KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability, solutions and consumer advocacy. Share your story with Isabella.
Many people will use the July Fourth holiday weekend to work on summer projects.
But for those who plan to hire out the summertime work, it's important to know about the person or company you're hiring to get the job done.
One Johnson County, Kansas, woman is using her voice to warn homeowners in the metro.
"I just didn't want to believe it," Caitlin Locklear said.
Locklear explained she's out $2,750 for a project she expected to have done by November. Contractors replaced the foundation on her garage wall, but then the brick fell. The crew advised Locklear had to contact a mason to finish the brick portion of the job.
After sending out a request for recommendations on Facebook, Locklear says she contacted three masons in the metro area. She hired Malakai Skinner with Skinner's Masonry LLC for $5,500.
"Normally, I would research a company thoroughly before I hire them, but this time around, I was like, 'I needed it now, the brick was going to fall,"' Locklear said. "I felt the sense of urgency, so I just hired him."
But now, Locklear wishes she had dug a little deeper. She claims Skinner requested half the payment upfront and over Venmo or CashApp.
"I Venmoed him $2,750, and it was one of the worst mistakes of my life," Locklear said.
According to Locklear and the text messages exchanged with Skinner, the project kept getting pushed off for nearly two weeks.
"He would say the brick's not ready, I'll come on Tuesday. Then on Tuesday, he would say, 'I think it's actually going to rain and I need four days without rain in order to do this project, so I can't do it now,"' Locklear said. "It was just excuse after excuse after excuse."
Locklear then started digging deeper, and saw another Kansas woman in Wyandotte County had filed a small civil claims suit against Skinner for similar business practices: not finishing a job, nor returning the money paid.
"My husband and I called him over and over and over, and he did not pick up," Locklear said.
The Locklears said they requested the money back multiple times, but never saw a cent despite the unfinished wall. Locklear tried to file a case in the courts, but Skinner's address kept bouncing back. Each time she tried to refile, it cost about $150.
"I ended up having to dismiss it because I felt like if I kept pursuing this, I'm just pouring more money," Locklear said.
Defeated and out nearly $3,000, Locklear thought that was the end of it.
"I was going to try and let it go," Locklear said.
But then she started seeing signs for Skinner's Masonry LLC on the Missouri side of the metro, and contacted KSHB 41 News.
"I would love to see my money back, but I think it's very important that this doesn't happen to anyone else," Locklear said.
KSHB 41 News Reporter Isabella Ledonne has called and texted Skinner more than a dozen times over the last two months, asking for him to share his side of the story. The only response received was a text.
"That is not the true story at all," Skinner wrote on April 25. "I have several [witnesses] and contracts that show everything."
However, despite multiple follow-up messages and phone calls, Skinner never sent any further information elaborating.
Skinner's Masonry LLC is not listed or accredited with the Better Business Bureau.
"That is a troubling business practice," Josh Planos, BBB's vice president of marketing, said. "The important thing is that this organization should be held accountable for the decisions it chose to make."
As of Wednesday, Locklear still has not gotten her money back.
A detective from the Overland Park Police Department was initially assigned to the case, but it was made inactive.
"The case is a civil matter at this time," Overland Park Police Department Public Information Officer John Lacy said. "It should be noted that Mr. Skinner did purchase the materials for the job."
—