The kitchen is no longer the heart of the Devore home, Scott and Amy Devore said, after their builder, Renova Construction, abandoned the renovation last October.
Amy said she had struggled to feed her husband and two children for eight months with just a toaster oven and microwave.
“You can’t come in here and make something that the kids will enjoy when they’re having a bad day,” she said. Day. “
In 2022, the DeBoer family hired Renova Construction and owner Matthew Dallas to transform their first home into a permanent home.
They said the $258,000 renovation contract included building a new living room, master bedroom and bathroom, as well as completely renovating the kitchen. The contract also includes new cabinets, quartz countertops, and appliances.
Work was expected to take six to seven months, with an “estimated completion date” of March or April 2023.
When ABC Action News visited the home in April, the master bedroom and bathroom had no electricity, plumbing or fixtures.
According to bank records, the DeBoers paid Renova Construction more than $208,000 between June 2022 and last October. Amy said Dallas has only visited the site once since demoing the kitchen on Oct. 19, raising $28,300.
amy deboer
And when one of Renova's subcontractors placed a lien on the house, there was more to worry about. Amy told ABC Action News she was scared.
“I'm worried that I'm going to lose my house. I'm worried that the house will never be completed because I don't have any money,” she said.
Dumpster Kings owner Kevin Maeski said he filed the lien after spending months trying to get Dallas to pay his $2,400 dumpster rental fee.
We have called, emailed and texted Dallas but so far no response. The gate to his Brooksville home was also locked, so we couldn't knock on the door.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office confirmed it has opened a criminal investigation into Dallas and said Pasco County Sheriff's detectives are also investigating a similar case.
ABC Action News reviewed court records and found that a Tampa homeowner filed suit in February after Renova Construction received an $80,000 deposit for renovation work in 2022 but never started work. It was discovered that a civil suit had been filed.
Amy wonders if there are other victims.
“This is a pattern. I'm not the only homeowner he's done this to,” she said, “and I want to see justice.”
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