Westside Indianapolis Couple Say Garage Contractor Scammed Them

An Indianapolis couple, who lives on the Far Westside, say they fell victim to a scam artist’s smooth talk and engrossing story, but lost thousands of dollars as a result, and only learned of his criminal record after the fact.

Laura and Chris Harris, who were not Angie’s List members at the time, say they posted an ad on Craigslist in November seeking someone to do exterior painting and insulation work. They say Dustin Harris (no relation to the Harrises) replied to the ad and convinced them to hire his company, JAK Remodeling, which he told them was based near Raceway Road and 10th Street in Indianapolis.

“We wanted to renovate the garage as a good living area, with heat and insulation, so the dog can run around in the wintertime while we were at work,” Laura says. “Chris took out some of his retirement money for the job.”

Chris says Dustin perpetrated a very convincing façade. “He presented himself as being licensed and bonded, and assured us that he knew what he was doing, having taken two years of building trades and continuing with four years of college for construction,” Chris says. “He seemed very professional and willing to work.

“He also told us that he was born without any ears, and had gone through nine years of speech therapy to be able to talk,” Chris adds. “He said that he qualifies for disability, but would rather work to support his family. We found this very admirable.”

Chris says Dustin showed pictures of his previous work and offered a low bid. “He said that they were a little lower because he wanted repeat business and to build relationships with his customers,” he says. They did not ask for documentation of his education and licensing until after things started going wrong, Chris says, at which point he could not produce them.

Laura says they paid him $872 in advance for materials and a third of the labor. But after Dustin began the job in November, she says, he began to find more and more tasks that he claimed needed to be done, and he asked for more money. She says she paid Dustin $2,500 total for labor and materials. “He kept on asking for money for more jobs without finishing a job,” she says.

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The couple says they found the work he actually completed extremely disappointing, with only some of the drywall and insulation installed and cracks and gaps in drywall that had to be redone by another contractor. Laura says he also tore off the garage door panels and left the garage exposed to the elements; he claimed to find mold where there was none; and he accepted money for materials, such as cabinets, that he never delivered.

Only later, she says, did she learn Dustin Harris had a criminal record for theft and burglary. According to Marion County court records, an individual named Dustin Harris, living at the same address he gave Laura and Chris Harris, has multiple criminal convictions on his record. The convictions include a guilty plea for felony burglary and residential entry in 2009, for which he received probation and later served 365 days in jail for violating probation, according to Marion County court records, and a guilty plea for felony theft in 2011, for which he served probation and 545 days in jail.

“He always knew exactly what to say to keep scamming us for more money until the final installment,” Laura says. “Then he dropped off the radar. I hired someone else to repair the door, and he finally came back three days later and said we broke the contract. But aside from the receipt, we had no written contract, so there was no agreement to break.”

For all home improvement jobs over $150, Indiana law requires contractors to provide a written contract.

Laura says they suspected some items were stolen from the garage, so they called the police. “The officer didn’t want anything to do with it,” she says. “He thought it was a civil matter.”

Laura says she and Chris filed a complaint with the Indiana attorney general’s office, which remains pending. She says they are also considering further legal action.

AG spokeswoman Molly Johnson says the AG has received two complaints about JAK Remodeling, both in December, and declined to give further details on the pending complaint by the Harrises. The other was closed, according to AG records, because no consumer transaction took place. 

The Harrises joined Angie’s List as a result of the experience with JAK Remodeling and filed the company’s only review, with a grade of F. “I gave him numerous opportunities to come to an agreement,” Laura says. “It was the worst experience ever.”

She says she made multiple attempts to rectify the situation, but Dustin often refused to respond to emails or texts, and when he did, they came in the middle of the night.

“He really thought he would get away with it,” Laura says. “I told him I’d contact the newspaper, and he said, ‘You’re making threats, and I don’t take that kindly.’ But I warned him about this. He said he was going to report me for harassing him. I just stopped all contact after that point.”

Angie's List made multiple attempts to contact Dustin Harris for comment. He returned one email, promising to return the call, but he never followed through as of press time.