The tabs are trichlor tabs, which contain stabilizer, and if they "go through many buckets", then her CYA was almost certainly high at closing. If she has none now, then it's because it was broken down by bacteria over the winter, and the byproduct is ammonia--which takes lots and lots of chlorine to break down. When she starts using the tabs again, her stabilizer (CYA) will again begin to rise, so I wouldn't worry right now about adding CYA. You'll want to add a little bit later, but not now. The tabs also tend to lower pH, too, because they are acidic, so chances are good that it will take more than one box of Borax (yes, the 20-mule team kind, in the laundry aisle at WalMart--get Borax, NOT the washing soda!) to raise the pH above 7.0, but acidic water can destroy a liner, so that's a priority.

Do not worry about the alk situation right now. If she doesn't have a heater or SWCG, then it's not a priority and can easily be dealt with later.

In order to clear this up and get the ammonia taken care of, regular testing is going to be required--she either needs to get a good test kit (drop-based, not strips, we recommend the K-2006 that can be ordered online through the Amazon link in my sig). If she's not willing or able to frequently test and do what's needed to maintain shock level, then it's going to be a waste of time and bleach. So--if you or she is willing to do what it takes, then we'll be happy to walk you through getting it cleared up and going for the season. But it's not a one-time deal--this process takes patience and consistency....and regular testing.

Check the label on the bleach that you're getting from the dollar store. If it's not 6%, then let me know, because the percentage of sodium hypochlorite will affect the doseage. The doseage I gave you earlier is for 35K gallons of water with 6% bleach. In your pool, at 28K gallons, each 1/2 gallon of 6% will raise your chlorine by 1 ppm.

Janet