RIO GRANDE CITY – A Rio Grande City family out thousands of dollars with no home is searching for answers.

Hermelinda Guajardo tells CHANNEL 5 NEWS a company contracted to rebuild her parents’ home is taking longer than they promised.

The company said the contract allows them to reschedule the target date in certain circumstances. The work remains unfinished.

Guajardo's parents’ house was destroyed by a fire in July. Her mother and grandmother were home at the time and managed to escape without injury.

She spends her life in the Rio Grande Valley as an insurance agent. She tells us this experience changed her approach at work.

"Now that it happened to us," said Guajardo. "I'm more involved in my customers when they have a loss. My whole family lost everything, not only the house but all their belongings."

Since the house was a total loss, the family’s homeowners insurance got them the money they needed to rebuild.

Guajardo said her parents met the man they considered right to create a home they loved. She said her parents put down a total of more than $70,000. Most of that was already spent by the contractor, Hector Diaz.

"They went into a contract with this contractor from Cemanco Global," she said. 

Guajardo's mother signed a contract with Diaz and Cemanco Global last year in early August. Both sides agreed to "the reconstruction" of the home including a new laundry room and carport.

Work was scheduled to begin three to five days after initial payment and was to be completed by mid to late October.

"It's been six months that I've seen my parents struggle, cry," said Guajardo. "This house doesn't even look the same."

Guajardo tells us communication with Diaz stopped in December. They claim nearly every member of her family reached out.

"No response whatsoever," said Guajardo.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS wanted to find out why it was taking so long. We went to 1120 East Santa Rosa Avenue in Edcouch, the location where the contractor’s office was supposed to be. We found no sign of Cemanco Construction Company.

We spoke to Diaz in a phone conversation. He pointed us to a clause in Ramirez’s contract. It states "these dates could be affected due to ... Unforeseen weather events of nature, increased or changes to the project requested by the owner, defective materials... in such situations, the date shall be re-established in accordance to both parties.”

Diaz said he's working with his attorney to reach an agreement which satisfies both parties.

But Guajardo tells us she would do things differently in retrospect.

"Get a specific contract asking 'OK, if I'm going to pay this amount money, what is the percentage that I would need to see at the home?'" said Guajardo.

Tonight Guajardo’s father is sleeping in the home’s attic so he can protect what the family has left.