The Construction Project, Inc KALTHOFF, DAVID B JR. Unscrupulouse, unethical general contractor HOMESTEAD, Florida

This report serves as a warning for all those would be home improvement optimists! Don't fall for this person ripping you off! Do not use this person as a general contractor or his scheming interior decorator or you will be very sorry.

 I was approached by an interior decorator (Josie Parke), in the end of 2008 who was recommended by someone I knew, (who I will never trust again). She asked for my business in the interior-designing and reconstruction of the interior of my home in Miami, Florida. Trusting and not knowing any better I went ahead interviewed with this lady and went over all the process of the project. She seemed very sweet and praised my family and how beautiful my kids were etc...
She brought in her own general contractor who she claimed was a marvelous man of foretold values & morals.

 In September of 2008 we decided to proceed with our home project after checking out the licenses and searched for any complaint such as this one, but found nothing negative on his records? We felt comfortable in proceeding and he asked us for a deposit of $22,400.00 for permits and materials. The interior decorator charged $3000.00 for her drawings even though she wasn't registered, which we found out later because she couldn't approve the drawings which we found out later? She got around that problem at that moment by claiming that she suffered an accident and wasn't able to finish the drawings because her drawing arm was damaged in the accident in which we had to use a real Architect to complete and approve the drawings at additional charges to the Architect. A red flag should have gone up but we continued to trust her giving her the benefit of the doubt, (Red Flag#1).

 We waited about 6 months to get started on the project while communicating with the general contractor regarding the commencement of the project and he kept advising us that we were at the mercy of "City" for the start date because of permits and approval of plans. In the mean time more deposits were collected and by and by December a total of $29,000.00 had been collected without work started. Five (5) months later the project had not begun! It was now May 26th 2009! I kept in contact with the general contractor while asking him to forward us all receipts for materials and payments made but nothing came because he said his wife was in the hospital with Phenomena. (Red Flag#2)

 Project begins about June and it lasts for 4 months or close to September. In that time we had paid the GC for all work done in the house like bathroom cabinets, stone floors, plumbing, electrical, painting supplies, hurricane windows, including kitchen & 3 bathroom marble counter tops which he charges up front to pay the stone distributors which was a total of $6,000.00 in September 2009. Work was slow around September while we waited for 5 more months for bathroom cabinets to arrive. After they arrived the stones were not available because the G.C. had not paid for them? He said he has misappropriated the funds but would pay them as soon as possible. (Red Flag #3).

I asked him to stop all work and get his equipment out of my house until everything was resolved because he was charging $5,000.00 a month for supervisory fees, insurance. He disappeared to New York where he said his wife was in the hospital for Phenomena again and another 2 months later said couldn't pay for the counter tops. I had to repay for the stones again in order to finish the project which was the advice my attorney said would be the best option to move forward.

To this date he hasn't bothered to pay for my materials or the sub-contractors he stiffed also! We are now seeking legal action against him but doubt that he has any money in his business. Be warned!!!