Residents: Agency Didn't Protect Against Shoddy Contractors
Some residents are claiming that the state agency in charge of protecting homeowners knew of problems with two local contractors but did very little until it was too late. The I-Team met with other homeowners who said they were victimized by contractors Robert Scott Huff and/or Greg Haigis. The men are affiliated with Bay Area Design and Build and Arundel Home Connections... "I went down to their desk and told them this is a medical issue. My wife can't get up and down the stairs. My wife can't handle this. You guys have got to get going on this," Artale said. Artale's wife, Linda, died just before the work was supposed to be completed.

Residents: Agency Didn't Protect Against Shoddy Contractors

BALTIMORE -- Some residents are claiming that the state agency in charge of protecting homeowners knew of problems with two local contractors but did very little until it was too late.
           Video: Barry Simms Reports
Annapolis resident Juan Leon said he paid a local company $79,000 to build an addition for himself, his wife and his mother. But he said the construction was never completed -- all he got was a mud pit.
 
    
Leon said the company he hired did only a few days of work in which they removed the rear walls and then left, leaving the house open for weeks.

"The last e-mail (I got) he said, 'Juan, I give you a lot of extras for free.' Where are the extras? Where is the free stuff he's giving me?" Leon told WBAL TV 11 News I-Team reporter Barry Simms.

When an Anne Arundel County inspector came by the home, he discovered structural damage to the home's footings and ordered the home taken down, Simms reported. The inspector did not say who caused the damage, but Leon said that he's been trying to get his money back from the contractor.

"He's destroying my life, destroying my family financially. It's destroying my dreams," he said.

Leon filed a complaint with the state.

The I-Team met with other homeowners who said they were victimized by contractors Robert Scott Huff and/or Greg Haigis. The men are affiliated with Bay Area Design and Build and Arundel Home Connections.

The homeowners claim they've paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to one or both companies for renovations that were poorly done or never finished, Simms reported. Most of them have filed complaints.

Peter Artale said he simply wanted to make his wife comfortable because she was ill. He claims he paid Haigis and Huff more than $116,000 to build an addition to his Prince George's County home. He said they did some exterior work, but inside he's left with a shell.

"I went down to their desk and told them this is a medical issue. My wife can't get up and down the stairs. My wife can't handle this. You guys have got to get going on this," Artale said.

Artale's wife, Linda, died just before the work was supposed to be completed, Simms reported.

"Right after she passed away. I couldn't look at this," he said.

Artale is currently hoping to find another company to finish the work in his wife's memory.

The I-Team caught up with contractor Haigis outside his Anne Arundel County office. When Simms told him about the homeowners' complaints, he replied, "I guess anybody can say what they want. It's not true."

He also denied leaving work unfinished. Simms discovered that Haigis filed for personal bankruptcy in 2007.

The I-Team also tracked down contractor Huff, who told Simms to speak to his lawyer. Simms said when they tried that, they still didn't get answers.

Homeowners like Jami and Dave Earnest said they've had to hire other companies to repair shoddy work and finish the job they paid Haigis and Huff to do. The Earnests said they also tried to get the Maryland Home Improvement Commission to block the renewal of Haigis' contractor's license.

"We tried to engage the authorities, and they did not respond," Jami Earnest said. "I begged the inspector to put a suspension in place. He could not continue to do this to families. And the MHIC failed to act."

The Earnests filed a complaint with the commission in February 2007. At the time, they said they were told there were other complaints. They said they believe that if the commission had acted then, other families could have been spared.

However, MHIC Executive Director Steve Smitson said that he doesn't believe the commission failed those families. He laid part of the blame on staff reductions.

"The investigative process does take a long time. Once we realized there were a number of egregious complaints, the commission took almost immediate action," Smitson said.

But Haigis' license wasn't suspended until July 2007 -- nearly two years after the complaint that the MHIC said caused the suspension.

The commission issued an emergency suspension of Huff's license in February 2008. They said that was based on two more recent complaints.

Even if the commission rules in favor of the families who have filed complaints, it's unlikely they will get back what they lost, Simms reported.

A state guarantee fund only pays up to $15,000 per claim. It caps the amount at $100,000 per contractor.

The MHIC said they currently have more than a dozen complaints and that any payouts will probably be prorated.

The MHIC has not set hearing dates for the contractors. The commission said it is trying to streamline the inspection process and has hired more inspectors.

The Anne Arundel County state's attorney is also investigating a total of 28 homeowner complaints.
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/16087232/detail.html