Contractor scamming local people

San Diego is the most expensive city in the nation and it just got more expensive. This is a story that can make a person go homeless quickly, as if we don't have enough homelessness in California.

There is a local contractor who steals possessions, does not do work to code, hires actors to pretend they are officials, abandons the job just before he is caught, and places massive liens on his homes after he departs, and no one is stopping him.

In my case, I flip houses. I paid the contractor over $110,000 for a $150,000 job, he quit before he got caught. Then he put a lien on my home for $200,000, for loss of income and loss of supplies. There were 1-2 days left and no supplies.

The contractor had an actor show up for five days hanging around on my job claiming to be "the lead inspector of San Diego County." This man was brought on when I first pointed out a concern about the job to shut me up.

When I met my real inspector, he had never heard of this man and only one inspector was assigned. I have two inspection reports, 80 pages of errors, one from an inspector from The Contractor's State Board, one private.

There is a blatant error by this contractor, some almost comical, like hot water hooked up to a toilet two feet away from the wall, a garage that can't be connected to the house when it should be.

The contractor bribed my disgruntled ex-tenant to write a witness letter, which is hearsay, claiming there was a mutual agreement to terminate. Why would I pay over $110,000 and quit? Home flippers need everything done to sell.

The theft was over a span of seven months of my tools and previous supplies, $30,000. It cost me $300,000 to rip out and fix his mess. Between my initial budget, the second demo and repairs, the theft, and attorney fees, this could put a person on the street!

I can't sell the house because of the lien. I need to flip the house to continue working. I'm almost 60. This is what I do! Mechanics liens are the easiest liens to put on a home and the hardest to remove. This is legalized theft on a grand scale.

If it's happening to me, it's happening to other people. I have heard many people say similar things have happened to them. Who is stopping this? The Contractor's State Board makes it clear they are not there to remove liens or litigate.

Kathrine Kay