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Belton man claims contractor stole around $55,000

A Belton resident says only around 30-percent of the work a contractor was supposed to do was actually completed.

BELTON — Did a contractor take $80,000 to a job and then walk away? Belton businessman Dean Marshall told Channel 6 contractor Elite Doors did exactly that.

Marshall flips houses for a living. He told Channel 6 he paid Bill Cook, owner of Elite Doors, $40,000 upfront to remodel a house near San Marcos, Texas. He said the house needed to be converted from a two-bedroom, one-bath farmhouse to a four bedroom, three bath.

Marshall said Elite Doors was recommended by another local contractor he worked with before.

"I got Bill Cook's name from a trusted contractor that has done work on all four of my previous homes," Marshall said. "He said, 'here is his name and number he will take care of you.'"

Marshall has documents that show the company agreeing to 24 different line items for a total of $80,000. But after receiving half up front, Marshall tool Channel 6 Elite doors then asked for $20,000 more just three weeks in.

"I said, 'why do you need this? I don't understand where the money is going?'" Marshall said. "He tried to explain to me that he was playing his guys per diem and putting them up in hotel rooms which was not the original agreement."

At that point, Marshall still needed to finish the house in around five weeks, so he paid another $20,000. But then, he said the contractor continually asked for more money until reaching the $80,000 that was agreed upon for the whole job. Marshall showed Channel 6 cleared checks that added up to the full amount. Marshall said he had other disagreements with the contractor about the quality of the work done, and finally, on March 19, Marshall said contractor Bill Cooke told him the company was out of money again and wasn't finishing the job. Marshall said only around 30-percent of work was completed.

Channel 6 reached out to Elite Doors at their business number on Sunday, and a man claiming to be Bill Cook's brother answered. He said Cook was fishing and would call Channel 6 back later, but that never happened. Channel 6 placed several more calls to the number that day, but no one answered.

Channel 6 also could not find any sign of Elite Doors at the business address listed on the work receipt given to Marshall.

Marshall said paying the contractor up front was a rookie mistake, but it doesn't change the fact that the money is gone, and much of that money was for work that never even started.

"I believe that Bill Cook stole about $50,000 to $55,000," Marshall said. "I called my attorney to find out what my options are to sue him. My suspicion, unfortunately, is that he doesn't have any money."

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