Lowcountry pool contractor files for bankruptcy, customers still out thousands

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A Lowcountry pool contractor accused of taking thousands of dollars, not finishing the work, and creating dangerous hazards has now filed for bankruptcy.

Indigo Pools, founded by Josh and Ashley Ingram in 2020, served hundreds of customers from Mount Pleasant to Okatie by building what should have been their dream pools.

Previous investigations revealed customers who had experienced large delays in installations, bad communication from the owners, dangerous hazards within installed equipment and large amounts of money still unpaid.

But now that the Ingrams have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, customers are concerned justice will never be served.

“It’s terrible that the pool industry is such that they can just take your money and just say, ‘hey, I’ll be back in nine months,’” former customer Laurie Greco, says. Greco says she lost almost $20,000 to the Ingrams.

In the bankruptcy case filed on Sept. 19, the Ingrams are estimated to owe between 50 to 99 creditors. But in a class-action lawsuit filed by the Anastopoulo Law Firm last winter, the firm says they represent almost 100 customers.

In a meeting of creditors on Nov. 1, the majority of creditors listed were other banks and contractors the Ingrams owed, but almost no customers were included, documents state. The filing also stated the Ingrams’ estimated assets are worth between $0 and $50,000, but real estate records show the Ingrams purchased a $900,000 home in Summerville back in 2022.

The Ingrams also listed money owed as coming mostly from consumer debts rather than business.

Anastopoulo Lawyer Roy Willey says the bankruptcy filing shouldn’t affect the customers represented in the class-action because the lawsuit is specifically against Indigo Pools, not the Ingrams.

“The cooperate entities did have insurance, and the insurance coverage is not impacted by bankruptcy,” Willey says. “The only impact really of the bankruptcy is that it will slow the case down a little bit.”

Willey adds that if the insurance claim money runs out, Anastopoulo would make claims against the Ingrams individually.

“We’re optimistic that there will be a recovery that, if not 100%, compensatory, will be certainly as close as we can get it,” Willey says.

Three customers in a Johns Island neighborhood say they are owed $150,000 for work that never even began after they signed a contract with the Ingrams.

“It’s pretty sad that people take advantage of other people in good faith, and I know we’re not going to get any money because there’s so many people besides us lined up,” Rosanne Schlegel, says. “I’d love to file criminal charges because people should not be allowed to do this.”

Almost a year after signing the initial contract, Greco received her pool shell, and says she’s convinced she was one of the last customers to receive a physical pool.

“These are normal folks. These are people who work in the post office, for school districts,” Greco says. “This was something that everybody was going to do for their family. It’s a big expense.”

Most of these customers have been waiting for months or even years to see justice for their unfinished and sometimes dangerous pools.

“I hope they get their day, and I hope that we all can get some kind of peace from this bad experience,” Schlegel says.

The Ingrams and their attorney did not reply to a request for comment.

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