ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A retired schoolteacher claims multiple contractors he hired to work on his home never finished the job.
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James Deshay said he started work on an addition to his home in 2020 in-part because he wanted to make his bathroom wheelchair accessible.
Four years and several contractors later, the project is still not complete.
Deshay said he paid over $100,000 to six different men for the project.
They each told him they would get the job done, but the space was still made of wood beams up until four months ago.
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“It’s been a horrible nightmare of men coming into my home, making me promises, and then walking away,” said Deshay, “They didn’t come in with a gun, but they just as well as could the way they stole from me.”
After Deshay couldn’t make progress, he turned to Orange County’s Consumer Protection Division. It investigated and determined “Two unlicensed contractors were charging for work they weren’t performing.” The division referred the case to the Orlando Police Department.
Channel 9 obtained OPD’s case report on Deshay’s allegations.
While the report is heavily redacted, it shows multiple people are currently under investigation for fraud of $50,000 or more.
OPD said redactions were necessary because the case is still active, and no one has been charged at this time.
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In the meantime, the Better Business Bureau is providing advice for consumers.
“Especially where we’re talking major projects: walls coming down, water moving, electrical moving, things like that, there are very few things that are not going to require a license,” said
Holly Salmons, the CEO of the Better Business Bureau.
Before hiring a contractor to work on your home Salmons recommends the following:
- Allow yourself time to do homework and get multiple estimates from contractors
- Ask each contractor what type of license is required for the work
- Make sure all the areas of expertise required are covered with the contractor’s license
- Ask for a license number and verify it on this state website
- Make sure you understand the proposed fee schedule before work begins
- Make sure the contractor also has insurance to protect yourself and your home
“If they don’t have a license number to share, and they ‘hem and haw’ around it, or they say, I’ll have to get back to you, you know, that’s a red flag,” said Salmons.
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