CAMERON, Texas — Imagine paying $60,000 to remodel a home, only to find out the contractor may never finish the job.
This is happening to Diane Yates in Cameron, Texas, she claims.
Yates claims Brandon Meyer of United Construction LLC took advantage of her in November when she was in search of a contractor. He started renovating her house, but months later, it's still unfinished, with parts even destroyed.
"I feel like crying, and I do sometimes," Yates said.
Yates added she can barely live in her home, with her living room, kitchen, and rooms torn apart.
There's space between windows and the wall that exposes Yates to the outdoors, and the whole foundation of her home that was passed down from family is ruined.
Yates claims rooms that Meyer added on to the back of her home, as part of the expansion, could be washed away in a second with the right amount of rain, according to contractors Yates brought out to assess her property.
Their assessment also said the damages left by Meyer add up almost $30,000.
"Just walking around and looking at it, my jaw dropped," Jimmy Zalesky, a family friend of Yates, said.
Yates claims that Meyer had told her the renovations were only supposed to last one month.
"We ended up having to live in a motel and come back here to live in the freezing cold," she added.
The last time Yates heard from Meyer was in March. Since then, she believes he has moved to either Kansas or Missouri.
The phone numbers associated with United Construction LLC, along with the email seem to be shut down.
Six News did try reaching Meyer and has not heard back.
"The Milam County Sherriffs office does have a Civil and Legal lawsuit out on him," Yates said.
She's building her case, hoping to track Meyers down and get repaid for all the damage and unfinished work done to her home.
The only thing she is hopeful will help her, is a Gofundme page put together by a loved one to raise money for her troubles.
Click here to donate.
As for United Construction LLC, there is an existing business listed in the Texas Comptroller, that is not owned by Meyer, but instead owned by "Fabian Morales."
Six News has reached out to the business for comment, to see if Meyers is connected to their name, and have yet to hear back.
How you can avoid a scam like this:
The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsil has a list of ways to avoid contractor fraud.
Click here for more information.