By Lee Ross
Mountain View Telegraph
For those considering a home remodel, buyer beware.
Mary Kay Friedline's story involves missing light fixtures, flooring woes, a pilaster and cracks in the wall, in short, she says, she didn't get what she wanted.
A cancer survivor, Friedline said since she turned 50 she can sense illness in others and can help make them well by focusing energy as she touches them.
"I'm a healer," she said.
She recently moved from Michigan to the East Mountains, her two-story dream home and business space, an art gallery and alternative health business called 4 U Healing. Then things took a turn for the worse.
Friedline hired Terry Crabtree under false pretenses, she said.
Crabtree, who supposedly used a contractor number from Frank Campbell as credentials for Friedline's remodeling job, is currently being prosecuted for using someone else's license and practicing without a license by the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
"At no time was he authorized to use my license," Campbell said.
Campbell said that at this point, he isn't worried about the status of his license because it was never used officially.
Campbell and Crabtree worked on Friedline's project together, although Crabtree claims they were partners while Campbell says he had been hired by Crabtree.
Campbell said he took the job because he's had a hard time getting work, but Crabtree seemed to have more jobs than he could handle. In fact, he'd known Crabtree for some time.
Campbell's sister is Crabtree's ex-wife. Also on the job was Crabtree's son, Campbell's nephew, from the marriage, according to Campbell. The time working together was a way for Crabtree to patch things up with his family, Campbell said, but Crabtree's relationships seemed to have turned sour.
"He just jerked me around when it came to paying me and I just didn't like the way he treated people," Campbell said. Complaints
Friedline also complained about Crabtree's conduct, saying he called her "girlfriend," which she found truly irksome.
Campbell also said that Crabtree only paid him $2,700 of $4,700 he was owed in wages, but Crabtree said the two were partners and they both lost out when Friedline stopped the job. Crabtree said he even has a copy of Campbell's contractors license in his pocket to show people and the number is also on Crabtree's business card.
"How do you think I got (the number) on the card? ... Me and Frank were doing the job together," he said. "He got 50 percent, I got 50 percent."
He said the partnership did go downhill during the job at Friedline's house.
"When people were paying money it was good. He was my best bud," he said. "The (expletive) hit the fan, now we're not partners."
Interviewed separately, Crabtree and Campbell did agree on one thing.
"(Crabtree) really caved in at the end there," Campbell said, referring to the job he had taken on for Friedline. "I know for a fact that he was willing to do whatever to make her happy."
Campbell also tried to do the job to Friedline's satisfaction, staying on for some time after the falling out, working for free, until he couldn't afford to pay for gas there and back, according to Friedline.
Crabtree also was ready to work for free if Friedline would agree to pay the plumber and electrician, he said.
"What she did was she actually pushed me out the front door and I said, 'Don't hurt yourself,' because I weigh 240 pounds," Crabtree said.
Meanwhile, Friedline had run out of money trying to pay for a job that still isn't completed, she said.
"I got served foreclosure papers three weeks ago because they took my life savings," she said. "I'm out close to $23,000."
She is currently trying to get her business off the ground and pay a few bills. Her Web site, which is not yet completed, is www.4uhealing.org.
According to New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department spokeswoman Teala Kail, cases of false contractor license numbers may not be all that common, but there are ways to guard against it.
"It's not the kind of behavior we feel is appropriate," Kail said, referring to Crabtree's conduct. Protect yourself
A important step before having work done, according to the State Attorney General's Office, is to get a written bid, including a description of all the work to be done, and shop around to see if the price is reasonable. Just as one would in a job interview, gather references and contact information. When talking to people who have had work done by the contractor, ask about the quality of the work and ask for photos of the work done if they are available. Ask if the work was done in a timely fashion, if the person would go back to the contractor, and similar questions.
The Attorney General's Office also says to never pay up front for work that has not been started, never pay an advance for work that has not been completed to your satisfaction and the same goes for making a final payment until you are completely satisfied with the work performed.
According to the Construction Industries Division, a licensed contractor is protected whether or not the homeowner pays because the contractor can place a lien on the property. The flip side is, when a homeowner pays up front he or she runs the risk of the contractor failing to come through with materials or labor, in which case the homeowner may have to file a civil suit to recover the funds.
Also, verifying a contractor's number matches his or her name should be relatively simple, according to Kail.
"You can always contact the Regulation and Licensing Department," she said, "It couldn't hurt and it only takes a minute."
Go to www.rld.state.nm.us or call 476-4635.
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