DENVER — A group of a dozen Denver metro residents previously unknown to each other have developed a relationship recently — regretfully so.
This year, they formed a group chat where they each shared their experiences with MountainSky Landscaping, LLC out of Boulder. Each claim they paid the company thousands of dollars to install pools and various backyard features, only to be left with an incomplete job.
According to the Secretary of State website, the company was formed by Peter Churchill, but customers believe it has been operated by his two sons, Shiloh and Luca Churchill, as they have been the primary contact throughout the entire construction process.
A YouTube video posted a few months ago shows Shiloh saying the company will rake in $7 million within the next year. Meantime, customers like Golden resident Josh Thompson say they're out thousands of dollars.
"What we have is a huge hole where we're supposed to have a spa and pool," Thompson told Denver7 Friday.
That hole may be the most expensive one in Golden.
"Our entire project is supposed to be $280,000. In total, we have given them $210,000 in total so far," Thompson said.
He hired the company in March. Thompson says the promised finish date for a pool, spa and pergola was supposed to be June.
"There's maybe 10 to 15% of the work done," Thompson said.
He says the company came up with a new excuse for the delay each week.
"We've never been given a real straight answer as to how any of this has happened," Thompson said.
Several other customers in the Denver metro shared the same frustrations — incomplete construction, delayed work and shoddy jobs.
"It's sickening, we've lost sleep over it," Aurora resident Emily Saul said. "We have given them roughly $90,000."
She says the job was supposed to be finished nearly five months ago.
"Like I said, 40% complete maybe, and they're done. They've walked away," Saul said.
Other customers like Littleton residents Scott and Donna Rauen were able to get a little further in the construction process. Their pool was installed, and water is in it, but a closer look reveals some glaring issues, such as a waterfall that was installed too far from the pool. The water flows onto the concrete surrounding the pool instead of into the pool.
This week, MountianSky Landscaping sent a text message to several customers stating, in part, that they aren't able to finish jobs because one of their employees allegedly embezzled up to half a million dollars, which froze their bank accounts, prompting them to file for bankruptcy.
Contact Denver7 reached out to the company several times for comment Friday, but did not receive one. Berken Cloyes, PC, the law office that specializes in bankruptcy and represents the company, declined to provide a comment Friday.
Meantime, MountainSky Landscaping, LLC is involved in at least two lawsuits, according to court records obtained by Contact Denver7. One of them was filed Wednesday by Christopher Frank, a Denver customer who contracted the company to install a pool at his property. He is accusing the company of civil theft, fraud and breach of contract.
Another lawsuit was filed against the company in 2020 by SCP Distributors, LLC and Superior Pool Products, LLC. They are seeking more than $200,000 accuse MountainSky of breach of contract, fraud by check and unjust enrichment.
Editor's note: Denver7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at contact7@thedenverchannel.com or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Contact Denver7 stories here.
