Man returns to Gatlinburg chalet to find deck demolished

By DON DARE
6 On Your Side Reporter

GATLINBURG (WATE) - A Gatlinburg chalet owner received a big surprise recently. The decks on his unit were torn down by mistake.

Bill Smith couldn't believe his eyes. The decks to his chalet were taken down when he was away for about three hours on Monday, February 13.

"They took all that off, tore it down and threw it off the bank. They tore this floor, the handrails and the steps and had it thrown everywhere," he said.

Bill has owned the three-story chalet, called Bill's Hideaway in the heart of Gatlinburg, for 10 years. There are three suites in the building that looks over the city. It's been a money maker when vacationers could sit outside on the porch.

"The deck is part of the atmosphere here. Sit on the deck, listen to the music in the city. But with the deck gone, it's tough to rent," Bill said.

He showed 6 On Your Side pictures of how the place looked when he returned from shopping. "They just threw the debris on the bank, left all the nails exposed which was a safety hazard," he said.

At first, Bill had no idea who had torn the deck down. But a neighbor had some information.

"Finally, I got the contractor here." They said, "The GPS sent us here." However, his chalet is clearly marked as number 151. The crew was supposed to go to 145.

The chalet at number 145 is next door to the building Bill owns. He wonders how anyone could have missed the mailbox with the address on it right in front of his unit. He filed a police report in Gatlinburg.

"at this point, I'm losing business and I'm out my deck, two decks as a matter of fact," Bill said.

Robinson Remodeling of Sevierville is the contractor that made the costly mistake.

Chad Robinson was working in Kentucky when he spoke with 6 On Your Side. "We were supposed to go to the house next door. We accidentally tore it off the wrong house," he said.

"His place is 151," I said. "How could you have missed his house?" Robinson told us the same thing he told Bill. "Because the GPS brought us to it."

Bill said at first, Robinson told him he wanted to use some of the old lumber to rebuild the deck. However, Bill objected and Robinson revised that plan.

"We're going to build him a brand new deck," Robinson said. "We agreed to that."

Bill has received the signed agreement. He says Robinson Remodeling agreed to rebuild the decks to code at their cost. The job will begin a week from now and it should take three days to complete.

If you have a consumer issue, call the 6 On Your Side Hotline at 865-633-5974 or email ddare@wate.com.

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Man returns to Gatlinburg chalet to find deck demolished