The Cozy Gardner Michael Wayne Ledbetter II Took deposit and haven’t seen him since! Montgomery Texas

Entered into a contract with The Cozy Gardener back in 08/2017 for a landscaping project.  He was given a $7000 cash deposit and have not seen from him since.  Was told at the time the contract was signed the project was scheduled to start the end of Aug first part of Septembe.  Well that time came and went with no contact from TCG the finally in Oct was contacted by his assistant stated they we’re finishing how their jobs and would be starting work on our the beginning of the week.  Mind you he still had not come back out to do any prep work or shown us a plan of the work they were supposed to do. So she set a sch appointment for us to met with Michael to review his plan. Once again he was a no show no call! All of this time my husband and myself had been calling leaving voice message, text messages and emails ALL went unanswere. Finally requested our money back in Dec sine no prep work or any form of communications had been received from Michael.  The only communications had come from his Assistant Marie and she was only the middleman who called me later in Dec to inform me that Michael had let her go owning her money.  

The end of Dec I get a call the MIcheaels MOTHER (he is 36y/o) pledding his case.  That she was helping him get his business back on track and how they were planning on repaying us back our deposit. Also atthis time also I finally received the 1st email from Mr Ledbetter (5 1/2 months after he took our deposit). I had told him earlire I was working filing paper to take him to small claims court but since he was finally communicated with us he was working on paying us back we held off filing the paper.  Mistake because both him and his mom were all talk and I never did receive my letter outlining his repayment sch.  So I filed papers in court the end of Feb but the sheriff Dept can’t Seem to catch up to him. So its now 4/2018 over 8+ months and I still have not gotten my money back.  I know he is still in business because he is always on Social media talking about h*e busy he is then I also found out from my neighbor he was at their out doing a bid for landscaping there.