{"id":403952,"date":"2025-11-25T16:20:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/403952\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T16:20:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T16:20:15","slug":"complaints-mount-against-city-funded-contractor-paid-millions-for-home-repairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/403952\/","title":{"rendered":"Complaints mount against city-funded contractor paid millions for home repairs"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 City leadership has come to the defense of its highest-paid contractor for home renovations amid a growing number of complaints from homeowners about issues with completed projects and the behavior of workers at job sites.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are aware, the contractor, we\u2019ve had some complaints about them. But I will add that it\u2019s important to note this contractor has shown a consistent practice of addressing items during the warranty process,\u201d said Neighborhood and Housing Services Director Veronica Garcia. <\/p>\n

Pro Masters Remodeling was paid nearly $14.5 million by NHSD for construction work completed from May 2019 to this summer, according to records previously released by the city. <\/p>\n

The company has become NHSD\u2019s \u201chighest paid\u201d contractor, according to internal city emails.<\/p>\n

But homeowners who took part in the city\u2019s three renovation programs \u2014 Under 1 Roof, Minor Repair and Major Repair \u2014 have offered scathing reviews in recent months of work performed by Pro Masters. <\/p>\n

KSAT Investigates<\/p>\n

Hard-hitting journalism from the KSAT Investigates team delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n

Bottles of urine thrown from roof of South Side home<\/p>\n

The owner of a home on Shasta Avenue reached out to KSAT Investigates after uncovering issues with roofing work completed by Pro Masters earlier this year. <\/p>\n

The owner, who asked that she not be identified, received the roof, free of charge, after qualifying for the Under 1 Roof program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The roof\u2019s underside, commonly called soffit, came apart shortly after construction. An inspection revealed flashing that was loose or missing altogether. <\/p>\n

In late September, NHSD\u2019s assistant director and a special projects manager visited the property and spoke with the homeowner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe homeowner had expressed some concerns. Even though we don\u2019t do it typically on roofs, we went ahead and provided her a list of independent, third-party inspectors, let her choose one,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n

The owner also told KSAT workers installing the roof urinated in bottles and tossed them to the ground, instead of asking to use her restroom.<\/p>\n

A picture she shared with KSAT shows urine in a water bottle in her driveway along with roofing debris.<\/p>\n

A homeowner on Shasta Avenue said workers urinated in bottles and tossed them onto her driveway while repairing her roof earlier this year. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the owner of a home on Bains Landing, who took part in NHSD\u2019s Minor Repair program<\/a>, told KSAT she was forced to get rid of her backyard storage shed after workers urinated and defecated in it.<\/p>\n

The home renovation project was handled by Pro Masters, according to city records and footage recorded by the family. <\/p>\n

Irene Talamantez shared a similar tale with KSAT.<\/p>\n

Talamantez said workers used her recycling bin as a bathroom. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

While her and her mother\u2019s home was being renovated by Pro Masters under the city\u2019s Major Repair program<\/a> last year, Talamantez said she caught workers using the home\u2019s recycling bin as a bathroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t even stand the smell. I opened it up and you could see the toilet paper in there with, you know,\u201d Talamantez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve shared all of those concerns with the contractor and emphasized the importance of professional behavior, including the subcontractors that may be utilized,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t know why we trusted those contractors\u2019<\/p>\n

Talamantez said she uncovered issues with the workmanship of Pro Masters soon after she and her mother moved back into the renovated residence in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n

The storm door at the front of the home would not open unless a person put his or her shoulder into it.<\/p>\n

Multiple corner walls inside the residence have gaps wide enough to see outside the home.<\/p>\n

The counter and drawers in the kitchen are separated from the wall.<\/p>\n

A toilet installed in one of the home\u2019s bathrooms was not anchored to the floor properly, causing a water leak that forced the family to tear out the room\u2019s tile, footage recorded by Talamantez shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why we trusted those contractors,\u201d Talamantez is heard saying in the recording.<\/p>\n

Irene Talamantez described a long list of issues at her and her mother’s home after it underwent major repairs. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

Talamantez confirmed that workers also painted the bedroom belonging to her son, who passed away in 2020.<\/p>\n

Talamantez said she and her mother implored workers not to alter her son\u2019s room, other than a minor repair for water damage.<\/p>\n

He had painted and refurbished the room himself before his death, Talamantez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told them don\u2019t touch it. They painted my son\u2019s whole entire room, white, completely white,\u201d Talamantez said through tears. \u201cHow can I just repaint it? The one thing we asked, and you couldn\u2019t even honor that.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than a year after the renovation was completed, Talamantez said she cannot get a straight answer from Pro Masters on what plumbing work was done.<\/p>\n

Pro Masters management told her that a sewer line in the backyard of the home was closed.<\/p>\n

The family, however, kept finding mounds of raw sewage and bath tissue in the yard.<\/p>\n

Footage recorded by Talamantez shows her inserting a stick into the sewer cleanout and pulling out a significant amount of raw sewage and used bath tissue.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel betrayed. I feel let down. I feel deceived because everything they told me was going to be fixed, that needed to be up to code, was not done properly and it\u2019s only made it worse,\u201d Talamantez said.<\/p>\n

Garcia said NHSD has worked \u201cvery closely\u201d with the family and the contractor to resolve concerns and to redo some of the work that was still under warranty.<\/p>\n

Neighborhood & Housing Services Director Veronica Garcia. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that home rehab projects can be complex, they can be challenging. I mean, there are complexities and challenges that arise during the course of the process. Our team is here to serve as a liaison between the contractor and the homeowner. We\u2019re there to help ensure there\u2019s clear communication throughout the process,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n

Talamantez said her family has found an advocate in District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, whose West Side district includes the family\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a huge proponent of the program, every fiscal year we\u2019re advocating to increase funding for these important programs, it\u2019s important that we\u2019re having conversations with constituents in terms of what is the impact and what is the quality of work,\u201d Castillo said. \u201cThe expectation that I have is whether it\u2019s a street, sidewalk or major home rehab, is that we\u2019re hiring the best quality contractors to ensure that we\u2019re getting the best product for our public investment.<\/p>\n

Four-year cycle to select contractors is approaching<\/p>\n

Funds for the renovation programs are covered by a combination of NHSD\u2019s budget, federal grants and housing bond money, according to Garcia.<\/p>\n

She said around 15 contractors handle projects under the programs, but some are assigned to roofing work only.<\/p>\n

Garcia pointed out that the four-year cycle is approaching to solicit new contractors who may be interested in participating in the programs.<\/p>\n

Pro Masters owner Francisco Ruiz did not respond to multiple emails from KSAT seeking comment for this story.<\/p>\n

KSAT Investigates this summer revealed that two managers within NHSD used Pro Masters to work on their private residences.<\/p>\n

One of them, affordable housing administrator Ann Eaton, resigned while the city\u2019s Office of Municipal Integrity (OMI) was still investigating what took place.<\/p>\n

The completed investigation determined<\/a> that Eaton paid Pro Masters $16,500 for extensive foundation work at her Southeast Side residence in 2024.<\/p>\n

The city reviewed foundation work performed by Pro Masters at five other homes that participated in a rehabilitation program and determined the work done at Eaton\u2019s home should have cost approximately $28,000, meaning Eaton received a more than 40% discount on the project.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s investigation determined no policy violations occurred, but NHSD instituted a new rule prohibiting employees from hiring program contractors for personal use unless prior approval is obtained.<\/p>\n

Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 City leadership has come to the defense of its highest-paid contractor for home renovations amid…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":403953,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5133],"tags":[5229,31872,190877,190876,7202,7203,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-403952","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ksat-investigates","10":"tag-neighborhood-and-housing-services","11":"tag-pro-masters-remodeling","12":"tag-san-antonio","13":"tag-sanantonio","14":"tag-texas","15":"tag-tx","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-united-states-of-america","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115611253212714072","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403952\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}