now three oh three seven to seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

All right, three oh three seven one three eight two five five man, we get to talking during the break. You want to hear about it, you go to YouTube dot com. Type in Troubleshooter Network. I'm shocked, Tom, how many people actually watch us and listen to us every day. The biggest thing are the downloads over time, those you don't oh over here, fifty thousand your average a month.

Yeah, we get a ton of people like downloading it, and then they can listen to it when they're on the treadmill or they're working out or whatever. But but the downloads far exceed the streamers. The streamers are still important to us, and then of course our listeners.

I got someone with an interesting question for you. This is a good one. I know the answer kind of I'm gonna go to my text to go ahead, Okay, you ready what gut? You started in this troubleshooting forty five years and there's people out there forty five years here, fifty years. I mean, what what do you wake up one day and some guy ripped you off?

I swear to god, it's working for a newspaper, the Catskill Daily Mail and the Green County News, little tiny newspaper.

And I was going to, I was going to.

What were you doing for the newspaper writing troubleshooting columns?

Or what I was?

First of all, I was in the mail room, and then I started studying this in community college because I couldn't afford to go to university at first, so I was in community college taking journalism, and then they gave me a part time job writing. So I got ripped off by a girl who bought my car.

What were you writing? At first? So it was consumer stuff, no news, just news, okay. They they gave.

Me little assignments like an obituary or or or something a little a country market something, just stupid little articles. Then when I got ripped off, this girl bought my car, promised to pay me monthly and didn't pay me, And I took it a small claims court and I won.

I found a weird law. It's law of affirmation. It's a weird law in New York.

What it meant was, if you made a contract in your seventeenth year, on your way or in your eighteenth year, you're not yet eighteen, but it's junior eighteenth year, and you did not disavow it when you turned eighteen, you automatically affirmed it. Now, the reason they did that in New York is because they were having trouble with older teenagers who were signing contracts and then ditching them, you know, because.

They weren't eighteen. So what they said was, Okay, if you make a contract just before you turn eighteen and you don't rescind it, it's going to after a certain number of days, it's going to take effect. And how would you formally rescind it?

You would say that contract I signed with you when I was seventeen, I don't want it.

I mean, you basically rescinded it. So this was like so normal.

So what I did was I found this law and waited for her to turn eighteen, because that was why she wasn't paying a rod says she was seventeen. You can't enforce the contract anyway. So I waited for her to turn eighteen. Then I waited the five days.

And served her and she never rescinded it. She had not resent. She didn't know about the law.

So her mom came to her with court and in court and I said to the judge your on her, here's this law. And she didn't resend it because he said, what are you going to do? You signed a contract with a minor, and even this judge didn't know. And I said, well, here's the law at the time. And he said, ma'am, it looks like we have to put a judgment against you for the money, or you can make it a payment arrangement. She so they paid me right there and I wrote the story in the newspaper.

I said yeah. He said, well research the more and I took out a letter and I solved that one so so almost like an advice column, but purely consumer did it turn into that. Yeah, it was the first one ever. It's called action.

So I did it, and then I started liking doing that, but I was still that we were small enough. I had to do news still too, so I did both, and then I had my column. But that got so popular, So then a local TV station wanted stringers. They were people that worked as a correspondent, but you didn't work full time, but you carried a camera and went to news stories. So I wanted to get into broadcasting, so I did that.

So would you like you would go out get whatever video then try to sell it to a station.

No, No, I worked for them. They supplied me with the assignment. I went out and did it and then sent them the film. It wasn't tape, it was film, and you didn't you had to send it on a bus literally, So I do a news story, send it on a bus.

It would get up there at four or five.

In the afternoon on a bus. They would take it then call me on the phone and I would have to do my broadcast on the phone.

It was called a beeper.

It's a long story, but you would read the script over the phone. They would put that together with your film and then you'd have a story now. Obviously, because you were doing it like that, you couldn't have interviews and stuff. All you had was voiceover film. That's all you had as a correspondent, as a stringer. But I asked them if I could do more than that, if I could go out and find my own stories.

They never had that happen. They said sure.

So they were paying me back then. There's a lot of money for me. Two hundred dollars a story. This was in the seventies. You know, that's a lot of money, right, So I was doing two or three stories a week. That was a lot of money for a kid back then. And plus my newspaper was paying me two hundred a week.

And she said, oh, he's a reporter that works with me.

She said she didn't get the job, but she said, he wants to talk to you, and I said, oh, that's cool. So I went up to Tampa, which was a really big market, and then got that job, and then from there I was recruited to another station.

Hold on, I want to stop you there, just so yeah, I've always been curious about this point. So at the point where you were in Tampa, at what point does anybody in the industry back in that period of time or maybe even now, at what point do they hire somebody to shop them to stations all around? In other words, when did you get an agent? Does that even come into it?

Yeah, but in those days. You didn't hire the agent the other stations did for you.

Let me explain that.

When I was in Tampa, I was making an impact, and then I went to don't ask me why, but I went to Raleigh, North Carolina because one of my news directors from the original station went there, so I followed him. So I went from Tampa to North to Raleigh. When I was in Raleigh, the competition sent my tape out that they do that here too.

Are they used to? I don't know what you mean by that.

Okay, Like that happened all the time I've been on TV here, right. I was on TV up till about fifteen years ago. Right, So when I got here, the people did it all the time. My tape at Channel seven, when I was on Channel four, Channel seven and Channel nine would send my tape to a consultant who would try to get me a job somewhere else.

Why to get rid of me? Oh my god, everyone did it. It wasn't just because of me. Everyone did it.

It wasn't like they would try to They want you to leave because they didn't want you competing with them, so they would take key players.

Oh wait, other stations would farm you out so if you god, that's a crazy way of doing business. Maggot and Associates and al Primo they were called. These were called consultants, So when they went to a station, they would consult that station on how to be better. But they also went to the other stations, not physically, but looked at reporters who they thought they needed to get rid of. Got it, And so they would send your tape out and they would actually represent you.

So it was.

Weird because like you would have, like al Primo and Associates, be hired by another channel and they would call you and you worked, you didn't work for that channel, and they couldn't hire you there because of the non competes that they used to have. So they would say, would you like to work in New York or would you like to work in San Francisco, because they that would help them help the other station if they thought you were a threat. I know that sounds weird, but it is.

It's crazy.

They did that all the time.

So all of my job offers came from other stations sending out my tapes. So then that's how I got job offers all over the country.

So at no point did you ever hire your own agent. No, it's just not done in the business.

No, it is done in the business a lot, it's just not back then, we didn't because we were too poor. I mean, to give ten percent of what you make to an agent. Crazy because okay, so no, there were a lot of people that made more money than me that had agents, like people here in Denver anchor people, but not at that time. Time were regular reporters getting agents,

So that's how the competition would do it. The competition would try to get them a better job in some to make it easier to out here. That's right. I mean, Ronz Apollo was getting offers from all over the country because Channel nine and Channel seven would send his tape out. It was such a normal thing.

We we knew it, like when we would get job offers, we knew.

Oh thanks for that, you know it's crazy. Yes, I want to we got to take this break. I do want to. I want to follow up on something after this, So hold tight. Three oh three seven one three eight two five to five. Auto, Yeah, we gotta take Auto.

Go with a sure thing Denver's Best roofer Excel Roofing dot com. You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance checkup free, no obligation. In comparison, call Compass Insurance. Paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three oh three seven seven to one help. You'll think you're his only customer when you choose Frank durand the real estate Man dot com to list your home with Remax Alliance three oh three nine two zero sixteen twenty two.

Hi, Tom Martinez, Compass Insurance Group.

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Auto. What's going on?

Hi, Tom.

Hey, my name is Otto Snyder. Yes, calling because I received a letter from a company called Penny Mack in Los Angeles, California. I did my homework and googled it, but I couldn't match it up to a zip code.

What did they want from you?

It's actually information. The letter is indicating that a check was mailed to us in twenty one. In twenty twenty one, and I don't recall receiving that, but my.

Gosh, that was Yeah, it's a sport. You did you have a mortgage with Penny Mac?

I think when we it's a mortgage company, it is mortgage company.

Yeah, Penny.

But the letter states that the state of Colorado requires us to notify you that you're unclaimed abandoned property made transfer.

They could be real, there could be a Normally with a mortgage company, when you get those unclaimed funds, they're usually a refund on the mortgage insurance premium that they paid upfront or something like that.

So then the then the dates and stuff or the information that they're after, which is really just a signature and.

Wait, wait, wait, wait wait, why did they don't need a signature? What are they after?

They're probably if you go to, for example, the Great Colorado Payback, right, and you type your name in, it still has to verify you by asking you certain questions. The great you get that check. But I don't think Pennymack has to do.

You know.

What I'm saying is he should go to the Great Colorado Payback. That's where the money would have been deposited. But they just they'll just take a fee for doing what you could do for yourself. To no charge, to pay a company to collect a money or tell you how to collect it is a complete ripoff.

Well, unless you lived in several states and you don't know which state it is, because you'd have to go to the specific stations.

And match save you a lot of time.

Yeah, but you go to the Colorado, the Great Colorado Paypack.

Yeah, did they indicate how much it was? Yes, sir, they did how much?

Seventy two?

Well I listen, Well, we can.

Look right now and see if it's there, because you can't well, I mean, you can do it right this second.

Auto you already said it. What's your last name? Yeah? What's you?

It doesn't matter because nobody can get the money.

Schneider SDH and E I D.

E R.

Okay, let's let's look up autos. All right, let's put him on hold. I'm going to look that up. I'm going to ask him something else off air, and then meantime, let's hop over to Nate. Hey, Nate, what's going on with you?

Hey, guys, thanks for taking my call. Hey, So, I'm a kind of an interesting situation. I was in a bicycle accident. I cut through the parking lot of a business and I hit a curb and was hurt pretty badly. I had knee surgery last week, so I'm kind of I'm exploring some options to the rub is that the accident happened literally in the parking lot of a very very well known personal injury attorney. And I don't know if.

But I'm not so sure they would be liable. Did they do something wrong?

I don't know.

I feel like the curve that I hit is very oddly placed and not I think maybe you answered my question about about that, and that's and that's fine.

No, No, here's what I'm saying, Nate. Because something happens doesn't make it someone's negligence or liability. It's not doesn't mean they're negligent and it doesn't mean they're liable. It can, it can, But one of the hardest things in liability is premises liability. In premises liability, specifically, you have to show that they knew about it and did nothing about it.

And he cut through a parking lot. Ye, I were a bicycle supposed to.

Be no but there there still could be liability even if you're unauthorized.

I mean, I know it's weird, but it's fun.

My concern obviously, I want to get.

John Fuller on to ask him basically, and I don't know. If we have a lot of we might be able to get him on. If we can't, we'll bring you up tomorrow. Really, John Fuller will have a real take on this, and you really rather than letting it go just from what I say, let's talk to John hold On, all right, Nate, all right? Three oh three seven one three talks seven one three eight two five five. I guess we should take a break and come back. Are you going to see if Atto has money?

Yeah?

I'm looking right now. All right?

We got more right after this, go with a sure thing Denver's Best roofer Excel roofing dot com. You don't pay a cent until you're content. Time for an insurance check up free, no obligation. In comparison, call Compass Insurance paying too much your coverage at dozens of insurance companies find out now three oh three seven seven to one help.

Three eight two five five. Please, folks, do not forget three zero three Martino. Tell your neighbors, tell your friends you've been ripped off. You ever need help, that number works twenty four seven three oh three Martina.

So does autto have any money coming?

Well, here's the problem, Otto, I don't have enough information. I don't see your exact name. But I see a lot of autos and a lot of Schneiders, but not Auto Schneider. I've seen a couple, but it's like eight bucks. So what you need to do is go look for yourself. Just Google. Don't go to dot com, but Google. The Great Colorader stack auto could have have been another state autom.

I was a traveling pipe bitter by trade in.

No but I mean, where was this mortgage? Did you have a mortgage with these people?

You're in Colorado?

You're in Colorado, okay.

Twenty fifteen. We settled in Colorado in Greeley here and purchased this home at that time. And again, I just recently lost my wife, so I don't want to be scammed out of money. But this says refunds do So that's what got my And what.

Does it wants? I don't understand this sign It wants a signature, yes it does, along with what.

Title?

The date of course, a phone.

Number and what do you mean title?

I don't know what that means either, I would guess homeowner.

Well I don't even know what that means a title. Oh oh, okay, are you sure that's what that means?

It sounds like it. Okay, that's always means I see it. Okay. And are they asking for a social.

The last four digits?

Yes, well, there's nothing wrong with that, okay.

I don't know, like, like, if you want to send us a copy that, we don't mind looking at it.

I just don't know what their game is.

They don't want any payment, or any bank information or any credit cards.

Nothing right, See, I got one right here for one hundred and seventy two bucks for yourself. Yeah, for myself.

You didn't know that.

Yeah I did know it, but I'll tell you I don't want to get into it. But it would be a pain in the ass for me to get this. But when you go to it to file acclaim, here, I am owner. Then you hit file a claim. So they want first name, last name, middle name, date of birth, email, home phone, social security current mailing address. So that's the government. You never give that to anyone else. Yeah, that's what

You couldn't find his name.

I don't know what was got it. Yeah, he must find it.

Is your name I have written on the Great color.

Is your name? Is your full name?

Truly?

Your first name? Otto?

Yes it is, okay, fourth generation uncle Otto, Roy Schneider.

There was a great movie, No No, with Tom Hanks. Did you see a man called Auto?

A great movie? You gotta see it. It's a it's a cool movie. It's a really good watch movie.

Tom.

I have more important things to do, like working in the garage and building things.

So what do you build?

You?

Wait for that? Oh, just all kinds of cool wood things and metal things and start pieces.

Yeah, I know, I know what you mean. But I love movies.

I'm retired, so this is you know, this is my life.

Now.

You might have free money out there now?

Yeah, you know again, I want to I'm sure glad you guys are there to help us.

And when you if you send us, if you email it to me, Kachina can tell you how to email.

I would I take a look at it for you.

I don't think there's anything too dangerous about filling it out and see what happens.

I don't like given my social No, no, he's just the last four digits of his social that's a little better. This want's your full social on the Colorado site.

Yeah, but that's the Colorado site. I would trust them for that, I do, all right. I want to recap with Paul the Waterman real quick here Paul waterpros dot net, So right now until further notice, you have a whole house softener along with a triple filter reverse osmosis drinking water, so you get both drinking water and you get soft water. So we're talking to host shooting match here for thirty one ninety five.

Right, twenty four thousand grain water softener with the reverse osmosis everything manufactured in the United States of America for thirty one ninety five.

Paul, Does that cover any size house? I mean, oh, that's a good question. What is that for, like the tiniest of tiniest.

Or what a standard water softener is? Twenty four thousand grain three quarters of the cubic foot you know, can cover you know, majority of the houses. Now, if you have you know, six bathrooms, that's a different story. No, okay, so we're talking about most houses. And yeah, he doesn't do bats.

What do you think Suzanne loves about our system from Paul better than anything else you might have heard me talk about it.

No, I'll tell you no.

No water spotting her hair, Oh for sure. Which why is that though? I mean my hair doesn't.

Because the minerals stay in your hair. Absolutely, they stay in your hair and good for your hair. Yeah, Well, it's good for everything because you don't have it all on. Yeah, And it's good for your plumbing, and it's good for and water spotting.

You're gonna notice that washing your fricking car.

I mean, it's amazing that the small stuff like that, right, And I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned laundry. It's it's gonna be both, yeah, all right, three zero three, Martito, don't forget that number works on and off the air.

Help at troubleshooter dot com. We'll be back with you tomorrow