Wayne's Construction

Description of Work: We initially met with this contractor in 2011 about a covered deck project. In February 2012, we contacted him and he came out to rebid the project. He quoted $1,500 and we gave him a $1,000 cash deposit (with a receipt -- but what good did it do us?). I realized from the first day that Mr. Caddell and his "crew" were scheduled to work that this would be one horrible roller coaster ride. I had to call him several times to ensure they were planning to show up. They were scheduled to arrive early that morning and didn't get there until the afternoon. Mr. Caddell claimed it was raining on his side of town but I never saw a drop of rain at my house. He was only 10-15 minutes away from my home. His "crew" consisted of three men that looked like alcoholics or drug addicts. I was very concerned about leaving them alone to work in my backyard while my husband and I went to work. I didn't work far from home at the time so I'd come check in on them during my lunch hour. The three men seemed inexperienced and acted similar to The Three Stooges. After that first day, it was nearly impossible to get them to return. In total, they came about three or four times. Mr. Caddell would not answer the phone and would not return voicemails. There was one excuse after another (i.e. he was caring for a sick relative out of town). I ended up running a background report (after the fact, unfortunately) and there was a list of lawsuits that had been filed against him in the past. He has also filed bankruptcy a couple of times and had tons of addresses associated with his name. When it was all said and done, I was left with a wooden frame in my backyard and a bunch of excess lumber that he left behind. One end of the frame is almost leveled and the other end is lying on the ground. When I caught up with Mr. Caddell he said the project was going to cost more than he budgeted for, was going to take more time that he originally thought, and he was having problems getting his "crew" to come to work. I did everything in my power to resolve this matter. I tried to get him to, at least, come back and complete the project but he lied each and every time that he said he would show up. I requested a refund and, of course, he initially refused. He claimed to be a Minister at a local church so I contacted the church. Although they were familiar with him, and certain members of his family, he had no affiliation with that church nor did he attend that church. I left a message with the Church Secretary and received a call from Mr. Caddell a couple of weeks later. He wanted to know what he could do to "get me out his hair" and agreed to refund the money. He claimed he was trying to turn his life around and wanted to make peace with the situation. He said he was waiting on payment from a huge project and would meet my husband and I to return the money that week. Of course, that never happened. Beware of this man. He comes off as a sweet and loving individual who lives to do God's work. He's an older guy who often talks about his wife, children and grandchildren and that gives you the impression that he is an honest family man. He boasts about his 40+ years experience with construction and home remodeling projects. This man is nothing more than a crook waiting to capture his next victim. I admit that I was foolish in that I did not run the background check in advance. My husband was skeptical of him from the beginning, but went against his better judgment and hired him because I felt comfortable with him. I am usually the one who doesn't trust strangers but I really felt this guy was legitimate. He has cheated many people over the years and I am diligently working to figure out how I can recoup my $1,000 and/or have him prosecuted. I will not give up until justice has been served!