DENVER — NextDoor is supposed to be an app you can use to get recommendations and news from your neighbors. Instead, a Denver woman who found Cruz Restoration & Remodeling through Nextdoor says after she paid him $20,000, he disappeared.
Looking over Marianne King's Denver backyard, you can see what she calls the money pit.
"I have a big hole in my backyard. I can't even go out, I can't use my gate," said King. "I feel like I was taken advantage of."
The feeling started last year, not long after she asked for contractor recommendations on the Nextdoor app to build a bedroom and bathroom addition for her brother to move in. King said that is when she found Alexander Cruz with Cruz Restoration & Remodeling.
"He seemed like the right person. I interviewed a few, and I had five people come out here and give me bids," she said, showing the contract that required her to pay more than $20,000 up front.
King said after she paid the deposit and Cruz's crews dug the hole, he disappeared.
"He totally ghosted me for, I would say, close to five or six months. He didn't return my calls, he didn't respond to my texts," said King. "I posted a very accurate post on Nextdoor about him. Then, he started being nasty and sending me nasty texts. At the very end, he was just cursing me out, all four-letter words."
King reached out to police and Contact Denver7, and we started asking around at his business address and with other customers.
"I found him through Nextdoor," said Leif Hunter, who is suing Cruz over the calls a kitchen remodel gone wrong. "He took out a load bearing wall, never pulled a permit."
The City of Denver said Cruz is not a licensed contractor in Denver, and he was denied a supervisor certificate in 2020.
Cruz declined Contact Denver7's requests for an interview, but his attorney sent a statement, saying, "Our client refutes certain allegations; however, in light of pending litigation, we decline to comment. Please be advised, we highly recommend not airing this story, as it will increase the likelihood of litigation."
Meanwhile, more than a year after hiring Cruz, King's brother is living in an R.V. on her driveway while they wait for permits to be approved and try to save more money for the "money pit" project.
However, she said Contact Denver7 is getting results. Texts and documents show Cruz agreed to refund $15,000 by October 10, but has paid less than half.
"I feel very good that I reached out to you because at least I got almost $7,000 back, which is something I would have never gotten back," said King. "And I still feel that he owes me money. I mean, he got away with it."
King said she has learned not to trust reviews on social media such as Nextdoor, and she wants to warn others to do their own legwork.
"Buyer beware," she said. "I thought I had done my research, but I should have done more."
You can verify a contractor's license with the online contractor license certification tool. People can also request a list of contractors that are licensed through the City and County of Denver by emailing Contr.Licensing@denvergov.org.
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