Mostly Home Improvements Blindsided by a Contractor with an Honest Face Greenville Illinois

A great couple I had known for years gave a reference to someone they knew who had done home remodelling for them. He had done a great job, they told me, as they showed me some of his handiwork.  I could see why they were pleased with him. He was a friend of theirs, just I was, but I scarcely knew him.  They suggested him in good faith based on what they knew.  I was surprised when I discovered how badly he scammed me.  How could 5hey have referred him, I thought, but then he had treated them fairly.  How could they have known he would not do the same for me?

The two sinks he put in leaked profusely, the intake air vents were drywalled and painted over, he charged double and triple for materials when he was entitled to a 30%markup. He made unfair sustitutions which were costly.  (Ex. He charged for new floors bbut spent only a              small amount to have the floor refinished.}. He left an old furñace duct in the wall which should be plastered over.  He gave me a list of things what I alledgedly owed (full of errors which always managed to be in his favor) and then charged the insurance co. for the same work.  I asked to see the list of what the additional claim was for and how much, but he made excuses like he lost it or something.  I finally got the list from the co.,  No wonder he didn't want me to see it! Not one cost was valid.  He was charging double for everything already figured in.  When I questioned him about anything, he gave me ridiculous answers, and I found myself left dazed and confused since I didn't understand some of the different vocabulary he used for the same word,etc.  I didn't4ealize how bad it was until I did my income taxes a long time later to figure out the loss.  He had bilked me out of more than 10,000 dollars.  A friend I had lost touch with years ago {I had wanted him to do the project but couldn't find him)happened to drop by and looked over everything.  Based on his decades of work in contracting, he told me of other issues with overpricing, etc.  He looked up products online for prices and showed he how the scammer had charged me far more than the cost of the product, adding on the 30 % markup he  was legally entitled to,  and he pointed out higher prices for high grade products while onlcheap materials were used.  He said he'd audit it for me to find out more mistakes.  I told him maybe later, but I couldn't stand to know any more now.  The scammer had sold me down the  river like a lamb to slaughter.