What to know before hiring a contractor, after homeowners say they lost thousands

(InvestigateTV) — Several homeowners in south Mississippi say they hired the same man for home repair projects, paid him for the work, and were later left with delays or incomplete projects.

Michelle Ring-Hanson and her husband, Gary, said they hired the man last year to remodel their bathroom and garage. They said he told them he was a licensed and insured contractor.

“He got a text from him with a picture of his trailer with a blown-out tire, and he said, ‘I’m not able to come. As you can see, I’m trapped on the side of the highway with a blown-out tire,’” Ring-Hanson said.

Ring-Hanson said the couple wrote a $25,000 check for the project.

“So we wrote a check for $25,000, and he said, ‘You’re going to need to call your bank because if I try and cash this check, they’re not going to cash it because of the large stock,’” Ring-Hanson said.

Shane Dugger said he hired the same man in 2019 to remodel two connected bathrooms.

“He took my toilets out, he took my showers out, he took my sinks out,” Dugger said. “So for six months, I had to go to Biloxi to drive to my sister’s house to use the bathroom, to shower, to do anything.”

In each case, homeowners say the man started the work but did not finish it.

“So now I’m out $15,000 with absolutely nothing to show for it,” Dugger said. “Nothing but heartbreak and just frustrations.”

InvestigateTV contacted the man multiple times by phone and email seeking a response to the homeowners’ concerns. He did not respond.

Josh Planos, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau, said the best protection happens before a contract is signed, since recovering money afterward can be difficult. He said a large upfront payment is a key warning sign.

“If you are being asked to pay more than 25% of the total project cost before the work even begins, you have very little leverage once that project has actually commenced,” Planos said. “So contractors who demand full or majority payment upfront are warning signs that folks should take note of. And also, there’s nothing stopping you from walking away from that transaction if the terms are not neat.”

Planos said anyone who believes they have evidence of fraud should file a police report.

Records from the Mississippi Board of Contractors show no license was issued to the man or any associated business entity. The board previously imposed a civil penalty against him for working without the required license.

Both the board and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office say they have received multiple complaints involving the man, and one complaint remains under investigation.