‘Dream barn’ goes sour: Tumalo ranch owner frustrated by dispute with unlicensed contractor

(Update: Adding video, comments from barn owner, state Construction Contractors Board)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Mindy Wolfe had a vision for a dream barn on her 10-acre property in Tumalo. In August 2019, she hired a California-based contractor to make her vision come to life. However, that dream has turned into a bit of a "nightmare," as she put it.

It didn't start out that way, though.

"When I grew up, we didn't have a lot," Wolfe told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday. "But (my parents) taught us kids that, if we want something to work hard and dream big, and you can achieve it. This was going to be my dream barn, and hopefully, my last barn."

The company Wolfe hired is called MD Barnmaster. Wolfe said it's a prominent barn-builder, well-known across the nation. That's why she felt confident bringing them on for the $180,000 project.

"Ever since then, it's been kind of a nightmare," Wolfe said.

Problems quickly arose, from windows being installed upside-down to water leaking inside the building during a heavy rainstorm in November.

"We had to put up plastic all along the top there," Wolfe said as she walked NewsChannel 21 through the barn. "(We) duct taped it up so that the water was running away from the walls, because I didn't want all this finish work damaged."

Wolfe said she asked MD Barnmaster to pay for the repairs, which total more than $10,000. During that dispute, Wolfe learned MD Barnaster, and the subcontractor it hired, do not have licenses to work in the state of Oregon.

That led to a $5,000 fine from the Oregon Construction Contractors Board, or CCB.

"That's the maximum fine we're allowed to issue,” said CCB Enforcement Program Manager Stan Jessup. “They didn't contest the violation They have been making progress payments on paying the debt."

There is a way you can check to see whether or not a company has a license. You go to the CCB’s website, type in the company's name and hit search.

In this case, searching MD Barnmaster’s search result said, “Never Been Licensed.”

Jessup said, as of now, it does not look like the company has filed any paperwork to obtain one.

As for Wolfe, she said this has been a very frustrating process.

“I just want to relax in our new home and enjoy life with the horses,” she said. “It's just been really hard."

Wolfe hopes MD Barnmaster will pay for the damages. Then she'll hire a licensed contractor to turn this nightmare back into her dream.

NewsChannel 21 attempted to contact MD Barnmaster by email and phone, but has not yet heard back.