Home Repairs

It had come down to bathing in a bucket in the rusted bathtub, illuminating every room with flashlights because the electric wiring was shot, and on days when the water heater malfunctioned, Leroy Price and Sunny Robinson would reach for their largest pot and boil water on the stove top. The 107-year-old Craftsman-style house that has been in Price's family for three generations was in severe disrepair after the roof began to leak a few years ago.

SAN DIEGO - Two defense contractors and a corporation have been found guilty of being part of a fraud and bribery scheme involving phony payments for the repair of military aircraft at North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado. Robert Ehnow and Joanne Loehr, owners of Poway-based companies, were convicted Monday of showering Navy officials with gifts and cash in exchange for millions of dollars in payments for work supposedly done on planes at the Fleet Readiness Center. Loehr's firm, Centerline Industrial Inc., also was convicted.

Twenty low-income residents will be eligible for free home repairs over the next six months under a new program approved by the City Council last Thursday. The Handyworker Program, administered by the East San Gabriel Valley Consortium, will provide such repairs as roofing, fencing, plumbing, electrical wiring and landscaping to low-income residents who are disabled, elderly, single heads-of-households or have families of six or more.

The mud and floodwaters that ravaged the East Coast when Superstorm Sandy roared ashore three months ago have been supplanted by a sea of red tape, leaving thousands of residents and businesses in limbo as they await insurance funds or help from the federal government. Some have used savings or loans to get back into their homes or reopen businesses. Others remain in temporary housing or hotels, or face the winter in frigid, unfinished housing, resulting in a staggered state of recovery that bodes ill for a region trying to make itself whole again.

The City Council has rejected a proposal that would have provided $500 grants to residents for minor home repairs. The council Monday voted 3 to 2 to deny a recommendation by the city's Human Services Department to set aside $10,000 to fund the program. Council members Nancy Manners and Richard Jennings were in favor of the program, which would have provided the one-time grants.

Low-income Mission Viejo residents who need to make home repairs but cannot afford them may apply now for home-improvement grants or low-interest loans through a federal program being administered by the county. County officials say $100,000 in federal grant funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for property owners who meet income and other guidelines set by the federal government.

In Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, actor Michael J. Fox took the stand to deny that the master suite of his former Studio City home looked like a "teen-age boy's fantasy" of a "playboy's life." "Actually it was a 21-year-old boy's fantasy of a playboy's life," quipped Fox, now 32, who was in his early 20s when he had the room remodeled.

Not long ago, it looked like the Santa Clarita Valley would lose a federally funded program that since 1978 has helped repair the homes of low-income residents. But, even when a Los Angeles-based firm announced plans to drop the program, Greg Garrett continued patching roofs, installing hot water heaters, fixing leaky faucets and doing other odd jobs for the people the program serves, most of them senior citizens.

To help keep low-income elderly and disabled homeowners warm and safe in their homes, Chase Manhattan Financial Services Inc. of Newport Beach has donated $2,000 to the Christmas in April Orange County Program. The nationwide program provides home repair and rehabilitation services to senior citizens and disabled people who cannot afford improvements. By April 23, 1993, 25 homes in Orange County will be refurbished by more than 800 volunteers.

"It's too bad they didn't teach me home repairs in college instead of literature," Bobbie Probstein said. "I would have read the books anyway, but I could have saved a lot of money on repairmen." Probstein, a Santa Monica photographer and writer, decided a year ago that she was going to learn to fix things herself after spotting a flyer for handyman Chas Eisner's Women's Home Repair Workshop in West Los Angeles.

Alex Trebek will take "relief" for $500.  The "Jeopardy!" host is recovering well after suffering a mild heart attack Saturday. The beloved quiz man, who experienced a similar attack five years ago, said he sought treatment at the insistence of his wife. "She was very adamant and had tears in her eyes," Trebek told People. "I didn't want to upset her more than I had already so I went - and she was right. " The 71-year-old was making some home repairs and, after moving a heavy ladder, experienced shooting pain in his chest and back.

Colleagues of the late Sen. Ted Stevens are calling for the heads of six federal prosecutors who concealed evidence from the Alaska Republican's lawyers at his 2008 corruption trial. They may not get their wish for a while - Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. is awaiting a report by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility - but in the meantime, Congress can make it harder for overzealous and negligent government lawyers to subject other defendants to the sort of outrageous ordeal Stevens endured.

Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for. Mormons targeted - The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused several Utah residents of operating a Ponzi scheme that victimized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In a Dec. 29 lawsuit filed in federal court in Utah, the SEC alleged that Joseph Nelson and his associates targeted investors at church functions, telling them they could double their money if they invested with Nelson's companies.

When Bob and Lynn Forthman joined Ashby Village in July 2010, they never figured they'd need its services so soon. The virtual village in Berkeley is one of 65 nationwide, with 120 more in the works. The volunteer-driven networks are meant to help seniors continue living in their homes by delivering a multitude of services they no longer can do for themselves and to help them stay engaged through social events. What started with the first village in 2001 in Boston has become a fast-growing phenomenon that could fill a crucial gap as baby boomers age and longevity increases.

It had come down to bathing in a bucket in the rusted bathtub, illuminating every room with flashlights because the electric wiring was shot, and on days when the water heater malfunctioned, Leroy Price and Sunny Robinson would reach for their largest pot and boil water on the stove top. The 107-year-old Craftsman-style house that has been in Price's family for three generations was in severe disrepair after the roof began to leak a few years ago.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied nearly 650,000 applications for housing aid after Hurricane Ike hit southeast Texas, finding that nearly 90% of all claimants were ineligible for FEMA help. Those rejected and their attorneys say the inspectors are unqualified or poorly trained, and the inspection system is flawed in ways that withhold help from deserving people. FEMA says the numbers reflect a misunderstanding of the agency's mission. The Houston Chronicle reported that FEMA has received more than 730,000 applications for help with home repairs, mobile homes or other housing services needed after Ike caused widespread damage in September.

When Cecil and Vivian Kelley moved into their home on Halkett Avenue in Rosemead 35 years ago, they were ecstatic. With two bedrooms, one bathroom and a living room, they had room to spare. But 10 years and two children later, the Kelleys were cramped. And after adding two bedrooms and another bathroom, they ran out of money and their home eventually fell into disrepair. By May, the Kelleys knew some work had to be done to save their house. They turned to the city of Rosemead for help.

Wielding paintbrushes, ladders and gallons of paint, almost 1,500 volunteers will soon spruce up the exteriors of 100 homes belonging to Denver senior citizens. The annual one-day painting spree, set for Aug. 17 and organized by Brothers Redevelopment Inc. (BRI), assists homeowners living on a slim budget. "Helping people house each other" is what BRI is all about.

Orange County authorities Friday were looking for dozens of people who may have been scammed by a man accused of posing as a contractor and taking homeowners' money before abandoning the jobs. Palavi Tonga, 28, was arrested Wednesday by Anaheim police and booked on three counts of grand theft, said Sgt. Rick Martinez. According to police, Tonga sought out three Anaheim homeowners, falsely telling them he was a licensed contractor and offering them low-cost repairs.

WHEN you first pick up "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Simple Home Repair," you may not be overly excited; it may not give you that "gotta-have-it" feeling. But don't set it aside too quickly. With some quiet consideration, you may find, as I did, that home-improvement author Judy Ostrow's new book has some sound and savvy nuggets of knowledge.