Clients of an ex-Denver Bronco turned home renovator tell Contact7 the former football player did poor quality work that cost them tens of thousands of dollars to fix.
Mark Sonnendecker said when his family met Kevin Clark, Clark shared photos of extravagant homes he said he renovated.
“The sales pitch that was used was that he was a former Denver Bronco and that he had done remodels on a bunch of Denver Broncos’ houses," Sonnendecker told Contact7.
Clark was a defensive back and kick returner who played for the Broncos from 1987-1991.
Sonnendecker and his wife, Beatriz, hired Clark to renovate their new home near the Denver Tech Center area but ultimately said they had to fire him because they believed the work was poorly done.
Now Sonnendecker says he is having to pay contractors to fix Clark’s mistakes.
“Right now, I think we're in the ballpark of around $20,000,” Sonnendecker said.
Todd Johnson, who owns TJs Custom Renovation, is now working on fixing Sonnendecker’s home.
“It is some of the worst craftsmanship I’ve seen in a long time,” Johnson said.
He says the ceiling isn’t level and the lights didn’t work properly, among other problems.
The family said Clark also tried to install a railing that would have given them splinters.
They believe it was designed for outdoor use only, but Clark wanted to use it indoors.
"This is probably one of the most frustrating experiences of my life," Sonnendecker said.
Another former client named Eren said her experience hiring Clark to work on her Denver home was the same. She was also drawn in with photos of beautiful homes Clark said he renovated. She too said she had to fire him because the work wasn’t done properly.
“I saved for 10 years to get this place,” Eren said. “He hasn't responded to my phone calls, emails or text messages.”
Online building records in Denver and Arapahoe County show no record of Clark getting permits for work he did on either home.
Eren paid contractors to fix many of the mistakes she said Clark made, but she said there are some issues she cannot afford to fix. She showed a Contact7 crew a shower that she says she can't use because the door leaks and another shower with a door that does not open properly.
Eren also showed the crew a faucet that has the hot and cold reversed, and a steam shower that does not properly function, and a kitchen light that appears to hang off-center.
Contact7 Investigates called Bell Home Solutions Remodel Team to check whether they could fix the issues in Eren’s home and they estimated it would cost close to $50,000 to make all the repairs.
“I worked for a long time to save that sort of money,” Eren said. “For him to do such a faulty job is very, very disheartening.”
Kevin Clark would not agree to an interview with Contact7 Investigates because he said he is planning to sue his former clients.
In text messages sent to Contact7 investigative reporter Jace Larson, Clark said the work he did was not poor quality.
"I simply believe they were provided the correct service," Clark said in a text message. "I always use quality [subcontractors] and try my best to accommodate any and everyone I deal with, because that's the way I am."
