Contractor scammer leaves costly trail of woe
A Crooked River Ranch family claims it was scammed out of more than $4,000 by a Redmond man who claimed to be a licensed contractor, and authorities say he’s left a trail of costly problems across the state.
About a month ago, the Wallace family began searching for a contractor to pour a slab foundation for their new home in CRR. The family hired Patrick Vargas because it was on a deadline, and Vargas told the family he would do the work by the end of the week.
The family asked for a contractor’s license, which he provided, but the family didn’t verify it. The Wallaces then paid Vargas a deposit to begin work. That day, Vargas began moving a gravel pile and laying frames.
After several delays, Amber Wallace said she started looking into the license number Vargas had given her. She learned that not only was the license suspended for disciplinary action, but Vargas’ name was not even on the license.
The Wallaces then told him that if they didn’t get their concrete that day, they would look for someone else. Vargas quickly showed up on the phone with the concrete company, trying to get the Wallaces to pay them directly.
Amber Wallace said she and her husband, William, refused because they had already paid some money to Vargas.
The concrete company then called the authorities, because the company has had its own history with Vargas.
The next morning, Amber Wallace said, “Two cops and the (Oregon Construction) Contractors Board guy showed up looking for him. Then he didn’t show up that day, so they told us to call them when he did show up and they could come and get him.”
The Wallace family said they then found out there’s more to the story.
“He’s been investigated before and known not to have a contractor’s license,” CCB Field Investigator Thomas Messier said Monday.
Messier said Vargas claimed to have worked as an employee for Three Bar Construction, under their license for the last four years, even after the license was suspended earlier this year.
After further investigation, NewsChannel 21 found out Three Bar Construction owes more than $26,000 in unpaid claims and $9,000 in penalties.
The Construction Contractors Board is now pursing criminal charges, Vargas said.
Follow this link if you want to check on a contractors license:
https://www.ccb.state.or.us/search/default.aspx
You can check out the Oregon CCB’s Buyers Beware page for a list of top offenses:
