13 Investigates: Solar contract canceled days after woman's death

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Tuesday, July 1, 2025 11:02PM
13 Investigates: Solar contract canceled days after woman's death
A solar panel financing company tells ABC13 they agreed to cancel the contract of a 78-year-old woman who said she was given misleading information.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A solar panel financing company tells us they have agreed to cancel the contract of a 78-year-old woman who says she was given misleading information by a salesman at a different company.

Delores Wigal died just hours before 13 Investigates aired a story about her last week, but our team didn't stop working on behalf of her and her family.

Wigal would have turned 79 next month. She had children and grandchildren and loved dancing. She just recently retired after working for years as a special needs school bus driver.

But, at the end of her life, her family said she spent a lot of her time worrying about the implications of a solar panel contract she signed.

Instead of focusing on their mother and their final moments with her, Wigal's family said they spent time on the phone trying to get it cancelled.

"I've got nothing but this house and it's just not fair that I worked all my life. They want to take it away from me," Wigal told 13 Investigates two weeks before she died after a short battle with cancer.

When we spoke with her, Wigal was concerned she would lose her home over a solar panel contract she signed in October.

Wigal, who was on a fixed income, said a salesman with Solar Pros told her the panels were free as part of a government program and would cut her electricity costs.

But the contract she signed through the solar financing company Enfin had her paying $138,000 over 25 years or her house could be taken to pay what she owed.

Wigal said she didn't have the money.

"When y'all left, she just kept saying, she goes, 'she's going to fight.' She said, 'I can tell she's going to fight for us.'" Wigal's daughter Deanna Corbett told 13 Investigates this week.

After bringing Wigal's case to Enfin's attention, explaining to them that she was on hospice and that her daughter said she was in her "final days of life," Enfin said they were working to cancel the contract.

Wigal died five hours before 13 Investigates aired a piece highlighting her situation.

Her family says they got a call two days after the story aired from Enfin saying the contract was being canceled.

The solar financing company confirmed to 13 Investigates that the contract is being canceled and said they are investigating the allegations regarding the sales and installation companies.

Enfin had put a lien on her home in March when the system was activated, and the company tells us that will be removed.

"I wish my mom would have known because she did die with this burden," Corbett said.

Wigal didn't live to see a resolution to her contract or to see a law passed by the state to regulate the solar industry and protect customers.

"As it stands now, before this law takes effect, there is no agency within the state of Texas that regulates solar panel companies or solar panels," said Mike Rush, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Starting September 1, solar salesmen will be prohibited from using misleading, unfair or deceptive practices.

According to the bill, if someone has a "no soliciting" sign on their home, solar salesmen cannot approach them.

If any of that is violated, the salesmen or the solar retailer could be fined and the fines are higher if someone over 65 is involved.

The law also allows the customer to cancel their contract within five business days with no penalty.

"TDR does have the authority to order a contract null and void and a refund of any money once it's determined that the law was violated," Rush said.

Starting next year, solar salesmen and solar retailers will have to register with the state.

"I think her heart would have swelled knowing that this law has been passed, that getting this out in the open, making people realize that this is going on," she said.

A representative at Freedom Forever, the installers, told us they are actively working with Enfin on the next steps for the panels on Wigal's roof.

Freedom Forever said it works with a "robust network of independent dealer partners across the U.S., and Solar Pros is one of the largest and most prominent among them."

"We hold all our partners to high ethical and compliance standards and are committed to making the solar journey simple, transparent, and trustworthy for every homeowner we serve," Freedom Forever said in a statement.

Solar Pros told 13 Investigates on Thursday that the sales representative in Wigal's case is no longer with the company.

"While we do not discuss individual employment matters out of respect for privacy, we reaffirm our commitment to holding all team members to the highest ethical standards. Our customers deserve honest guidance, informed recommendations, and a service experience built on trust."

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