The Arizona Registrar of Contractors has closed four unlicensed investigations after they were successfully adjudicated in court in September.

Sun City

Robert Branton, 40, of Gilbert, pleaded guilty Sept. 16 to theft, a Class 6 Felony, in the Maricopa County Superior Court.

The charges stemmed from an ROC investigation finding Mr. Branton of DBA Golden Valley Remodeling was hired by a 79-year-old Sun City homeowner to make roof repairs and paint the outside of the house. Mr. Branton collected 18 checks from the homeowner, totaling of $21,850.

However, the roof continued to leak after the repairs, leading the homeowner to file a police report that was dismissed as a civil matter, and then a complaint with the ROC.

The homeowner previously hired Mr. Branton in 2014 after Mr. Branton knocked on the door and told the homeowner the roof needed repairs. At the time, Mr. Branton was a licensed contractor. However, the ROC revoked Mr. Branton’s license in December 2015 after he failed to correct work on another property in a separate complaint.

A sentencing hearing is 8:30 a.m. Oct. 21 in the Maricopa County Superior Court.

Sun Lakes

Kenneth Schaffer, 44, of Sun Lakes, pleaded guilty Sept. 23 to contracting without a license, a Class 1 Misdemeanor, in the San Marcos Justice Court.

Between November and December 2018, the ROC investigated a case that found a Sun Lakes homeowner paid Mr. Schaffer of DBA Kenstruction $2,050 to frame a wall unit for an entertainment center, build cabinets and install new baseboards.

Mr. Schaffer started the job, but the work was never completed and some materials the homeowner paid for were never delivered.

The court fined Mr. Schaffer $1,000 and ordered him to pay $800 in restitution to the homeowner.

Tucson

On Monday, the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court found Ana Elsa Alvirez, 48 of Tucson, guilty of two counts of contracting without a license, a Class 1 Misdemeanor, stemming from two separate cases.

In one case, ROC investigators found a Tucson property owner paid Ms. Alvirez, of DBA Sahuaro Stone and Tile LLC, $35,000 to remodel a Tucson home. Ms. Alvirez started the job but abandoned it before completion. Major appliances were never delivered and the gas line was installed incorrectly.

The court ordered Ms. Alvirez to pay $1,711 in restitution to the property owner. She was also sentenced to 60 days in jail. However, that part of the sentencing was suspended.

In the second investigation, another Tucson property owner paid Ms. Alvirez of DBA ARA Solutions, $85,025 to remodel another Tucson home. The property owner’s investor had referred the owner to Ms. Alvirez. After visiting her stone and tile store, Ms. Alvirez offered to run the entire remodeling project and the property owner accepted without asking if she was licensed.

The ROC says she has never been a licensed contractor in Arizona.

The homeowner filed a complaint with the ROC after the project went more than $20,000 over budget and workers reported not being paid.

In this case, the court fined Ms. Alvirez to a $2,000. No restitution was ordered.

The ROC frequently receives complaints where an unlicensed entity’s work begins as small projects and in-creases in price and complexity to a point where they are unable or unwilling to complete or correct the work.

In these cases, the homeowner is often out of luck. The ROC reminds property owners to ask contractors of their license status and to check the license using the contractor search at www.roc.az.gov or giving the ROC a call at 1-877-692-9762.

Editor's Note: Information from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.