Skip to main content

Painter Takes Deposit - Then Dips on Paint

28 July, 2021

An Omaha, Nebraska area house painter continues to face felony theft charges after asking his clients for large down payments and then not doing any work. While the painter has repaid one of the victims, the homeowners involved are learning a costly lesson about paying large sums in cash to a contractor up front.

The painter offered a discount for up-front payment, however, one of his clients only got paint samples, and they all said they got a bucket full of excuses. Earlier this year, he was arrested for “felony theft by deception,” as even by then, more than a year had passed from the initial payment to the non-existent paint job. Homeowners showed the court texts and emails asking when work was to begin and then demanding a return of their deposit, and the answers provided.

The painter said that due to wind and weather, he had been unable to paint the houses, and that in fact most of his customers paid half down in cash.

A statement from the local Better Business Bureau advised customers against paying in cash, “You want some form of documentation related to your payment, and if you don’t pay by credit card or check that’s going to be challenging,” says a spokesman. Once of homeowners reported that they had to spring for another contractor to finally paint the house, meaning not only did they have to pay double while waiting for their money back, but also they missed several months of enjoying the new paint job.

While one county dropped the felony charges after the painter repaid the customers, he still faces those charges in two nearby counties for failure to provide restitution to those clients.


Sources

wowt.com (1)

wowt.com (2)

rivercountry.com


Last week's story:

Contractor accused of worker abuse

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

If cost and liability were not an issue, what's your one must-have at the company picnic?

Paintball Feld
39%
Axe Throwing
30%
10-Foot Nacho Trough
12%
Potato Salad
19%

Dang it's hot! Does your work vehicle have an orange water cooler?

Yes
22%
No
43%
It's not orange
35%

Did you work for a painting contractor prior to owning your company?

Choices

Why haven't you hired a business coach?

Not worth the money
30%
Too difficult to find a good one
19%
I don't need one
30%
I did hire one!
22%

Has OSHA ever inspected your jobsite?

Choices

Who Buys the Paint Brushes?

Choices

What's the most paint you've ever spilled?

Choices

Did you take a week-long (or longer) vacation this summer?

Choices

If you had to rename your company one of the following, which would it be?

Choices

You meet someone new, and they ask what you do. What do you say?

Choices

On the job site, my painters mostly listen to...

Choices
Post

High Moisture-Resistant Paint

 

Read Now
Post

Jobsite of the Month: View of the Marina

 

 

Read Now
Post

Paint Polls Results: Supply Shortage

Last week we asked painters, Have y

Read Now
Post

Vaccine Update: Mandates, OSHA & Employers

Read Now
^