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BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- A bad contractor left Van Ngo's basement in shambles and ruined plans for her elderly parents who were supposed to move in with her.
"It looks really sad, like I made a big mistake in my life," said Ngo as she looked at her partially finished basement.
Denver7 interviewed Ngo in the fall after she hired Braveheart Construction and paid the owner, TJ Welker, $5,000 to start the job. Ngo was hoping to get the basement project finished as soon as possible but weeks went by with little progress.
She became suspicious when Welker asked for more money after taking such a long time to finish the framing. Ngo tried to question him about the delays and then she found out he never even pulled a permit. Soon after, they parted ways.
"Nothing has been changed at all. Everything is still the same," said Ngo as she explained how she's been living with this nightmare for more than a year.
After Denver7 aired an investigation about Welker, another contractor stepped up and offered to help out Ngo. Gerald Nunez with Colorado Builders Corp. has spent the past several months collecting materials to finish the job, sometimes paying for the supplies with his own money.
"We’ve got pretty much everything you need for the job, we’ve got vinyl base for her flooring if she wants vinyl and we’ve also got carpet," said Nunez.
He's currently storing all the supplies in a storage unit because he needs additional help to finish the job. Nunez said some of his employees are willing to donate a portion of their time, but the biggest cost is labor and after a tough year they can't afford to work for free.
"We have employees, but employees only want to donate so much time. So we’re trying to get a little bit of financial help to be able to help pay some of our employees," said Nunez.
Denver7 Gives set up a fund for Ngo where you can donate and help make this project a reality. It's been a tough year for her family and she just wants to be able to take care of her parents.
Her mother contracted COVID-19 in January and nearly died. Ngo said it was a miracle she survived but she just wants a safe place for her mom to recover.
"It could mean a lot to me a peace of mind to have my parents close by and also feel like I can turn my life in another chapter," Ngo.
Nunez said he would like to begin construction as soon as possible.
"I’d like to get it done for her, get her house done and get her parents moved in," said Nunez.
