Group of home and business owners warning about bad contractor
Share this @internewscast.com

A group of home and business owners is sounding the alarm on what they call a scamming contractor.

“He gave us a contract. We signed that. We gave him 60% of it,” Sarah Winchester said.

It’s the same story over and over again.

“Signed the contract and gave him 60%,” Andi Stevenson said.

“He had required 60% up front,” Lauren Palladini said.

Each time, it ended in the same disappointing way.

“Everything that has come out of his mouth has been a lie to us,” Palladini said.

“He is not responding to any calls, any texts, any emails,” Stevenson said.

“He voided the contract by walking out on us,” Winchester said.

Each of these women hired Kyle Deutsch as a general contractor.

Lauren Palladini signed her contract with Deutsch and his business, Deutsch Does It All, on May 1.

“We had been looking for a contractor to do some projects on our new build, just to make it a little more customized and whatnot,” Palladini said.

The contract included cabinetry, shelving, a custom-built cubby, and a mud bench.

The contract says work would start tentatively on May 15 and be completed on May 24.

“I sent my husband there on this lunch. He pulled out — it was $5,400,” Palladini said.

Palladini’s unfinished bench (Copyright 2023 by INC – All rights reserved.)

On May 23, Andi Stevenson signed a contract with Deutsch for a much larger project.

“I need new floors. I wanted the interior of my house painted, cabinets hung up, bathroom renovation, things like that,” she said.

“How much was that 60%?” reporter Leigh Waldman asked.

“Twenty-seven thousand dollars,” Stevenson answered.

Her work was supposed to be done tentatively on June 30.

“I did my due diligence. He provided insurance. He provided, you know, LLC paperwork,” she said.

Madelyn Enochs and Sarah Winchester trusted Deutsch to transform their new storefront into a chic salon in time for their opening week.

“You all hired him, signed the contract in early July? When was everything supposed to be completed?” Waldman asked.

“July 31 was the deadline that was stated in the contract,” Enochs answered.

It’s well past all their deadlines, and none of the work is complete.

“Dust everywhere, unfinished projects left and right,” Enochs said.

“He wouldn’t show me the cabinets, wouldn’t show me the receipts,” Palladini said.

“They tore out all my carpet. They tore off all the baseboards and doorjamb. They left the tac strips all on the floor,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson’s exposed drywall (Copyright 2023 by INC – All rights reserved.)
Stevenson’s exposed drywall (Copyright 2023 by INC – All rights reserved.)
Stevenson’s unfinished floors (Copyright 2023 by INC – All rights reserved.)
Stevenson’s unfinished floor (Copyright 2023 by INC – All rights reserved.)

All three have failed to get their money refunded from Deutsch. They began posting about their experiences with him online and found others have gone through the same.

Several police reports have been filed in Bexar, Guadalupe, and Comal counties.

Palladini has filed with small claims court. However, she’s having trouble serving Deutsch with the lawsuit.

A quick online search showed Deutsch’s LLC was dissolved because of tax issues in June 2022.

“It’s not fair what he’s doing to people, and it’s wrong. And I’m, like — I’m determined to put an end to it,” Palladini said.

Deutsch provided insurance paperwork, but Steven said she called the insurance company, which confirmed the policy was canceled.

In Texas, general contractors aren’t required to have a license to operate.

“Finding a contractor that you can trust — it can be kind of difficult,” said Tom Scalisi, a former general contractor working in New York.

Scalisi hung up his tool belt and now writes articles about contracting. He has no connection to Deutsch or any of his clients.

Scalisi said doing research on your own before handing over any money is key. If you get insurance documents from the contractor, call the insurance immediately.

“Then if something happens, you know that you’ll at least be having some financial backing through their insurance company,” Scalisi said.

If the timeline for the job or the price you’re being offered is too good to be true, it probably is.

Enochs thinks state policies need to be changed to ensure contractors can be held accountable if they don’t do what they’re hired to, similar to California laws.

If contractors regularly break contracts, they can face fines, jail time, and may have their license revoked.

In Texas, you can file a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

“If it’s a contractor that just is fly by night and you can’t track them down, it can be really hard to complain to anybody and get any real resolution,” Scalisi said.

“People are just going to scam you. I mean, some people, it’s just in their nature. And I think that’s Kyle Deutsch,” Stevenson said.

INC Investigates tried calling Deutsch to discuss the claims against him, and we showed up at his last known address.

When he finally did reach out, Deutsch said in a phone call his lawyer would be handling things moving forward.

Waldman asked for his lawyer’s information, but Deutsch promptly hung up and stopped returning calls and texts.


Find more INC Investigates reports here

Copyright 2023 by INC – All rights reserved.

SOURCE: INC

Share this @internewscast.com
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like
Biden to ‘join the picket line’ with UAW strikers

Biden to ‘join the picket line’ with UAW strikers

President Biden announced that he will “join the picket line” with members…
Florida woman allegedly attacked 2 people at pool for doing 'inappropriate' stretches

Florida woman allegedly attacked 2 people at pool for doing ‘inappropriate’ stretches

Florida deputies say that a woman allegedly attacked two people at a pool…
Documents and emails obtained by DailyMail.com allegedly show Hunter's lawyer Abbe Lowell considered encouraging a witness in a lawsuit to lie in a sworn affidavit

EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden’s defense lawyer Abbe Lowell is accused of taking part in a ‘far-reaching conspiracy’ to cover up an alleged computer hacking plot by the Qatari government

Hunter Biden’s hotshot lawyer has been accused of involvement in a ‘brazen…
Nevada Republicans brace for confusion as party eyes election rules that may favor Trump

Nevada Republicans brace for confusion as party eyes election rules that may favor Trump

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s push to bend state…
Danny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips filed for divorce 'to protect her assets' and show her daughter 'people need to be held accountable,' DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal

EXCLUSIVE – The REAL reason Danny Masterson’s wife Bijou Phillips filed for divorce: Socialite wants to ‘protect her assets’ and show their daughter ‘people need to be held accountable’, insider reveals – after her shock split from convicted rapist

Danny Masterson’s wife Bijou Phillips filed for divorce ‘to protect her assets’…
Many people are experiencing COVID vaccine cost confusion and being asked to pay out of pocket due to delay in coding

Many people are experiencing COVID vaccine cost confusion and being asked to pay out of pocket due to delay in coding

PHILADELPHIA — As Americans roll up their sleeves to get the latest…
Department of Education Investigating Christopher Rufo for Civil Rights Violation of 'Misgendering'

Ed. Sec. Miguel Cardona Has a Terry McAuliffe Moment on Parental Rights That Could Haunt Biden in 2024

Though some would disagree, I don’t think it’s even arguable at this…
My mother-in-law doesn't want a relationship with me

My mother-in-law doesn’t want a relationship with me

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are expecting our first child this…
CDC recommends RSV vaccine given in pregnancy to protect babies

CDC recommends RSV vaccine given in pregnancy to protect babies

Pregnant people should get an RSV vaccine at 32 to 36 weeks’…
Feel-Good Friday: The K-9 Victory Project and St. Charles County Honor K-9 'Tank' on His Retirement

Feel-Good Friday: The K-9 Victory Project and St. Charles County Honor K-9 'Tank' on His Retirement

Working dogs are a variety of particular breeds that are intensely trained…
King Charles and Queen Camilla were a stylish pairing as they visited Bordeaux this afternoon on the final day of their state visit to France

The King and Queen of Cool! Camilla is stylish in a Burberry trench while Charles dons trendy shades on the final day of their state visit to France

King Charles and Queen Camilla looked effortlessly cool as they toured a…
A flamethrower and comments about book burning ignite a political firestorm in Missouri

A flamethrower and comments about book burning ignite a political firestorm in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A longshot candidate for Missouri governor and…