7 On Your Side digs New York homeowner out of driveway hole

CORTLANDT MANOR, Westchester County (WABC) -- A homeowner who turned to solar to help the environment and save money on utility bills instead ended up in a $3,000 hole -- literally.

So he turned to 7 On Your Side to dig him out.

Pasquale Cardarelli was furious after he invested in his Cortlandt Manor home, installing a new roof and solar panels only to have the contractor who did the work damage his driveway with a dumpster bin.

"He made two holes, and when he picked it up, he scratched up the driveway," he said.

Two gouge marks and a pair of deep divots were left behind, which were not only unsightly, but also posed a danger to his family.

"My son was playing outside, he almost fall," he said. "Actually, my wife almost fall in the hole putting up Christmas lights."

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Cardarelli said the solar company salesman was polite and told him to get damage estimates.

"I got one estimate, it was too high," he said. "I said no, there's no way, so I went to another contractor."

After that, he said the company stopped taking his calls.

"The only one who was answering, like I said, was the salesperson," he said. "When they answered, it was always like they give you the runaround."

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After four months, he said workers finally came to survey the damage the day after Thanksgiving. But still, there were no repairs, and no check.

"I was really frustrated," he said. "I told the salesman, 'I'm sorry, I'm going to call Channel 7 On Your Side,' and he said, 'Oh, I apologize.'"

Once we got involved, things moved quickly. He had a check in his hand for more than the highest estimate, $3,000, to fix his busted driveway.

"I got to say thank you to you guys, I was so happy," he said. "Thank you very much. I knew you guys were good, but you're more than good."

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