Dallas homeowner surprised by new roof

DALLAS — It wasn't the worst storm to hit North Texas, but for Thomas Pohl, the impression was lasting. A falling tree created an impromptu skylight, nearly crushing his air conditioning unit in the process.

Pohl had homeowners insurance, but no storm coverage. He has money saved, but not enough to qualify for a loan.

In July, he left us with this plea:

Hopefully there is someone who will see it, that will be able to at least be able to help me get the tree off, any help I can get I would appreciate.

Weeks later, unrelated to Pohl, a new non-profit called Roof Angels was launched. The charity arm of Aspenmark Roofing vowed to remodel 30 roofs in a year's time.

Last month, partnering with Dallas-Area Habitat for Humanity, Roof Angels replaced two storm-damaged roofs in Dallas' Oak Cliff neighborhood.

Then, on Wednesday morning, they found Thomas Pohl. His home wasn't suffering from neglect; it needed emergency repairs.

"It was shocking, truly," said Roof Angels spokeswoman Sharon Winneker. "It was a three ton tree that had fallen on his roof back in June, so there had been a hole in his house for two months."

A landscaping company ripped away the damaged tree. Roofers didn't just patch the hole; they removed the entire old roof and started from scratch.

By the time they're done, some $30,000 worth of work will be complete.

Pohl never thought imagined this day would come.

"I am still trying to see if I am dreaming, or if it is actually happening," he said. "I don't know how to thank them enough for doing it."

Habitat for Humanity vets the applicants for Roof Angels projects; in many cases, homeowners are required to pay a small portion of money of the overall repair cost.