BATTLE CREEK, me. – Jon Harfst is another homeowner trying to track down David Sohlden in search of his hard-earned money back. Sohlden, owner of Kalamazoo Craftsman, is said to have gotten by tens of thousands of dollars for decks he never built.

The Better Business Bureau warned him weeks ago. Harfst is one of the customers who informed the BBB.

“Ultimately, of course, I want justice. What he does to us and to others is criminal, “said Harfst.

“We tried to do the research as well as possible. We got a recommendation. We interviewed a lot of people and again he rose to the top due to availability, price, professionalism and creativity. We liked all of that about him, “he explained.

Harfst paid Sohlden $ 9,000 in advance. He said that was about half the total cost of the project and Sohlden put in about 10 wooden posts before he disappeared.

“About two weeks before we found out that others were in the same boat, all communication with David really stopped. We kept in touch on a daily basis with phone calls, emails, text messages and any kind of communication that he had previously communicated with us, “explained Harfst.

He learned that Sohlden had never drawn a permit. Harfst said he invited the local building inspector to inspect the built-in wooden posts.

“We drew one or two [posts] directly with the building inspector here. No foundations were poured or made for coding. Concrete wasn’t mixed properly with them, ”he recalled.

Sohlden has filed civil judgments valued at more than $ 50,000 and a tax lien against him, according to public records. The day after Problem Solvers was originally broadcast on Sohlden, his website was no longer available. Harfst is confident that the exposure will at least prevent others from having the same experience.

“I think my biggest point is helping others, not falling victim to this man like us and so many others,” he said.

The BBB said Sohlden’s license to build had expired in 2004. FOX 17 called and left another message on his cell phone. Sohlden hasn’t returned any calls or emails yet.

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