When walking through Chris McMahon's run-down Hyde Park home, you would never guess that more than $100,000 has gone into remodeling it.
That's because, while he hired someone to do the job more than a year ago, the three-story fixer upper remains a construction site.
Among the several items listed in the quote, are things like kitchen appliances, electric throughout the house and an HVAC system.
Heaps of wood, cans of paint and saw dust can be found in nearly every room.
McMahon said he hired John Campbell, owner of Finishing Touch Inc., to complete the task in December 2014. However, despite the businesses' name, the house remains anything but finished.
"It's a completely unfinished house," McMahon said.
McMahon provided documentation to the 41 Action News investigators that shows his home repairs were quoted by Campbell at $96,000.
Among the several items listed in the quote, are things like kitchen appliances, electric throughout the house and an HVAC system.
"There are no appliances," McMahon said. "Nor do I have outlets I can use or switches I can use."
Despite there being no appliances, McMahon showed the 41 Action News investigators a text message from Campbell, stating he ordered and paid for them more than a year ago.
McMahon also provided us with copies of the cashier's checks he wrote to Finishing Touch Inc. It shows he paid the quote within the first two months of hiring Campbell.
When walking through Chris McMahon's run down Hyde Park home, you would never guess that more than $100,000 has gone into remodeling it.
McMahon said he paid before the job was complete because he had no reason to doubt Campbell. In fact, he said he hired the businessman based off a recommendation from a close friend.
"He built a house for someone I know and it looked great," McMahon said. "He finished it in record time."
At first, it appeared the same was going to be true for McMahon's home.
"He had different crews in here everyday," McMahon said. "In the start, he was really knocking it out."
However, the crews slowly started to disappear and McMahon said Campbell began asking for more money in order to complete the job. Documentation shows McMahon paid more than $120,000 in total.
Campbell, he said, still wasn't getting the job done. When questioning him, he said Campbell blamed the delay on ill health.
What happened to the workers Campbell hired?
Bob Mills, who owns Bob Mill Heating & Cooling, was hired by Campbell to install McMahon's HVAC system. While Mills started the work, he said he couldn't finish it because the checks Campbell wrote him bounced.
Like McMahon, Mills said he couldn't get in touch with Campbell to get his money back.
"He would answer and then just hang up when he found out who it was," Mills said.
However, Mills kept fighting and took his complaint to the district attorney, who according to court records, ordered Campbell to reimburse Mills.
String of lawsuits filed against Campbell
The 41 Action News investigators found Campbell has had a string of lawsuits filed against him and his company over the past several years.
According to court records, Campbell was ordered by a judge to pay more than $18,000 to a building distribution company in 2015. The lawsuit claims Campbell used materials from the business but never paid for them.
In 2008, a homeowner took Campbell to small claims court after hiring Finishing Touch Inc. to complete the work on his roof. The petition filed by the homeowner states Campbell never finished the work as promised over the course of six months.
Just last month, The Sherwin-Williams Company took Campbell to court for breach of contract. Sherwin-Wiilliams claims Campbell made more than $7,000 in purchases on a credit card that he didn't make payments on. According to court records, Campbell never showed up for the hearing and a judge sided in favor with Sherwin-Williams, ordering Campbell to pay out more than $8,000.
Criminal charges filed against Campbell in 2015
Online records also show John Campbell spent time in Jail in December for writing bad checks. "My guess was that he stole from Peter to pay Paul," Chris McMahon said.
Online records also show Campbell spent time in jail in December for writing bad checks.
That's about the same time McMahon said he was told by Campbell that he was having trouble finishing the job due to health issues. But, McMahon thinks Campbell spent some of the money he gave him on other debts.
In all, McMahon estimates that only $60,000 actually went into remodeling his home.
"My guess was that he stole from Peter to pay Paul," McMahon said.
The 41 Action News investigators placed calls into Campbell, went to his office and even stopped by his home, but couldn't find him.
He did eventually contact the investigators and agreed to an interview. But, when the day came, he never showed up. Campbell later sent a text message saying his legal counsel has advised him not to talk to the media.
McMahon hasn't filed a lawsuit to get his money back. He said he plans to rebuild his home on his own.
The Federal Trade Commission has a list of tips you can use when hiring a contractor. Click here for more.
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Jessica McMaster can be reached at jessica.mcmaster@kshb.com.