Costco shopper's home ‘underwater' after $3.5k fridge installed – he was forced to move out but store wouldn't help'

The Sun

6 days ago

A FAMILY says their house was wrecked and left looking like a "construction site" after their new $3,500 Costco refrigerator caused catastrophic water damage.
The flooding was so bad that they had to move out days before Christmas, but claim neither Costco nor the installers have taken responsibility.
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The chaos unfolded in Jacksonville, Florida, where Bradley Byrd says a faulty water line installation destroyed his home.
The fridge was delivered and installed in December 2024 by a third-party contractor through RXO Last Mile, arranged by Costco.
Everything seemed fine at first, until six hours later, when Byrd received a FaceTime call from his daughter.
"She facetimes me and says, 'Dad, the house is underwater,'" Byrd told CW local affiliate WJXT.
Byrd rushed home to find water actively gushing through the floors and soaking nearly every room in the house.
A video he took shows water splashing around his feet as he walked through the flooded house.
He said the installers failed to wrap and secure the extra water line properly.
"They allowed it to go underneath the refrigerator, and they allowed the refrigerator's wheels to sit on a line, which caused a crack that grew larger and larger," Byrd explained.
The flooding ruined carpets, electronics, furniture, musical instruments, and even parts of the house's structure.
The damage forced the family to flee and live in an Airbnb, just before Christmas.
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'We got the tree up, Christmas presents wrapped. Everything was great. And then all of a sudden, a couple of days later, we had to leave,' Byrd said.
Air quality tests later showed dangerous mold levels across most of the first floor.
"So far, I have spent about $300,000 on repairs, mitigation, third-party charges for reports and testing, and to get our belongings moved out and into storage," he said.
A public adjuster estimated the total damage to be around $700,000.
Byrd said the best offer he received from the companies involved was $175,000.
"They drop the ball and are hoping that I foot the bill with my life savings for their bottom line," he said.
Byrd took a $38,000 payment from Costco to help with temporary living costs, but emphasized that he hasn't agreed to any settlement regarding the damages.
Instead, he has been gearing up to take legal action.
'I think that, unfortunately, is the next step,' Byrd said.
He created a website to document the costs and raise awareness.
According to his site, $360,000 was needed to repair the home, $76,000 to replace personal items, $78,000 for temporary housing, $117,000 for mitigation and storage, and $72,000 for legal help.
As of now, the Byrds have returned to a partially habitable home that remains without a fully functional kitchen or bathroom.
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