This VA class C Contractor initially misrepresented his experience & licensure and led me to believe he was also licensed in WV as a Contractor, with advertising "25 years experience, licensed & insured" in an ad he ran in a local paper. I believe he intended to defraud me from the very beginning of our association. He surely did not have 25 years experience as I found out later he obtained his license about 45 days before working on my property!
I entered into a contract with him to do major home improvements to my property in WV in September. This was my first experience in hiring a Contractor. These improvements were delayed 10 years due to finances but became necessary due to my taking in my disabled stroke victim/diabetic mother to live with me. I had lived by myself without running water & septic in the cabin shell for the past 10 years. I went into debt to make these improvements.
The job was supposed to be completed in 90 days, beginning in September to be done before the end of the year at the latest.instead it took 7 months with 2 vacations he took during this time. He would seldom show up to work when he said he would and would offer many excuses as to why he could not work on a scheduled work day, mostly due to personal problems. He told me he would hire an electrician to do the electrical work but did it himself when I was not home.
After months of being jerked around by him, with him continually hounding me for more money and me asking him to re-do many projects as I was dissatisfied with the quality of his work... I refused to pay him any more funds he claimed I owed him until the work was done to my satisfaction. He left a horrible mess of construction debris on my property that he never cleaned up. Then he immediately filed suit against me in small claims court.
I successfully defended myself in this litigation. Then I later retained an attorney and sued him in Civil Court. I won a Fraud and Breach of Contract judgment against him on 8/26/03. As of the current date, my judgment remains unpaid.
He was also prosecuted by the State of WV and fined for doing electrical work without a license. He has an unpaid fine from over a year ago with the WV Contractors Licensing Board for doing contracting work without a license. He appealed that fine and never showed up for the hearing.
I filed a complaint in his home state of VA with the VA Dept. Of Professional & Occupational Regulation (DPOR). He is being investigated by them with a possible fine and loss of his Contractors license forthcoming.
Throughout these entire legal proceedings he has refused to take responsibility for the shoddy & substandard work he did on my property. He did admit finally that he used mostly "used" materials on my house including electrical components which have caused many problems. He has lied under oath in the court room and even denied doing some of the work in question. It will take years and lots of money to repair and re-do most all of his shoddy work and as such it has de-valued my property.
I later found out he has another judgment against him. I also found out he has a business license based on using a "fictitious name." The name he gave me initially and uses is apparently not his real name. Needless to say, I will never hire another Contractor in the future, for any reason. This whole experience has become this homeowner's worst nightmare!
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