Unlicensed Benson Remodeler Twice Guilty of Contracting Without a License
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fri., Dec. 18, 2020
CONTACT:
Breanna Bang, Public Information Liaison
Unlicensed Benson Remodeler Twice Guilty of Contracting Without a License
PHOENIX, Ariz., (Dec. 18, 2020) — On Tues., Dec. 15, 2020, Scott Alan King Sr., 61 of Benson, was found guilty in two separate criminal cases of Contracting Without a License, a Class 1 Misdemeanor, in the Benson Justice Court.
The Arizona Registrar of Contractor's investigations found King contracted for one price but the jobs eventually became more expensive, costing the homeowner more money for more materials and eventually to have King's work repaired. This is a common theme in unlicensed contracting investigations and often one of the first red flags.
2020 AZ ROC Investigation
In October 2019, King contracted to build an add-on 12' x 13' room onto a Benson home for $3,666. The project ended up costing the homeowner more than the original bid. In the end, King took $4,066 for the job and the homeowner spent an additional $1,194 in materials.
Though King completed the job, the work was poor. In February 2020, the homeowner filed a complaint with AZ ROC after King failed to fix a leak in the room that eventually caused mold to grow.
2019 AZ ROC Investigation
In May 2019, King contracted to remodel a manufactured home in Benson that he sold to a City of Maricopa resident. The home required extensive repairs to the plumbing, floors, windows, a porch staircase and more. King represented himself as a licensed contractor and claimed he could do all the repairs.
King was given $5,000 as a part of the home sale to make the repairs, however, the size of the project got bigger and bigger as additional items were added. Soon the payments outpaced progress. A large portion of the work still remained incomplete after King accepted $18,017 in payments and $14,097 for materials were paid out by the homeowner. Additionally, some of the completed work was poor and needed to be redone.
The homeowner filed a complaint with AZ ROC in August 2019, after King abandoned the job.
Restitution hearings for both cases are scheduled for Jan. 2021, in the Benson Justice Court.
AZ ROC frequently receives complaints regarding unlicensed entities exploiting property owners ranging from poor work to complete abandonment. Home and property owners should always check the license before hiring a contractor at www.roc.az.gov or by giving the Agency a call at 1-877-692-9762.
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