Solar worker takes panels off wrong Bay Area house; 2 years later, they're still stacked in yard

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- A North Bay couple was traveling out of state when they got a disturbing call from a neighbor. Someone had just entered their property without permission.

But the person was no burglar.

This is one of the more unusual cases to come to 7 On Your Side. A workman came to a home in a cul-de-sac and started tearing out equipment. The only problem? He was at the wrong house.

No one was home when he pulled up to Chris and Shana Eso's house on a quiet Santa Rosa court.

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"Knocked on our door, nobody was home, so nobody answered," said Chris.

Instead of leaving, the worker went around to the back of the house, climbed a ladder, and pulled down all of the solar panels that once heated the Eso's swimming pool.

"I was... I was shocked," said Chris.

"I just couldn't fathom in a million years that someone would go up and take something off of my house," said Shana.

The couple returned home to a bewildering sight: the pool solar panels that had been up on their roof were now stacked up in their backyard. The empty brackets were sticking up from the roof.

"I couldn't believe somebody would do this to our house..." said Shana.

It turns out the worker had removed the panels from the wrong house.

He was supposed to take panels off a neighbor's home in the same cul-de-sac, but went to the Eso's house instead.

"They drove into the cul-de-sac, saw our solar up on the roof, assumed that was the house... and actually started taking off the solar panels. Just, you don't ever expect that to happen, right?" said Chris.

The worker is an employee of Diablo Solar Services of Martinez, which apologized right away and took blame for the mistake. In a letter to the Esos, owner Bryan Raymond wrote:

"We made a mistake and we absolutely admit that we trespassed on your property without permission and removed your existing pool solar system, also without your permission. We are 100 percent responsible."

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But that was about the last thing both sides agreed upon.

Nearly two years later, the Esos are locked in a dispute with Diablo Solar over how to replace the solar system.

"Like, OK, it was a mistake. Put it back and fix it," said Shana.

But putting it back was not so simple.

"After talking to roofers that we had come to inspect it, there's no way they could have put it back up on there at that time... it probably would have disintegrated," said Shana.

At the time, inspectors told them their 24-year-old roof was too old and damaged to support any new installation without causing leaks into the house.

Diablo Solar says the roof was already beyond repair before the trespass, and the worker did nothing that could have made it any worse, such as drilling or pulling brackets.

"You need to actually replace the underlying roof itself in order to actually put the new solar back up," said Chris.

And estimates range up to $40,000 for a new roof.

"We do have an old roof, we probably -- we're going to need to replace it in the next, kind of, five years. Having said that, we weren't ready to replace it," said Chris.

"If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have had to be in this situation to fix my roof right now, and the cost to put a new solar system up is quite expensive," said Shana.

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Chris demanded Diablo Solar pay for the new roof and new solar -- $70,000 in all -- which outraged Raymond, the Diablo Solar owner. He called the proposal "preposterous... insulting... and misguided," saying the panel removal did not entitle the couple to a new roof and solar system.

Raymond did not agree to an on-camera interview, but in emails to 7 On Your Side he said, in part:

"Yes, we removed the solar system but... we did not damage the roof in any way. All we did was remove the solar panels... And the photos we took of the roof before we removed anything clearly shows years and years of damage... This entire roof is old, shot and in need of repair or replacement."

Raymond provided photos he says show damage to the roof and the solar panels that existed before his employee climbed on the roof. He wrote:

"This was a simple mix-up by our most valuable employee. He has been with Diablo Solar for over 24 years and by transposing a number in the address mistakenly removed the wrong solar system..."

Raymond added that Diablo Solar has been in business for 41 years, and "to my knowledge, this has never happened before or since..."

Raymond offered to reinstall their solar system right away and to repair or replace panels that are unusable.

Or, he'd wait until the Esos install a new roof at their own expense, and then put the system back up. He also offered $1,000 for their troubles.

He wrote: "My desire was and is to make sure that he is fairly compensated for our trespass, and that his solar system is reinstalled at the exact same or better condition than it was before we ever stepped onto his roof."

But the Esos say putting solar back up on their roof as-is would risk leaks into the house, and taking down the panels forced them to get a new roof sooner than expected.

"I wouldn't be in this situation... if it wasn't for him and his team going up and trespassing on my property," said Chris.

The couple filed a complaint with the Contractors State License Board, known as CSLB.

A CSLB spokesperson tells 7 On Your Side, "The complaint is currently under investigation and CSLB cannot speak further on it at this time. Generally, consumers in this situation can file a complaint with CSLB for investigation... or pursue civil action against the contractor."

The couple has not filed suit, citing the high costs of litigation.

Raymond said he welcomes the CSLB investigation and stands by his previous offers.

But still, no agreement.

Two summers have passed.

The solar panels are still stacked in the back yard, covered in fall leaves.

The empty brackets are still sticking up from the roof, and the pool water, still too cold for swimming.

"We haven't used the pool since all this happened. It's very frustrating," said Shana.

State and local laws can hold contractors responsible if their work damages a neighboring property, though this case is not as simple. The common recourse is to make a claim with your homeowners' insurance, which could seek to recover damages from the contractor. The Esos are reluctant to make a claim, unfortunately, due to the fragile nature of home insurance renewals.

Take a look at more stories and videos by 7 On Your Side.

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