Ruth Canidate and her family are dealing with the aftermath of hiring a contractor named Carlos, who took their money and left their central Phoenix home in an uninhabitable state. Frontera Construction, the company Carlos claimed to work for, denies any affiliation with him. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors has forwarded the case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. The Canidate family feels let down by the system and hopes for restitution. Morgan Loew reported
Phoenix Homeowner Falls Victim to Unscrupulous Contractor
Ruth Canidate, a central Phoenix resident, has endured the joys and struggles of raising her five children in her beloved home. However, her cherished memories are now overshadowed by the current state of her property.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking,” expressed Ruth, while her son, Jimmie Canidate, described it as a complete mess.
The ordeal began three years ago when a water leak caused significant damage to Ruth’s home. After filing an insurance claim, she sought the assistance of a public adjuster who recommended hiring a contractor named Carlos. To clarify, Carlos’ last name is withheld as there have been no criminal charges filed against him at this stage.
Assured by Carlos’ professional credentials and affiliation with Frontera Construction, a Texas-based company, Ruth proceeded to engage his services. Carlos was even featured on Frontera’s website, where he was identified as a lead superintendent in Arizona. Prior to finalizing the deal, Ruth took the precaution of verifying Frontera’s license status with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
Unfortunately, the Canidate family’s trust in Carlos was misplaced. He took their money and failed to complete the job as agreed upon. Much of the work completed by Carlos and his crew did not adhere to the Canidates’ requests. Consequently, their home now features unfinished cement floors, exposed wall frames, and incomplete plumbing and electrical work, rendering it uninhabitable.
Driven by their desire to restore Ruth’s home to its former glory, the Canidate family reached out to Frontera Construction for assistance. In response, Greg Voss, the president of Frontera Construction, distanced the company from Carlos, stating that Carlos had never been an employee of their company. Voss admitted to hiring Carlos as an independent subcontractor for a few commercial projects but emphasized that their relationship with Carlos did not extend beyond these specific assignments.
When questioned about the presence of Carlos on Frontera Construction’s website, Voss clarified that it was merely for marketing purposes and acknowledged that they had their own issues to address in relation to Carlos.
The Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) possesses the authority to order contractors to rectify substandard or incomplete work and provide compensation to victims of unscrupulous contractors. Cindy Casaus, the assistant director for ROC, confirmed that they had referred Carlos’ case to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, recommending charges of contracting without a license. However, when Arizona’s Family Investigates inquired about Ruth Canidate’s entitlement to restitution from the ROC and why Frontera Construction was not being pursued, Casaus did not respond.
Joe Watkins, an attorney experienced in contractor-related cases, expressed his disappointment with the ROC, stating that in his 35 years of practicing law in Arizona, he had not witnessed any beneficial outcomes resulting from the agency’s actions.
Carlos, when contacted over the phone, shifted the blame onto the Canidates, claiming that they frequently changed their minds about the work and were challenging to work with. He vehemently denied ever claiming to be affiliated with Frontera Construction and insisted that the work carried out by him and his team was of high quality and worth more than the $75,000 they had paid.
However, the Canidates provided evidence to refute Carlos’ claims. They presented emails from Carlos sent from a Frontera email account and a business card bearing Carlos’ name and the Frontera Construction logo. Additionally, they shared a covertly recorded conversation in which Carlos confirmed his association with Frontera.
The Canidates, frustrated by the entire situation, feel that the system has failed them and other consumers. Ruth Canidate expressed her disappointment, stating, “It makes me feel like our system is a failure. It’s a failure to the consumers.”
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