By Priya Anand, MarketWatch

What irks people most? New data show that consumers complain most about having to deal with cars whether false sales ads or repairs, according to the Consumer Federation of America and the North American Consumer Protection Investigators.

The groups analyzed more than 250,000 complaints to 40 agencies across 23 states last year, finding that consumers are peeved about their auto experiences but also consider home improvement a nightmare, with issues ranging from roofing rip-offs to new home defects.

Read: I complained online and got $1,200 back

Here are the top 10 consumer complaints, and some MarketWatch tips on how to avoid having to make them.

1. Auto: Misrepresentations in advertising or sales of new and used cars, lemons, faulty repairs, leasing and towing disputes

Heres the typical car repair saga: You go in for a simple oil change or tire replacement and they spring surprise repairs on you, claiming that your car is a death trap without those extra fixes and a bill to match. Some ways to avoid getting cheated by car mechanics: Take your owners manual out of the glove compartment and actually read it. It sounds obvious, but the manual is a guide as to what maintenance your car actually needs, and it helps to know what youre talking about when facing a mechanic who is peddling more repairs.

2. Home improvement/construction: Shoddy work, failure to start or complete the job

Americans shell out $275 billion a year on home improvement work - patching roofs, repairing plumbing, remodeling and more, according to a Harvard University survey. And in that process, theyre scammed out of at least $17 billion, according to some estimates. Projects like deck improvements and basement remodeling offer solid returns on the investment, if youre taking on the challenge of home improvement. Home Depot and Lowes account for 80% of the home improvement industrys $153.8 billion annual revenue, estimates show, but bigger isnt always better. Here are 10 things you should know before embarking on a project.

3. Credit/debt: Billing and fee disputes, mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit repair, debt relief services, predatory lending, illegal or abusive debt collection tactics

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10 things consumers complain about the most

SUBLETTE Seventy-five years ago, in 1939, the historic Sublette Community Building was created. Over the years, the building has been the focal point of local activities. It has been used for dances, plays, talent shows, wedding receptions, church socials, meetings and reunions. Many years ago, there was even a bowling alley in the lower level. It also was the centerpiece during the Sublette Centennial in 1957.

There are many improvements needed to restore the building to bring it up to todays standards including upgrading the furnace, creating handicap accessibility, installing new bathrooms and a septic system, and remodeling the basement and kitchen. Several years ago, a group of local residents began the restoration process and painted the interior, resurfaced the hardwood floors, and installed new windows and doors.

Hoping to create an awareness of how valuable the building is to the community, the Sublette-365 organization over the past year hosted a series of Dueling Piano fundraisers that were held at the Community Building. Many friends and neighbors have now visited the building and are realizing how important the building truly is.

Recently, the Sublette-365 Organization and Community Building Board of Directors have decided to start a campaign to raise $75,000 to complete the necessary upgrades to the building. Sublette-365 is hoping to kick off the Fund Drive with profits derived from SubletteFest-2014. Local families and businesses are urged to consider making a one-time contribution or a five-year pledge toward the restoration and preservation of the building. Donors pledging $2,500 or more will have their name permanently recognized inside the building and on the Sublette-365 Facebook Page.

OVERALL CONTRIBUTION ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION

$2,500-$4,999 ($500-$1,249 Year Pledge)-Bronze

$5,000-$7,499 ($1,250-$1,499 Year Pledge)-Silver

$7,500-$9,999 ($1,500-$1,999 Year Pledge)-Gold

$10,000+ ($2,000+ Year Pledge)-Platinum

Community minded citizens and friends of Sublette are encouraged to make a donation and/or pledge to the fund. The donations may be dropped off at Farmers State Bank of Sublette or mailed to Farmers State Bank of Sublette, Attn: Community Building Fund, PO Box 20, Sublette, IL 61367. A fund drive marker will be placed in front of the building, so community members can keep track of funding progress.

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Sublette launches fundraiser for community building

Owens Corning Basement Finishing System ~ Customer Testimonial ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000
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Owens Corning Basement Finishing System ~ Customer Testimonial ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000 - Video

Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems Customer ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000
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Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems Customer ~ Remodel USA 855-525-9000 - Video

CLAYTON A $15 million renovation that included the addition of a fifth floor has transformed the tired, 1960s Daniele Hotel into a contemporary Hampton Inn and Suites.

The hotel is scheduled to open next Friday as a Hampton Inn nearly two years after Equis Hospitality Management bought the empty Daniele for $2.5 million in late 2012. Mike Mullenix, chairman and chief executive of Equis, said Friday the remodeling required a total renovation.

The only things we saved were the exterior walls, he said.

Adding a fifth floor upped the hotels room count from 82 to 106, including 25 suites. Nightly rates will range from about $149 to $209.

Opened in 1964 at 216 North Meramec Avenue, the hotel as the Daniele was at times a celebrity hangout, said Mullenix, adding that Cher, Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones stayed there.

The Daniele closed in 2007 as part of a renovation plan by its then owner, Conrad Properties. That plan fizzled as the hotel business nosedived along with the rest of the economy during the Great Recession.

As a Hampton Inn, the hotel is joint venture between Brentwood-based Equis and Rockbridge Capital, of Columbus, Ohio. HBD Construction handled the renovation, which included the rebuilding of deteriorated parts of the buildings basement parking garage.

New features include an enclosed saltwater pool, a fitness center, a meeting room able to accommodate about 40 people and a bar facing Meramec.

Mullenix and Mohammed Kashif, the Hampton Inns general manager, said weekday business will come from corporate customers. Such business will skew toward leisure travel by people visiting friends and relatives in the Clayton area.

Mullenix said he knew when Equis bought the Daniele that it was a good location for a hotel but that his company needed time to determine its best use.

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Clayton's Daniele nears reopening as a Hampton Inn

July 26, 2014 VAMC estimates line break will cost $2 million

By Wendy Holdren Register-Herald Reporter The Register-Herald Sat Jul 26, 2014, 12:01 AM EDT

BECKLEY

Officials at the Beckley Veterans Administration Medical Center said damages caused by a main water line break on the first floor last month will cost an estimated $2 million in repairs.

The water main broke about 6:20 p.m. June 30, flooding the first floor as well as the elevator shaft into the basement.

Debbie Voloski, public affairs officer at the Beckley VA, said clinics on that floor were canceled the day after the flooding, but those clinics have since been relocated to other areas of the hospital.

There was extensive damage to the floor and the walls on the first floor, as well as the furnishings and the IT equipment, Voloski said. We are still in the initial phases of recovery.

She said a company has been hired to bring the facility back to its previous state, and the estimated completion for the remodeling and repairs is eight to 12 weeks.

E-mail: wholdren@register-herald.com

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VAMC estimates line break will cost $2 million

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Basement Ideas Dallas Tx
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