$600K in deposits and nothing to show for it: Investigation into contractor extends to two states
Customers tell 5 On Your Side that they have paid at least $625,000 to Wood Construction and Remodeling for work not finished or, in some cases, even started. Dozens of complaints are piling up against owner Leighton "Joe" Wood, and investigations are underway in both North Carolina and Tennessee.
Stephanie Harred paid the company almost $106,876 last year to build an addition. A torn-up yard is as far as the project got.
Jeff Summers paid a $40,345 down payment for a renovation he expected would be done in May. From the driveway to the living room to the bathroom, Summers says his home has been a construction zone since the beginning of the year.
"We gave them a deposit on July 8 of this year for $75,000, which is about 30% of the project," said Brian Raleigh. He hired Wood to build a detached garage and fitness room at his Wake County home.
"You don’t see any structure; building permits haven’t even been pulled," he said. "No response on text messages, no response to emails, no response to phone calls."
In September, Doreen DiCarlo detailed her Wood Construction debacle. She paid $21,000 last November for a bathroom addition that never started.
"This has just gone on so long that sometimes I lay awake at night and just cry. It’s just sad," said DiCarlo.
In September, 5 On Your Side reported that images posted on the company’s website under "Our Work" were also on other sites. A bathroom was in an ad on Home Depot’s website. A kitchen is part of a portfolio for a home remodeler in St. Louis.
Right after our investigation aired, Wood Construction and Remodeling took down its website.
Now, leaders in Tennessee are clamping down the business owner. Leighton Wood’s contractor’s license is suspended.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III also sent Wood a cease and desist letter "… alleging illegal, unfair and deceptive business acts…" including that Wood changed his company name to Custom Homes by Wood and violated state law by not notifying the contracting board.
That company no longer has an active website.
Slatery also wrote: "We have reason to believe that you have placed misleading reviews authored by your own employees on consumer sites, such as ‘Angi’s List’ and ‘Home Advisor,’ and purporting to be customer reviews without revealing that, in fact, your own employees authored said reviews."
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told WRAL News it is also investigating the company.
Wood still has a contractor’s license for work in North Carolina, but the state Licensing Board for General Contractors and Attorney General Josh Stein both tell 5 On Your Side investigations are underway.
Stein’s office has recorded 11 complaints.
Former employees of Wood Construction tell 5 On Your Side they believe the company took money from dozens of customers without starting or finishing jobs.
Those who’ve been victimized should file complaints with the attorney generals offices in NC and in TN.
5 On Your Side reached out to Wood, asking for answers about the projects, the money and his plans to make the many homeowners whole. His attorney, Jason Arthur, sent us this statement:
"We are diligently working towards finding resolutions to address customers’ complaints. Issues in the labor market, supply chain backlog, material shortages and inflation of costs have played a part in complexity of the current situations and options. We hope to soon have a line of communication open to each customer of Wood Construction & Remodeling in hopes of addressing their specific concerns.”
Customers 5 On Your Side has heard from, and the dozens who’ve posted frustrations on a newly created Victims of Wood Construction Facebook page, just want their hard-earned money back.
"Nobody likes to, you know, get taken or, you know, lose money," said Raleigh. "Hopefully, you know, some justice will be served at some point. But we’ll see."
